Adele Zerilli Springsteen, mother of Bruce Springsteen, died last Wednesday after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, at the age of 98. It was the artist himself who announced the news of her death through her public Instagram account, sharing a video of them dancing to the swing classic In The Mood, by Glenn Miller.
“Adele Springsteen – May 4, 1925 to January 31, 2024.” writes the artist in the message that accompanies the video, in which she also adds the lyrics of The Wish, one of her best-known songs.
“I remember in the morning, Mom, hearing your alarm clock ring. I would lie in bed and listen to you getting ready to go to work, the sound of your makeup case in the sink,” says the lyrics, from 1987.
The cause of death of the mother of the legendary The Boss was not immediately revealed, but the singer himself revealed in 2021 that his mother had been fighting for several years against the consequences derived from the degenerative neuronal disease, reaching the point where she could barely speak or stand up on their own.
Originally from New York, Adele Springsteen was the mother of three children – Pamela, Virginia and Bruce, who always had her in mind during his musical career. In addition to the classic The Wish, which she now cites to honor her, she was also key in American Land, which pays tribute to family sagas such as “The McNicholas, The Posalskis, the Smiths, Zerillis – her maiden name – too.” .
Creative and very intelligent, she always stayed by her children’s side, as the artist recalled in numerous interviews throughout his career. In 2010, she gave a speech at Ellis Island in which she did not hesitate to praise all the sacrifices she had made to get them ahead.
“Her life had an incredible consistency, work, work, work every day, and I admired that very much,” he revealed, adding that “she kept our family together.”
Steven Van Zandt, a member of the E Street Band, also wanted to send a special message through X (former Twitter) for the Springsteen matriarch, who was always the “mother” of the entire band.
Adele Springsteen was the “matriarch of our family and a never-ending source of positive, inspiring energy. One of a kind. She will always be there for us. Dancing in the audience.”
