John Crudele

John Crudele

Business

Bruce Springsteen is still ‘The Boss’ at 65

Bruce Springsteen turns 65 years old on Tuesday, and as he blows out the candles on his birthday cake, he’ll join a distinct minority: Just 7.28 million American men his age — only 1-in-5 — are still working.

Thank goodness he’s one of them.

Over the last 40 years, The Boss has thrilled millions of fans around the world and generated billions of dollars of business. In the last 15 years alone, his concert tours generated ticket sales of $1.14 billion, according to Pollstar.

And while he is among the highest-grossing performers of our time — earning about $150 million over the past three years — he is revered by his fans, in large part, because in many way he hasn’t lost the common touch.

Neighbors in and around his New Jersey town share stories of him driving his truck to his Shrewsbury gym to work out. And Springsteen has been known to hang out in Red Bank, NJ, with an occasional visit to Jack’s Music Shoppe.

In his town he has bought up huge tracts of land that would have otherwise gone to developers. He has quietly — and sometimes, not so quietly — contributed large amounts of money to social causes.

He has frequently attached his name to local and national efforts he deemed worthwhile and publicly yanked it from ones he didn’t like. Gov. Chris Christie knows all about that.

It makes me blush when I gush in this column, but let me say this. I have thoroughly enjoyed the Springsteen concerts I’ve attended, including the one that was delayed for three hours in 2012 at MetLife Stadium. And I like most of Springsteen’s music, although he gets much too talkie/preachy during many of his songs.

During that MetLife concert, Springsteen seemed genuinely thrilled when he was presented with a guitar-shaped cake celebrating his 63rd and the whole audience sang “Happy Birthday.”

And it didn’t seem at all schtick-ish when Springsteen’s mom, Adele, came on stage and danced with her son.

This past Saturday, Monmouth University held a daylong symposium entitled “Fifty Years of ‘Making’ This Guitar Talk: A Bruce Springsteen Forum.” More than a dozen Springsteen “scholars” had something to say about The Boss. One of the forum topics: “Bruce Springsteen’s Evolving Relationship With His Audience.”

I’m not really sure it has evolved. While I didn’t attend any of Springsteen’s early concerts, today he seems to be performing like a guy who still thinks he’s on stage at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park. There may be more people in front of him, but he’s still gonna play like he’s always played.

Statistics will tell you there are 250,000 Baby Boomers like Bruce turning 65 every month.

And statistics will tell you that, on average, these elder Boomers don’t contribute as much to the economy as younger folks do.

But over the last 12 months Springsteen has earned $81 million from his tour — which goes a long way toward easing the terrible budget situation in the Garden State.

While there are a great number of workers who should consider retiring at 65 to make room for the next generation, I’m happy that Bruce isn’t one of them.

I say that as a fan and a New Jersey taxpayer.