It’s official. Bruce Springsteen has gone from musician to American icon, joining the likes of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. Want some proof of his transcendence? Just look to Philadelphia where The National Constitution Center is holding the first major exhibition about the American songwriter. From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen takes a comprehensive look at Springsteen’s body of musical work with the help of 15o artifacts. Ask why a Springsteen exhibit deserves to be held in The National Constitution Center, and its CEO/President David Eisner will tell you that the “Constitution Center is about the values [e.g. freedom & equality] and dreams on which America was based, and Springsteen’s music is all about achieving the American Dream.” What’s more, Springsteen’s music touches on deeply American political issues, including the First Amendment.
The exhibition runs through September 3rd (tickets available here), and every Friday the Constitution Center plans to publish on its blog articles inspired by Bruce Springsteen and the First Amendment.
The man is 60, has been in the business for over 40 years. Why has it taken so long for this?