Bruce Springsteen is one of the most iconic American singers in history — but his kids wouldn’t know it.
“Except for a few guitars and a piano, you wouldn’t know musicians lived here,” Springsteen, 75, said of his home in an interview with The Times published on Saturday, June 21. “The kids grew up in another house in town, a midsized home not unlike the ones their friends lived in, and we tried to keep a very natural domestic existence for them. Anything else is a burden they don’t need.”
Springsteen — who described himself as an “attention whore” — told the outlet that his children couldn’t care less about his massive musical success.
“They ignore it,” the “Born in the U.S.A.” singer said of his three children, Evan, 34, Jessica, 33, and Samuel, 31, who he shares with his wife and fellow E Street Band member Patti Scialfa. “They might come to a show, bring their friends, but it’s never been a central part of their lives.”
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This is not the first time Springsteen has opened up about his kids and their little-to-no interest in his musical career. In 2017, the singer spoke to The New York Times about his adult children and how they handle their father’s fame.
“We had our kids late, I was 40 when our first son was born, and they showed a healthy disinterest in our work over all the years,” he said at the time. “They had their own musical heroes, they had their own music they were interested in. They’d be pretty blank-faced if someone mentioned a song title of mine.”
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While some musicians may take issue with their children caring very little about their success, Springsteen — who is getting the biopic treatment in the upcoming film Deliver Me from Nowhere starring The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White as The Boss — says that his family and quiet life in New Jersey keep him humble and focused on the things that truly matter.
“I was lucky enough to have Elvis, the Beatles and Bob Dylan, to follow in their footsteps — or not follow in their footsteps,” he explained. “From there I learnt how important it was not to lose focus on who I am or the work I’m doing. It’s more important than the money, although it’s great to get paid well. It’s more important than the fame, although that can be fun too, and a nuisance on occasion. I simply wanted to write great songs, play great shows and have a conversation with a great audience. It is what I’ve dedicated my life to doing.”