Bruce Springsteen Shares Note On Tom Petty’s Passing & Discusses New Album

While Bruce Springsteen is only known to have collaborated on-stage three times with Tom Petty over the years, the pair had what The Boss described as “a deep kinship.” Both men led talented ensembles that were formed before they each were stars and the duo each had periods away from their groups to work solo. Springsteen shared a note about Petty’s death in which he shared he is “devastated” and “heartbroken.”

Here’s the text of Bruce’s note about Tom Petty, “Down here on E Street, we’re devastated and heartbroken over the death of Tom Petty. Our hearts go out to his family and bandmates. I’ve always felt a deep kinship with his music. A great songwriter and performer, whenever we saw each other, it was like running into a long lost brother. Our world will be a sadder place without him.”

Bruce Springsteen begins his Springsteen On Broadway residency tonight, which is expected to continue until February 3. Variety posted both parts of a feature about The Boss and one of the topics tackled is Springsteen’s next album. When asked whether the LP is still coming, Springsteen responded “Oh yeah, I’ve just been caught up in other projects. It’s kind of waiting for its moment. Good music doesn’t go away!” He also revealed the forthcoming LP is “influenced by Southern California pop music of the ’70s.” When asked if he was referring to the likes of the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac, Bruce retorted “No — Glen Campbell, Jimmy Webb, Burt Bacharach, those kinds of records. I don’t know if people will hear those influences, but that was what I had in my mind. It gave me something to hook an album around; it gave me some inspiration to write. And also, it’s a singer-songwriter record. It’s connected to my solo records writing-wise, more Tunnel of Love and Devils and Dust, but it’s not like them at all. Just different characters living their lives.”