Last night (June 10th) at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, Billy Joel presented his old friend Bruce Springsteen his Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre at The American Theatre Wing’s 72nd Annual Tony Awards. The New York Daily News reported Billy said when introducing Springsteen: “It’s all about the man and his music. Thank you for bringing hundreds of thousands of new theatergoers to Broadway.”
“The Boss” gave a short and appreciative thank you speech, saying, “This is deeply appreciated and thanks for making me feel so welcome on your block. Being a part of the Broadway community has been a great thrill and an honor for me. It’s been one of the most exciting things that I’ve ever experienced. I’ve got to thank Patti Scialfa, my beautiful wife and artistic partner, for her love and inspiration every night. I’ve got to thank Jon Landau, George Travis, Barbara Carr, and Jordan Roth for great work of getting our show on stage. And last but not least, our wonderful audiences who’ve made these shows so exciting and fulfilling.”
Springsteen closed by saying: “Evan, Jesse, Sam, Daddy loves you. And the fans have been wonderful to me this season. Thank you so much. God bless all of you.” Later on in the broadcast, Springsteen recalled growing up in Freehold, New Jersey under the long shadow of Catholicism before performing “My Hometown” at the piano.
Bruce Springsteen performs Wednesday night (June 13th) at Manhattan’s Walter Kerr Theatre.
