Bruce Springsteen Moves Fans to Tears with Emotional Tribute to His Late Mother During Powerful Performance of “The Wish”

On Thursday, Bruce Springsteen’s official Instagram confirmed the passing of his beloved mother, Adele Ann Springsteen, who died on Wednesday at the age of 98. In a moving tribute, Springsteen honored her memory by sharing heartfelt lyrics from his song “The Wish” a piece that reflects their bond and his early years growing up in New Jersey.

“I remember in the morning mom hearing your alarm clock ring. I’d lie in bed and listen to you getting ready for work…” the song begins, painting a vivid picture of a hardworking woman whose daily routine left a lasting imprint on her son. The lyrics continue with a touching vision of reunion: “We’ll find us a little rock ‘n roll bar and we’ll go out and dance.”

Born Adele Zerilli on May 4, 1925, in Brooklyn, she moved to Freehold, New Jersey, in 1940, where she and her husband Doug Springsteen raised three children: Virginia, Bruce, and Pamela. A devout Catholic of Italian descent, she frequently attended mass at St. Rose of Lima Church in Freehold and worked as a secretary ultimately becoming the family’s primary breadwinner.

Adele’s dedication and work ethic gave Bruce his first big break she bought him his first guitar, a moment he forever etched in “The Wish” as “a brand-new Japanese guitar” waiting under the Christmas tree. Though the Springsteens later relocated to California, Bruce remained in Freehold, the town that shaped much of his early life and music.

Over the years, Adele became known not just as Bruce’s mother, but as a cherished figure in his performances. She often appeared on stage to dance during his concerts from “Dancing in the Dark” at Wells Fargo Arena to “Ramrod” at Barclays Center becoming a fan favorite. “Not bad for almost 90,” Bruce quipped during a 2012 show in Philadelphia.

Even as she faced the challenges of Alzheimer’s, her connection with Bruce remained unbreakable. In a 2021 interview, he shared, “She can’t speak. She can’t stand. She can’t feed herself. But when she sees me, there is always a smile… And there’s a sound which she makes when she sees me. It’s just a sound, but I know it means ‘I love you.’”

Bruce also revealed how playing Glenn Miller would make his mother sway in her chair and reach for him a gesture that reminded him of her joyful spirit. “It’s beyond language and it’s more powerful than memory,” he said. “It’s the embodiment of who she is… as if life’s beauty never deserted her.”

Adele Springsteen is survived by her three children, daughter-in-law Patti Scialfa, sons-in-law Bob Roth and Michael Shave, grandchildren Evan, Jessica, Sam, Ruby Roth, Christopher Shave, and Marisa Potts, as well as great-grandchildren Lily Harper Springsteen, Nicole and Samantha Shave, and a large extended family.

Her legacy lives on not just through her son’s music, but through the life of love, sacrifice, and joy she lived so fully.