Bruce Springsteen Says 1 Artist was ‘Huge’ in His Musical Development
Many artists count Bruce Springsteen as one of their biggest musical influences, but who does the Boss look up to? Springsteen recently shared that he got the chance to work with Sam Moore, one of his musical heroes, on his latest album.
Bruce Springsteen’s long career as a rock star
Springsteen became a well known rocker in the early ’70s, but it wasn’t until 1975’s Born to Run that he became a household name. His success continued with The River, Nebraska, and the record-breaking Born in the U.S.A.
His music is known for its blue collar influences and classic rock sound, but when it comes to musical influences, Springsteen looked to a very different type of artist. During a recent appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, he shared his thoughts on Moore and how his music shaped Springsteen’s own.
Bruce Springsteen calls Sam Moore an ‘incredible’ influence
“Sam & Dave were gigantic in my musical development,” Springsteen shared, referring to the R&B duo Moore was part of alongside Dave Prater. The group had hits like “Soul Man,” “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” and “When Something is Wrong with My Baby.”
Springsteen continued, “Sam Moore was an incredible bandleader. I used to go see Sam & Dave when they played the Satellite Lounge in Fort Dix, New Jersey, [and] the Fast Lane in Asbury Park. These are 200, 300-seat clubs, and this was in the late 70s.”
He explained that, even though Moore and Prater “weren’t getting along” during this time, “they were still incredible.” Springsteen even called the duo’s work “some of the greatest music in the United States at that very moment.” He even admitted he “cried … just over how good they were.”
Bruce Springsteen called on Sam Moore for some tracks on his latest album ‘Only the Strong Survive’
Springsteen eventually got to know Moore, sharing that the pair have been friends for “about 30 years.” This decades-long friendship meant it was a no-brainer when the rocker asked Moore to duet with him on a new song.
“Sam’s game to sing,” Springsteen laughed. “He still loves to sing. He’s 86, but still loves to sing. His voice has sustained beautifully, so he’s wonderful.”
In 2022, Springsteen released Only the Strong Survive, an album of covers of some of his favorite songs. He called on Moore to contribute vocals on two tracks: “Soul Days” and “I Forgot To Be Your Lover.”
Only the Strong Survive peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling almost 40,000 copies in its first week of release. What makes this even more impressive is that the majority of those sales were physical — a rarity in today’s digital age.
Moore also sang on Springsteen’s 1992 album Human Touch, while Springsteen returned the favor for Moore’s 2006 album Overnight Sensational. The pair have also performed together live on many occasions.
