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“Dancing in the Dark” artist, Bruce Springsteen, is a friend of Former President Barack Obama and a collaborator to Bleachers’ Jack Antonoff. The Boss was also a fan of “Hound Dog” singer Elvis Presley, once quoted saying the King “was as big as the whole country itself.” 

Bruce Springsteen is the artist behind ‘Dancing in the Dark’ and ‘My Hometown’

Bruce Springsteen performing with the E Street Band at the Oakland Stadium
Bruce Springsteen performing with the E Street Band at the Oakland Stadium | Clayton Call/Redferns via Getty Images

He’s called “the Boss” for a reason. Springsteen gained international recognition for his heartfelt, and often patriotic original songs, including “My Hometown,” “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” and “Atlantic City.”

Springsteen is also known for sharing his love for his home state of New Jersey, often appearing at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park. He even sang on “Chinatown” with Antonoff for Bleachers’ Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night.

Bruce Springsteen said that Elvis Presley was ‘as big as the country itself’

Springsteen often mentioned his support of other artists. That includes the legendary artist Elvis Presley. Throughout his career, Presley earned praise for his dance moves and blues-y sound, releasing “Hound Dog,” “Burning Love,” and other hit songs.

“He was as big as the whole country itself, as big as the whole dream,” Springsteen said, according to IMDb. “He just embodied the essence of it and he was in mortal combat with the thing. Nothing will ever take the place of that guy.”

Springsteen himself became a symbol of the American dream, especially with the release of “Born in the U.S.A.” He created “Streets of Philadelphia” for Philadelphia, earning the Academy Award for Best Original Song and four Grammy Awards.

Recently, the “Jersey Girl” artist partnered with former U.S. president Barack Obama for the podcast series Renegades: Born in the USA. They discussed everything from the Vietnam War draft to classism to music. 

Springsteen never met the “Hound Dog” singer, who died in 1977. However, he did attend The King’s performance at the Spectrum in Philadelphia with bandmate Steve Van Zandt.

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‘Hound Dog’ by Elvis Presley was an impactful song for Bruce Springsteen

This wouldn’t be the only time Springsteen mentioned his support of the “Can’t Help Falling in Love” singer. According to a quote from Far Out Magazine, Springsteen hearing Presley’s “Hound Dog” was a “turning point” in his musical journey. 

“When I heard it, it just shot straight through to my brain,” Springsteen said. “I realized, suddenly, that there was more to life than what I’d been living.” 

“I was then in pursuit of something, and there’d been a vision laid out before me,” he recalled. “You were dealing with the pure thrust, the pure energy of the music itself. I was so very young, but it still hit me like a thunderbolt.”

Now, music by Springsteen is available on most major streaming platforms. That includes “Nightshift,” released ahead of his 2023 tour with the E Street Band. 

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