Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen ranks alongside such rock and roll figureheads as Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Bob Dylan. Just as those artists shaped popular music, Springsteen served as a pivotal figure in its evolution with his rise to prominence in the mid-Seventies.
Early on, he was touted as one of several heirs to Bob Dylan's mantle. All of these would-be "new Dylans" — who also included Loudon Wainwright, John Prine and Elliott Murphy — rose above the hype, but Springsteen soared highest, catapulting himself to fame on the unrestrained energy of his live shows with the E Street Band, the evocative power of his songwriting, and the direct connection he forged with his listeners. Springsteen lifted rock and roll from its early Seventies doldrums, providing continuity and renewal at a point when it was sorely in need of both. During a decade in which disco, glam-rock, heavy-metal and arena-rock provided different forms of escape into fantasy, Springsteen restored a note of urgency and realism to the rock and roll landscape.
Each painstakingly crafted album since his 1973 debut, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., has served as a literate pulse-taking of a generation's fortunes. He offers himself as a "prisoner" of the music he loves, and each concert has been played as if it might be his last.
Sam Moore
Sam Moore was one half of the greatest of all soul duos, Sam and Dave. Along with Dave Prater, they brought the sound of the black church to pop music with their string of call-and-response hits for Stax Records from 1965 to 1968. The pair usually worked with the songwriting and production team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter, using Booker T. and the M.G.'s as backing musicians. From these collaborations came such soulful, fevered exchanges as "You Don't Know Like I Know," "Hold On, I'm Comin'," "You Got Me Hummin'," "Soul Man" and "I Thank You." Sam and Dave also gained renown as an electrifying live act in the Stax revues of the mid-Sixties, where they'd compete for applause with such labelmates as Otis Redding.
Darlene Love
Her powerful gospel sound was developed singing in her father's church in East L.A. At 16, Darlene sang at a wedding where two of the bridesmaids asked her to join their vocal group, The Blossoms. They quickly established a major presence in the L.A. session scene doing backgrounds for artists such as Sam Cooke. Darlene caught the attention of young genius record producer Phil Spector and he made her one of the cornerstones of his "Wall of Sound" under various names (The Crystals, Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, and of course, Darlene Love). She sang lead on a string of hits, earning an important place on the landscape of 60's rock & roll. She continues to have a prolific singing career, having starred on Broadway, and in recent years has returned to her gospel roots.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band will be performing material from their vast catalog of music and will be inviting these and other special guests onstage for never-before-seen collaborations. Check back soon to see who else they'll be performing with.
