Diksha Sundriyal
‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’ charts the journey of Bruce Springsteen in the early years of his magnificent career. The story begins when he is on the cusp of mega-stardom after the success of his album, ‘The River.’ The studio wants him to capitalise on this by producing the kind of songs that have made him famous, but he has something else in mind. Instead of listening to the executives, he reflects on his life, particularly on his childhood and the relationship with his father, to deliver an album that is full of raw and visceral songs. While we follow his journey of making his new album, we also get an insight into his childhood. His parents, Douglas and Adele Springsteen, emerge as an important part of the narrative, which reflects their importance for Bruce Springsteen in real life. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Douglas Made Peace With His Son in His Final Years
Douglas Springsteen passed away on April 26, 1998, at the age of 73, after living in a hospice for some time. He is laid to rest at Saint Rose of Lima Cemetery in Freehold Township, New Jersey. He was married to Adele for fifty years and had three children with her: Bruce, Pamela, and Virginia. Reportedly, the duo were introduced by Bruce’s cousin, and despite Adele coming from a well-off family, she chose to be with Douglas, who was from a different financial background. He had served in World War II and worked as a bus driver for fifteen years.
He also held other odd jobs over the years, but his struggle with alcoholism and mental illness made it difficult for him to settle for a while. Reportedly, he suffered from bouts of depression and paranoia, and his heavy drinking affected his relationship with his family. Over the years, Bruce Springsteen talked about the strained relationship he had with his father. The singer revealed that his father didn’t appreciate the soft qualities that he had inherited from his mother. He had a different idea of masculinity, and Bruce didn’t conform to it. His drinking also turned him into a different person, particularly towards Bruce, who once said that his father couldn’t stand him.
After a turbulent childhood, Bruce finally left the house when he turned 19, finding solace and direction in music. Over the years, he expressed his love and conflict towards his father in his songs. Slowly, however, the ice between them started to thaw. In 1990, when Bruce prepared to welcome his son with his wife, Patti Scialfa, he was visited by Douglas. This unexpected visit was highly welcome and became the inception point of them mending their bridges. Bruce later talked about his father and how he had never been a verbal person, so he never really told his son, “I love you,” but he showed his love in his actions. In the last decade of his life, he became more emotionally expressive and was vocal about how proud he was of his son.
Adele Springsteen Enjoyed a Life Full of Joy and Dancing
Adele Springsteen passed away on January 31, 2024, at the age of 98, from complications due to a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Bruce Springsteen described her as the glue that held their family together. After leaving her family to marry Douglas Springsteen for love, she devoted herself to her family, especially her three children. She worked as a legal secretary for fifty years and remained a major breadwinner, since Douglas’ struggles with alcoholism and mental illness would pull him out of work several times. While Bruce had a frayed relationship with his father, he was quite close to his mother. It was she who bought him his first guitar, and when he embarked on the path to stardom, she would show up at his concerts to support him. Whenever she talked about her son, she was full of pride and love.
Bruce held her in the highest regard. She was full of “truthfulness, consistency, good humor, professionalism, grace, kindness, optimism, civility, fairness, pride in yourself, responsibility, love, faith in your family, commitment, joy in your work, and a never-say-die thirst for living.” Above all, however, she liked to dance. The singer revealed that as Alzheimer’s took hold of her, she started to forget things that were otherwise a part of her daily life. However, she never forgot to dance. Speaking of her love for dance in a social media post, he said that it remained “an essential primal part” of who she was. So, whenever she came in the door, they would also put some music on. Her flair and energy stayed till her last day.
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