Since getting together in the 1980s, Bruce Springsteen and his wife Patti Scialfa
The Boss had a bittersweet relationship with his father, which he's had to reckon with over the years in terms of when he was starting his own family life. Speaking to Barack Obama, he described his dad as "pretty seriously mentally ill", which made him "very aware of his weaknesses even though, outwardly, he presented as kind of a bullish guy who totally conformed to that standard archetype."
"Things went pretty wrong in the last years of high school and in the last years that I lived with him at our house", Bruce continued, which impacted his "entire picture of masculinity until I was way into my 30s, when I began to sort it out myself because I couldn't establish and hold a relationship; I was embarrassed simply having a woman by my side."
Things have definitely changed since then, as the singer acknowledged that "If you want a full family, and to be able to give them the kind of sustenance and nurture and room to grow they need in order to be themselves and find their own full lives, you better be ready to let a lot of that go."
Here's all you need to know about Bruce's three children with Patty Scialfa.
Evan James Springsteen, 33
Born July 25, 1990, Evan took after his parents and became a musician. He keeps pretty private, but has been known on special occasions to join his parents onstage.
The 33-year-old graduated from Boston College in 2012, and eight years later when Bruce addressed the school's class of 2024 for their First Year Academic Convocation, he spoke about his son's experience.
"It's going to be unforgettable and the ride of your life. My son, who graduated from this very institution, told me so," Springsteen told the class. "You will spend your next four years living in a place where the life of the mind is paramount. The life of the mind is a beautiful thing."
Jessica Rae Springsteen, 32
Bruce's only daughter, Jessica, was born December 30, 1991. From a young age, she developed a passion for horseback riding on her family's 300-acre ranch in Colts Neck Township, New Jersey.
It's no surprise then, that she is a talented equestrian. She won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and was an alternate ride for the US during the 2012 London Olympics. She graduated from Duke University in 2014.
Bruce is certainly wowed by his daughter's talents, as he's said: "After you have been to so many shows year after year, you realize how difficult it is and what an achievement it is. You also realize how good the other riders are and how much work has gone into it."
He added: "You see a culmination of 13 years of riding come down to 1 minute and 30 seconds. That is a tough lesson in life. Musicians always get to sing it again; riders get one shot."
Samuel Ryan Springsteen, 30
While many celebrity kids tend to follow their parents into the spotlight, Bruce and Patti's youngest son opted for a life of practical purpose when he became a firefighter.
Born on January 5, 1994, Sam graduated from the Monmouth County Fire Academy in 2014, taking the civil service exam in 2017. By August 2019, he officially joined the Jersey City Fire Department, sworn in in January 2020.
Bruce and Patti became first-time grandparents in 2022 when Sam welcomed his first child with his partner, Lily Harper Springsteen.