Born to Run can be considered Bruce Springsteen’s anthem.  It is also the song that may have saved his career.  Up until that moment, Springsteen’s two albums were not selling well.  He had a fan base in New Jersey, Manhattan clubs and, for some reason, Arizona. There were executives at Columbia Records who wanted to turn him loose, but his supporters, who were the company publicists and promoters, plus John Hammond, who signed him, convinced everyone to keep him on the label. Third time was the charm.  Not only did Born to Run make Springsteen a star, selling millions of copies, it turned his first two flops into multi-million sellers.  And like the other artists I have chosen for this week, nothing Springsteen has recorded can compare to his live performances—always and still three hours of energy, passion, joy and a real connection to his audience.

The nicest thing I can say about NJ Governor Chris Christie is that he is a die-hard Springsteen fan.

There are only a few things good about getting older.  One is the half-price Metro card.  Another is that I have lived in New York long enough to see and hear amazing performances of all kinds.  One was watching Springsteen and his band in a tiny tiny club. Electrifying and unforgettable.  (The club was Upstairs at Max’s Kansas City.)