Bruce Springsteen Plays Born To Run In Full Dedicates It To James Gandolfini


Bruce Springsteen has performed his own dedication to The Sopranos actor, James Gandolfini, who sadly passed away on Wednesday evening whilst on holiday in Italy.

Springsteen decided to play his seminal album, Born To Run, which was released in 1975, for the burly thespian, which was truly emotional because The Boss’ E Street Band member, Steven Van Zandt, starred alongside Gandolfini in the gangster classic.

It has been reported that, on Thursday night, Springsteen stopped his usual setlist 12 songs in, before announcing to the fervent audience in Coventry, England, that he and the band would now be playing the classic album in its entirety and that they would be dedicating their performance to Gandolfini.

Springsteen labeled him a “great friend,” before simply letting his music do the talking. He started on Thunder Road, before playing the album in order, which saw the likes of “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out,” “Backstreets,” “Born To Run,” and “Jungleland,” pulsate throughout the Ricoh Arena.

Springsteen’s “State Trooper” off his album, Nebraska, was used to conclude the opening season of The Sopranos, in the episode I Dream Of Jeannie Cusamano.

Talking about Gandolfini’s death, Van Zandt, who starred as Tony Soprano’s consigliere, Silvio Dante, in the HBO classic, wrote, “I have lost a brother and a best friend. The world has lost one of the greatest actors of all time. Maureen and I send our deepest sympathy and love to Deborah, Michael, Lily and all of Jimmy’s family.”

His sentiments were echoed by Steve Schirripa, who portrayed the much maligned Bobby Baccalieri on The Sopranos, who stated, “Jimmy was a dear friend and like a brother to me. He was a great actor and a great father. I will miss him terribly. I am very sad.”

What are your favorite scenes involving James Gandolfini in The Sopranos? 

[Image via Brain Patterson Photos/Shutterstock]

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