Bruce Springsteen’s long-time friend and inspiration, Joe DePugh, has passed away at 75 after battling cancer in Florida. The High School Dropouts singer-songwriter paid tribute to DePugh on Instagram, saying he was a good friend when he needed one.
DePugh’s connection to Springsteen dates back to their high school days in New Jersey, where they would often talk about their “glory days” – a phrase that would later become the title of Springsteen’s 1984 hit song. However, the identity of the mysterious speedball pitcher remained a mystery for years.
It wasn’t until 2011 that DePugh’s true identity was revealed in a New York Times article. The story emerged from an interview with teacher and historian Kevin Coyne, who got the information directly from Springsteen at their 30th high school reunion in 1997.
DePugh recalled being touched by the lyrics of “Glory Days” when he first heard them on Born in the U.S.A., which came out 11 years after their chance encounter. He was overjoyed to discover it was about him, and was finally able to hug Springsteen at an Italian restaurant in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 2005.
The “speedball” pitcher, now revealed as DePugh, was a talented baseball player who even tried out for the Los Angeles Dodgers after high school. He went on to have a varied career, working as a substitute teacher and self-employed contractor before passing away due to cancer at 75.
Source: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bruce-springsteen-glory-days-inspiration-dead-1235308959