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Join Laura Barton for an intimate journey through the life of Bruce Springsteen. How did Bruce become The Boss – and what did it cost him to get there?

How did the greats become the greats? And what did it cost them to get there? Legend is the award-winning music biography series from ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4 exploring the lives of pioneering artists who shaped modern music.

In Legend: The Bruce Springsteen Story, we discover how a scrawny, long-haired introvert from New Jersey became the iconic, muscular – and oft-misunderstood – rock star of the 1980s, and ultimately the eloquent elder statesmen he is now. What does his story reveal about America today?

Across the series, Laura Barton takes a front-row seat at five key gigs which illuminate a different side of The Boss. She travels to Asbury Park in 1971 to hear how teenage Bruce began to learn his magic trick at The Upstage Club. She hears about his nerve-wracking London Hammersmith gig in 1975, the electrifying final night of the Born in the U.S.A tour in 1985, and his emotional homecoming show at St Rose of Lima school gym in 1996. Lastly, Laura heads to Milan to witness the final concert of his 2025 Land of Hope and Dreams tour.

Featuring Bruce in his own words across the decades, alongside voices from the E Street Band, devoted fans, biographers, and critics.

Listen from Friday 10 October, first on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Sounds.

A ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Audio Production for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4
Producer: Eliza Lomas
Sound Design and Original Music: Hannis Brown
Series Developer: Mair Bosworth
Production Coordinator: Stuart Laws
Additional Research: Sarah Goodman
Series Editor: Emma Harding
Commissioning Editors: Daniel Clarke and Matthew Dodd
Assistant Commissioner Podcasts: Will Drysdale

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Five life-changing things that shaped Bruce Springsteen

Five life-changing things that shaped Bruce Springsteen

Laura Barton explains five key things that shaped The Boss’s life and music.

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