Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021, marks the 72nd birthday of one of the most important voices in rock and roll. That voice is “The Boss” himself – Bruce Springsteen. The New Jersey native was born on this day in 1949.
One person who decided to publically wish Springsteen a very happy birthday was former Creedence Clearwater Revival lead singer John Fogerty. The 76-year-old Fogerty took to his Twitter account to share his birthday message with the leader of the E Street Band.
“Always a fun time playing next to @springsteen. Wishing this rockstar a wonderful birthday,” Fogerty posted on Twitter. In addition to these birthday wishes, Fogerty also shared a brief clip of him performing live next to Bruce Springsteen.
In the clip, they are performing a cover of the classic Roy Orbison song, “Oh! Pretty Woman.” The performance took place in 2009 at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert. For their performance, John Fogerty and Bruce Springsteen shared some of the vocals. It was Springsteen, however, who played the song’s famous guitar riff.
Fogerty and Springsteen also took turns singing certain lyrics of the famous Orbison hit. For example, it was Springsteen who sang the famous lyrics, “I don’t believe you / You’re not the truth.” Fogerty then chimed in with “No one could look as good as you.” Springsteen then chimed in with “Mercy!”
The two beloved rock stars joined their voices for much of the song. Their version of “Oh Pretty Woman” is an upbeat and exciting take on a classic song. And, unsurprisingly, John Fogerty and Bruce Springsteen are more than up to the task of doing it justice. And, also unsurprisingly, they are clearly having fun performing this popular hit. It’s no wonder Fogerty wanted to share a clip of the performance in honor of Springsteen’s 72nd birthday.
You can watch Bruce Springsteen and John Fogerty perform “Oh, Pretty Woman” in 2009 below.
Bruce Springsteen Rose to Fame Thanks to His 1975 Album
According to Biography, Bruce Springsteen was born into a working-class New Jersey family. His father, Doug, often changed jobs. His mother, Adele, worked at an insurance agency as a secretary.
It was Elvis Presley who inspired Springsteen’s love of rock and roll. The young Springsteen watched – as so many others did – Presley perform on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and was inspired. His mother later purchased him a Kent guitar for $60 and he learned how to play.
It was in 1973 that Bruce Springsteen released his first album. It was titled, “Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.” It wasn’t a financial success, but critics praised it. Two years later, it was his third album – “Born to Run” – that set Springsteen on the path to fame. This album climbed all the way to the No. 3 spot on the Billboard 200 chart.
The rest, as they say, is history.
