Bob Santelli, founding executive director of the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music, and Kenneth Womack, Ph.D., professor in the Departments of English and Music and Theatre Arts, recently participated in a panel discussion, “Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born to Run’ at 50,” held in Westport, CT, on Apr. 5. The panel was part of the Westport Library’s VersoFest, an annual music and media conference that gathers experts in the field to share their perspective and vision.
The discussion celebrated the 50th anniversary of Springsteen’s “Born to Run” album, widely considered one of the greatest rock albums of the 20th century. The panel was hosted by Arlen Schumer, author, pop culture historian, and the art director of “Thunder Road,” the first magazine dedicated to Springsteen’s life and music; and Dick Wingate, former music industry senior executive and current Verso Studios advisory board member who, while at Columbia Records, product managed Springsteen’s “Darkness on the Edge of Town.”
Santelli and Womack were joined on the panel by Mike Appel, Springsteen’s first manager and the co-producer of “Born to Run,” and Michael Pillot, former Columbia Records promotions director.
Watch the full panel discussion on YouTube.
