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New Jersey University Planning A Museum Dedicated To Bruce Springsteen

Author Phil Harris
Singer, songwriter, and rock and roll legend Bruce Springsteen listens to his citation before being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Barack Obama during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House November 22, 2016 in Washington, DC. Obama presented the medal to 19 living and two posthumous pioneers in science, sports, public service, human rights, politics and the arts. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

By the time a U.S. president leaves office, plans are usually well underway for their Presidential Library. A site has been determined, architectural drawings may have been rendered, and a target date has probably been set. If a president can have something like that, shouldn’t “The Boss” get one, too? After all, Bruce Springsteen does have a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

According to WABC-TV, Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey, has announced plans to build the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music. The new building will be on the school’s campus and will house what amounts to much of Springsteen’s life’s work. The project is being led by Robert Santelli, the former director of the Grammy Museum.

The university is launching a campaign to raise $45-million to help build the 30-thousand-square-foot facility. The New Jersey native said he was honored by the project at the event to launch the project. Bruce Springsteen joked, “I’m planning on getting all of the junk out of my house because it was really getting cluttered in there and so now I’ve got some place to put that stuff.”

Springsteen, who was born and raised in Monmouth County, has some history with the university. Back in the late-1960s, when it was still Monmouth College, Bruce’s former band, Steel Mill, played free concerts for students on the campus lawn. Hopefully, the museum has at least one photo of that. The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music is slated to open in Spring 2026. I predict it will attract music fans from all over the world.

Phil Harris is 50% of "Phil & Mel in the Afternoon" on K104.7. He has been with the station since 2013 and on the air in Charlotte since 2000. Before coming to the Queen City, Phil worked for radio stations in Pittsburgh, Austin, and Seattle. In addition to the weekly "Throwback Threesome" music video feature, Phil writes about things that matter to Charlotte sports fans and pet owners. He happens to be both.

Throwback Threesome - Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen’s discography stretches back to 1973. Since then, the Boss has created masterpiece after masterpiece. Choosing only three songs from the vast Springsteen catalog is not an easy task. However, from a music video perspective, we can start with one album for this edition of the Throwback Threesome.

Released by Bruce Springsteen in 1984, Born in the U.S.A. was his seventh studio album. It was immediately met with positive reviews, round-the-clock radio airplay, and massive sales numbers. According to Songfacts, the album produced seven top-10 singles. It also led to a sold-out worldwide tour. Born in the U.S.A. became Bruce’s most commercially successful album and one of the highest-selling records ever. Even the cover photo taken of him from behind by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz became an icon.

MTV was still only in its third year when Born in the U.S.A. came out. Bruce Springsteen quickly dominated the cable network with his videos for the album’s hit singles, including “Dancing in the Dark,” “Born in the U.S.A.,” and “Glory Days.” He even got the help of noted filmmakers Brian De Palma and John Sayles.

  • Dancing in the Dark (1984)

    Directed by filmmaker Brian De Palma, the “Dancing in the Dark” video was shot in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on June 28 and 29, 1984. The first night was a pure video shoot, the second was on the opening date of the Born in the U.S.A. Tour. The girl who joins Bruce on stage is pre-Friends Courtney Cox. The video won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Stage Performance in 1985.

  • Born in the U.S.A. (1984)

    The video for the album’s title track was directed by filmmaker John Sayles and includes concert footage of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band along with scenes of working-class America, Vietnam veterans, oil refineries, and cemeteries. It ends with a recreation of the album’s cover.

  • Glory Days (1985)

    The music video for “Glory Days” was the album’s third video directed by John Sayles. It was filmed at various locations in New Jersey, including a baseball field and bar in Hoboken. The video features clips of New York Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden striking out major league hitters. Springsteen’s then-wife Julianne Phillips also makes a very brief cameo appearance at the end.

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