Nils Lofgren and Bruce Springsteen on the River tour, 2016
Nils Lofgren is 71 years old today.
A rock musician, recording artist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Lofgren
has been a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band since 1984, a former member of Crazy Horse and founder/frontman of the band, Grin. He is also a solo artist.
Born in Chicago, Lofgren moved to the suburban town of Garrett Park, Maryland, near the northern border of Washington, D.C. as a very young child. His first instrument was classical accordion, beginning at age five, which he studied seriously for ten years.
After studying classical music and jazz, throughout his youth, Lofgren switched his emphasis to rock music. It was then that he focused on the piano and the guitar.
By 1968, Lofgren formed the band, Grin, originally with bassist George Daly (later replaced by Bob Gordon), and drummer Bob Berberich, former players in the DC band, The Hangmen. The group played in venues throughout the Washington, D.C. area. Lofgren had been a competitive gymnast in high school, a skill that popped up later in his career.
During this time, Lofgren met Neil Young and played for him. Young invited Lofgren to come to California and the Grin trio (Lofgren, Daly and Berberich) drove out west and lived for some months at a home Neil Young rented in Laurel Canyon.
Lofgren joined Neil Young's band at age 17, playing piano and guitar on the album, After the Gold Rush, Lofgren worked on his parts around-the-clock when recording was not in session.
He maintained a close musical relationship with Young, appearing on his Tonight's the Night album and tour among others. He was also briefly a member of Crazy Horse, appearing on their 1971 LP and contributing songs to their catalog.
In 1984, he joined Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band as the replacement for Steven Van Zandt on guitar and vocals, in time for Springsteen's massive Born in the U.S.A. Tour.
Following the tour, he appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, to promote his 1985 solo release, Flip. The E Street Band toured again with Springsteen in 1988 on the Tunnel of Love Express and Human Rights Now! Tours.
In 1989, Springsteen broke up the E Street Band, but Lofgren and Van Zandt rejoined when Springsteen revived the band in 1999 for their Reunion Tour, followed by The Rising and another massive tour in 2002 and 2003, then again for the Magic album and world tour of 2007/2008. They re-upped in 2012 for the Wrecking Ball Tour, 2014 for the High Hopes Tour and 2016 for the River Tour.
Lofgren continues to record and to tour as a solo act, with Patti Scialfa, Neil Young and as a two-time member of Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band. Many of the people he worked with on those tours appeared on his 1991 album, Silver Lining.