Gillian G. Gaar - Boss: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: The Illustrated History

Elvis Presley rehearsing for his Ed Sullivan Show appearance in January 1957. Springsteen adored the King of Rock n Roll and frequently performed Presleys songs in concert. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

When Springsteen speaks of Elvis in concert it is always with reverence: It was like he came along and whispered some dream in everybodys ear and somehow we all dreamed it, he said, introducing Elviss Follow That Dream during a concert. In April 1976, he famously jumped over the gates of Graceland, in an attempt to meet the King (who wasnt home).

In May 1977, he saw Elvis in concert but was dismayed to see his heros obvious deterioration. Just three months later, Elvis was dead. I remember I was sitting at home when a friend of mine called and told me that hed died, Springsteen said during a 1981 concert, and it wasnt that big a surprise at the time, cause Id seen him a few months earlier in Philadelphia. I thought a lot about it, how somebody whod had so much could in the end lose so bad, and how dreams dont mean nothing unless youre strong enough to fight for em and make em come true.

The high price of fame weighed heavily on Springsteen. His first big influx of attention, in the 1970s, left him feeling uneasy. I used to feel I always was in control, he told the New Musical Express in 1975. But now Im not so sure. Asked about his own image at a press conference in 1972, Elvis had answered, Well, the image is one thing, and a human being is another. Its very hard to live up to an image. Springsteen would certainly have agreed.

Elvis was very much on Springsteens mind while Springsteen recorded his most well-known album, Born in the U.S.A. During the sessions he recorded a version (as yet unreleased) of Follow That Dream. In stark contrast to Elviss upbeat original, Springsteen slows down the tempo and recasts the song as mournful, as if the singer is chasing a dream that may never come true. He also recorded Johnny Bye Bye, a tribute depicting the sad loss of his one-time idol, found dead with a whole lot of trouble running through his veins. As he later told Rolling Stone, The type of fame Elvis had the pressure of it, the isolation that it seems to require, has gotta be really painful. His own blistering rise to stardom, following the release of Born in the U.S.A., would soon leave him feeling Bruced out.

Elvis was the biggest solo male rock star of the 1950s; Springsteen was the biggest solo male rock star of the 1980s. When Springsteen sings in Johnny Bye Bye that Johnny didnt have to die, he speaks from his own experience. He saw the traps that ensnared Elvis and became determined to avoid them in his own career. He was far more involved in producing his work than Elvis ever was. He refused to be isolated; instead of locking himself away in a mansion, Springsteen thought nothing of dropping into local clubs to sit in with whoever was playing that night. And while his own manager was as tough a negotiator as Elviss, Springsteen never let himself be controlled; in the end, the final decisions were always his own.

Springsteen is one of rocks most compelling live performers. Ed Perlstein/Redferns/Getty Images

Elviss rock n roll dreams inspired Springsteen to make his dreams a realityand they would take him to places he never imagined. Over time, his musical interests broadened beyond rock n roll, and he recorded country, blues, folk, and gospel music (just like Elvis). Over time, his political views grew from a general support of the average person to increasingly explicit activism. But at the root of everything is his love of rock n roll. I had serious ideas about rock music, he told the New Musical Express in 1996. I believed it should be fundancing, screwing, having a good time. But I also believed it was capable of conveying serious ideas. Its serious fun: Springsteen has mastered the tricky balancing act of taking his music seriously and wearing his fame lightly. Which is why, for Bruce Springsteen, rock n roll dreams will never die.