Bruce Springsteen Talks About His Place in American Music

Article excerpt

Bruce Springsteen opened an expansive cultural center near the Jersey Shore boardwalk, using the occasion to reflect on his outsized role in American music. Rather than lean into his canonical status, the 76-year-old rocker characterized himself as "a small link in a big chain", a characteristically modest framing that acknowledges both his debts to earlier musicians and his place within a continuum. The center, which draws on Springsteen's life and work, represents a tangible investment in cultural preservation and public access to his archive. His remarks suggest an artist still preoccupied with authenticity and historical grounding, even as institutions increasingly venerate him.