Bruce Springsteen in marathon Freehold book event
Bruce Springsteen was the early bird.
Springsteen popped into the Barnes & Noble in Freehold at 10:20 a.m. Tuesday, more than an hour and a half earlier than expected, for an appearance marking the release of his autobiography, “Born to Run.”
He walked to the rear of the story, stepped up on a small platform , and began taking pictures with fans.
“He touched me,” said Christine Grimaldi, 30, and formerly of Marlboro, as she bounded out of the store. “It was amazing.”
Springsteen, a Freehold native, met with approximately 2,000 fans over four hours at the Barnes & Noble. The event featured fans who purchased a book getting a photo of themselves with Springsteen on a platform in the rear of the store. Free tickets were distributed through Eventbrite.
“How are you doing?” Springsteen said to a female fan. “Thank you very much for coming.”
Media, who were not addressed by Springsteen, were on another platform about 10 feet away. The Boss wore a black leather jacket, black jeans and motorcycle boots. Each fan had about 8 seconds of time with him, in which a picture was taken by a store staffer.
The crowd inside the store broke into “Happy Birthday” when Springsteen arrived. His birthday was Sept. 23.
“It’s really well done,” said Westfield’s Mitch Slater, the uber fan and host of Bosstime on the Brucebook Facebook page. “Bruce is very courteous; the women are kissed, the men are hugged and he kneels down for the kids.”
Springsteen stood for the entire event and didn’t take any substantial breaks. Cindy Marselis of Huntington Valley, Pennsylvania, was in tears after meeting Springsteen.
“I met the person I always wanted to meet,” said Marselis, whose family has roots in Asbury Park. “I told him at home I have a chicken named Chicken Patti.”
Patti Scialfa, who didn’t make the event, is Springsteen’s wife and band mate.
“I got to kiss him, it was awesome,” Marselis said. “He’s such a lovely and humble person.”
Eileen O’Neill of Queens was “still shaking” after meeting Springsteen.
“I’m a mess,” O’Neill said. “He’s an inspiration. The book is the best birthday present he could have given us.”
O’Neill and her brother Michael then headed over to Asbury Park.
“It’s so nice to see him off stage, “O’Neill said. “It’s a big, big deal.”
The book tour continues with two stops in New York City on Wednesday and in Philadelphia on Thursday. After that, it’s the West Coast and six more appearances. “Born to Run” details Springsteen’s rise to fame and also his upbringing in Freehold, including his father’s battle with mental illness and Springsteen’s battle with depression. The autobiography is published by Simon & Schuster.
“A lot of organization and a lot of prep work went into it but I think we saw great results from it,” said Drew Kiniry, the assistant manager of the Princeton Barnes & Noble, who came to Freehold to help with the event. “Everyone was excited about the chance to meet a legend, their hero.”
Some fans camped out the night before. Audrey Hunn, of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, was rewarded for her dedication by being the first to meet Springsteen.
Tom Apostle, 56, of Freehold Township, and his 11-year-old son Jeffrey, were the last to meet Springsteen.
“When he saw Jeff, he said ‘Hey little guy, come here!,’ ” Apostle said. “That brought a smile to my face.”
Chris Jordan: cjordan@app.com