Why Bruce Springsteen Is Called "The Boss"

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Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band

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Bruce Springsteen singing in Road Diary from a side angle

WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Road Diary.

Hulu and Disney's new documentary Road Diary features never-before-seen details and footage about Bruce Springsteen, otherwise known as "The Boss". Road Diary offers viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the rehearsal process leading up to Bruce Springsteen's current world tour with the E Street Band. The tour began on February 1, 2023, in Tampa, Florida, and is set to conclude on July 2, 2025. Road Diary features a great soundtrack full of live performances.

Road Diary initially premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2024. The documentary is directed by Thom Zimny, who has shot many of Springsteen's other documentaries such as Bruce Spingsteen's Letter to You (2020) and Springsteen on Broadway (2018), music videos like "Radio Nowhere" and "Western Stars", and several live concert specials. Despite Springsteen's age, he announced that he has no plans to stop touring with the E Street Band anytime soon.

Road Diary is streaming now exclusively on Hulu and Disney+.

Bruce Springsteen's "The Boss" Nickname Has A Few Origins

Stevie Van Zandt helped legitimize "The Boss" nickname

Bruce Springsteen with his guitar against a black background

Bruce Springsteen has been known as "The Boss" by his fans for the better part of his decades-spanning music career. The origin of the nickname reportedly ties back to his bandmates calling him "The Boss" as a joke because he would collect the band's money and fees and distribute them. It also apparently ties into his habit of playing Monopoly back in Ashbury Park, New Jersey before the E Street Band took off. Stevie Van Zandt was said to have started calling him "The Boss" more often and the rest is history.

Bruce Springsteen from Road Diary

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According to the 2012 biography Bruce by Peter Ames Carlin, Van Zandt helped legitimize "The Boss" nickname for Bruce. "I remember people calling him that and not taking it seriously. Not ‘til I started calling him the Boss. Then they took it seriously because I was a boss, too. So when I started calling him the Boss, the vibe was, ‘If Stevie’s doing it, there’s something to this!'" Initially, only Springsteen's close friends would call him the nickname before it gained traction with crew members, the press, and fans worldwide.

What Bruce Springsteen Has Said About Being Called "The Boss"

Springsteen "hates" being called the nickname

In the 2010 biography It Ain’t No Sin to Be Glad You’re Alive by Eric Alterman, Springsteen revealed that he hated bosses, claiming, "I hate being called the boss." Despite these sentiments, the nickname is quite fitting for Springsteen, who commands every stage during his life performances, conducting his E Street Band and lifting the spirits of his audience. Springsteen appears opposed to the traditional notion of a workplace boss who he might describe as soulless. Springsteen, who Van Zandt described as the "most introverted guy ever" in Road Diary, doesn't place himself on a pedestal but remains "The Boss" to his passionate fans.

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Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band offers an insider's glimpse into Springsteen's creative process, featuring behind-the-scenes footage of band rehearsals and backstage moments. The documentary provides fans with direct insights from Springsteen, enhancing their understanding of his musical journey.

Director Thom Zimny

Release Date September 8, 2024

Cast Bruce Springsteen , Garry Tallent , Roy Bittan , Max Weinberg , Steven Van Zandt , Nils Lofgren , Patti Scialfa

Character(s) Self

Runtime 99 minutes

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