Bruce Springsteen: Dave Marsh, a veteran music journalist best known for his groundbreaking work on Bruce Springsteen, has died. He was 76.
Marsh passed away Friday in Connecticut. The news was confirmed by his friend Jeffrey St. Clair, co-editor of the online magazine Counterpunch, in comments to the Associated Press. St.
Clair said Marsh had battled a degenerative brain disease for several years.
SiriusXM host Jim Rotolo shared the news of Marsh's death on social media.
Springsteen honored his longtime friend in an emotional Instagram post. He said Marsh's death left the E Street Band "heartbroken."
Springsteen described Marsh as a "true Rock 'n' Roll lifer" with a "straight out of Detroit attitude."
He called him soulful, intelligent and often "fantastically argumentative." Springsteen added that Marsh believed deeply in his music. He said that support meant the world to him.
Guitarist Steven Van Zandt also paid tribute on Instagram. He remembered Marsh as fearless and relentless.
Van Zandt called him "everything you'd want in a Rock'n'Roll troublemaker." He also praised Marsh as a "tremendous writer."
Marsh was one of the first journalists to champion Springsteen's music. He covered the singer extensively for Creem magazine.
In 1978, he wrote Springsteen's first Rolling Stone cover story. A year later, Marsh released "Born to Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story."
The biography became a bestseller. He followed it up in 1986 with "Glory Days: Bruce Springsteen in the 1980s."
According to music lore, Marsh even introduced Jon Landau, Springsteen's future manager and producer, to his first Springsteen concert.
Marsh was born in Pontiac, Michigan, in 1950. He left Detroit's Wayne State University in 1969 to write for Creem, a then-new rock magazine.
There, he formed a close friendship with fellow critic Lester Bangs, who became one of his mentors.
Although Springsteen was a frequent subject of his writing, Marsh covered many other artists throughout his career.
In 1979, he married Barbara Carr. Carr later became Springsteen's co-manager alongside Landau for several decades. Springsteen attended their wedding.
The couple also founded The Kristen Ann Carr Fund. The charity was named after their daughter, who died of sarcoma in 1993 at age 21.
Later that year, Springsteen held a benefit concert at Madison Square Garden. The event raised $1.5 million for the fund.
Marsh's other notable works include "The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made."
He also wrote a biography of The Who and a book examining The Kingsmen's hit song "Louie Louie."
In recent years, Marsh remained active in the music world as a frequent co-host and guest on SiriusXM's E Street Nation channel.
Follow Us
