Bruce Springsteen’s youngest son, Sam, is now a proud firefighter for the state of New Jersey. While Bruce is one of America’s greatest rock stars, “The Boss” also has a rep for being down to earth. Nowhere was this more in evidence than on Tuesday, when his youngest son Sam was sworn in as a New Jersey firefighter.
Springsteen and wife Patti Scialfa were very much the proud parents, joining other families at City Hall in watching their courageous children enter the ranks of Jersey City’s Fire Department.
Scialfa paid glowing tribute to 26 year old Sam on Instagram, commenting “CONGRATULATIONS… You followed your dreams… JC firefighter… Stay safe… love your brave heart”. Accompanying her post was a striking black and white photo of the new recruit, who is one of 15.
“It was a long road, he’s very dedicated,” said Bruce, quoted by CBS NY. He added it has been “quite a few years and we are just excited for him today.”
Bruce Springsteen’s son, Sam Springsteen, was sworn in as a Jersey City firefighter on Tuesday https://t.co/ZElJKWuAOm
— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 15, 2020
A Jersey City press release explains that the latest intake “marks the Department’s tenth sworn class since Mayor (Steven) Fulop took office.” Fulop’s focus on public safety appears to be paying off. “Since 2013, a total of 204 new firefighters have been hired, bringing the department to a historic total of 666 uniformed firefighters and superiors,” the release states.
Jersey’s finest take on a reported 1,300 fires every year. Fulop himself comments that the new team “have gone through the rigorous training necessary to be a part of the best fire department this City has ever seen, and I congratulate them on their hard work to get to this graduation today.” The training includes 5 months at the academy plus an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) certification course lasting 3 months.
Bruce Springsteen’s youngest son was sworn in as a Jersey City firefighter Tuesday. https://t.co/F12ABalHcB
— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 15, 2020
Sam Springsteen graduated from Monmouth County Fire Academy in 2014. He’s also worked for free as a volunteer firefighter, serving at no less than 3 stations.
Bruce Springsteen and singer-songwriter/E Street band member Scialfa have been married since 1991. They have 3 children – Evan, Jessica and of course Sam. Speaking on Jimmy Kimmel Live late last year, Springsteen talked about what it was like for the kids growing up under a world famous name.
Sam Springsteen, son of “The Boss” Bruce Springsteen, was among 15 new firefighters sworn in by the mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey, on Tuesday https://t.co/fVbAr1N9lb
— CNN (@CNN) January 14, 2020
“Kids don’t want to go anywhere and see 50,000 people cheering for their parents. They would like to see 50,000 people boo their parents,” he quipped. He also shattered any illusions of them going into the family business: “Our kids have been relatively uninterested in the job that I’ve done their entire lives.”
As with any Dad, Springsteen’s own background played a key role in how he raised Sam. He was brought up in New Jersey, so in the mid-90s he and Scialfa relocated the clan back on home turf. “We had a 80-member Italian-Irish family,” he said, “and that was the way that I grew up, so I wanted my kids to have that sense of a bigger world than the entertainment world. I wanted them to see people that did a lot of other things.”
Bruce’s father Douglas was a bus driver and mother Adele Ann a legal secretary. Younger sister Pamela is a photographer who has snapped her big brother for various albums. He has another younger sibling named Virginia.
Inspired by Frank Sinatra – another breakout star from NJ – and the king of rock ‘n roll Elvis Presley, Springsteen left Catholic schooling behind and picked up a guitar. The Beatles’ appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show led to him buying his first instrument. Adele Ann had tried renting him a guitar a few years earlier but the spark wasn’t there. Now it most definitely was! Ever the family man, Springsteen wrote a song about how she took out a loan of $60 to afford a Kent guitar. This track is called The Wish.
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While Sam isn’t carrying on his Dad’s legacy in musical terms, Bruce and Patti are more than happy with the path his life has taken. Springsteen Sr burned up the stage. Now Springsteen Jr is dousing flames for a living…