Born to Run (autobiography)
| Company type | Autobiography |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | September 27, 2016 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Book, Audiobook |
Born to Run is the autobiography of American artist Bruce Springsteen, published on September 27, 2016. The audiobook version, narrated by Springsteen himself, was made available on December 6, 2016. Its title pays homage to Springsteen's legendary 1975 album and track Born to Run. The book's release coincided with Chapter and Verse, a compilation album spanning his entire career, which was issued four days earlier. On the day of publication, Springsteen embarked on a nine-stop book tour across the United States. The memoir was met with widespread critical praise.
Background
The announcement regarding the book's upcoming release was made public on August 25, 2016.
Book tour
Springsteen launched his book tour on September 27, 2016, which lasted until October 10 and included nine stops throughout the U.S. Later in October, he made appearances in the United Kingdom and Germany. Following a signing event in Toronto on October 27, he paused the tour to take part in the Stand Up for Heroes concert, campaign for Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid, and accept the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The tour recommenced with five North American dates revealed on November 21, beginning November 28 in Chicago and concluding on December 2 in Kennesaw, Georgia.
Attendance at all events required purchasing a pre-signed copy of the book; complimentary tickets were quickly claimed. Two sessions—San Francisco on October 5 and New York on October 7—were interview-only events, featuring conversations led by Dan Stone and David Remnick. Additionally, Springsteen discussed his memoir during appearances on CBS Sunday Morning (September 18) and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (September 23).
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | |||
| September 27, 2016 | Freehold | United States | Barnes & Noble |
| September 28, 2016 | New York | Barnes & Noble Union Square | |
| September 29, 2016 | Philadelphia | Free Library of Philadelphia | |
| October 1, 2016 | Seattle | Elliott Bay Book Company | |
| October 3, 2016 | Los Angeles | Barnes & Noble at The Grove | |
| October 4, 2016 | Portland | Powell's City of Books | |
| October 5, 2016 | San Francisco | City Arts & Lectures | |
| October 7, 2016 | New York | The New Yorker Festival | |
| October 10, 2016 | Cambridge | The Harvard Coop | |
| Europe | |||
| October 17, 2016 | London | United Kingdom | Waterstones Piccadilly |
| October 20, 2016 | Frankfurt | Germany | Frankfurt Book Fair |
| North America | |||
| October 27, 2016 | Toronto | Canada | Indigo Books and Music |
| November 28, 2016 | Chicago | United States | Books-A-Million |
| November 29, 2016 | Cincinnati | Joseph-Beth Booksellers | |
| November 30, 2016 | Denver | Tattered Cover | |
| December 1, 2016 | Austin | Book People | |
| December 2, 2016 | Kennesaw | 2nd & Charles | |
Springsteen on Broadway
From October to November 2017, Springsteen conducted an eight-week engagement in New York City known as Springsteen on Broadway. This show combined live renditions of his songs, excerpts from Born to Run, and unique personal narratives. Due to its popularity, the engagement was prolonged until December 15, 2018.
Awards
In November 2017, Springsteen earned a nomination for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Spoken Word Album. The following year, Born to Run secured the Best Autobiography/Memoir honor at the Audie Awards.