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A Museum of American Music—Headlined by Bruce Springsteen—Opened in New Jersey With Instruments, Lyrics and Clothes From Rock Stars and Pop Legends
Key takeaways
- Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music Bruce Springsteen’s ode to American musical history has opened in New Jersey.
- But while the center bears Springsteen’s name, more than half of its hundreds of artifacts are related to other musical artists, reports the New York Times’ Nick Corasaniti.
- “I’m a small link in a big chain,” Springsteen tells the Times. “I’m the guy that came along and kind of picked up the flag.
Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music Bruce Springsteen’s ode to American musical history has opened in New Jersey. The brand-new, 32,000-square-foot Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music is filled with music memorabilia, including guitars from the Boss and the red ballcap pictured on the cover of Born in the USA.
But while the center bears Springsteen’s name, more than half of its hundreds of artifacts are related to other musical artists, reports the New York Times’ Nick Corasaniti. There’s Frank Sinatra’s tuxedo, John Coltrane’s saxophone, Joni Mitchell’s lyrics and George Clinton’s cape, to name a few. According to a statement from the center, it aimed to both preserve Springsteen’s legacy and celebrate the history and diversity of American music—the latter of which was especially important to the New Jersey rocker.
“I’m a small link in a big chain,” Springsteen tells the Times. “I’m the guy that came along and kind of picked up the flag. That’s the way it works. You run with it for a while, and you pass it on to the next guy. I think the center reflects that.”