Bruce Springsteen shared sad news on Thursday that his mom, Adele Ann Springsteen, passed away on Wednesday, January 29, 2025. She was 98 years old. To honor her, Bruce posted words from his song “The Wish” on Instagram. The song tells sweet stories about his childhood, like hearing his mom get ready for work in the morning and how happy she looked coming home.
Adele was born on May 4, 1925, in Brooklyn, New York. Her family moved to Freehold, New Jersey, when she was a teenager. There, she married Doug Springsteen, and they had three kids: Virginia, Bruce, and Pamela. Adele worked hard as a secretary to help support the family. She even saved enough money to buy Bruce his first guitar, which was a big deal because it helped him start his music journey. Bruce wrote about that special guitar in “The Wish,” calling it a Christmas gift that made him so happy.
Adele loved to dance! She grew up listening to big band music in the 1940s, and dancing was a big part of her life. Even when she got older, she would dance at Bruce’s concerts. Fans loved seeing her join him on stage, like when she danced to “Dancing in the Dark” in Philadelphia or “Ramrod” in Brooklyn. Bruce once said, “Not bad for almost 90!” when she danced with him in 2012. She also enjoyed going to local places in New Jersey, like The Wonder Bar, to dance and have fun.
Even when Adele got sick with Alzheimer’s and couldn’t talk or walk, she still smiled when she saw Bruce. He said in 2021 that her smile and the sound she made told him, “I love you.” When Bruce played music by Glenn Miller, she would move in her chair and reach out, like she wanted to dance with him again. Bruce said dancing was a big part of who his mom was, and her love for it never went away, even when she was sick.
Adele was a kind and joyful mom who loved her family. She leaves behind her three children, Bruce, Virginia, and Pamela, plus her daughter-in-law Patti Scialfa, sons-in-law Bob Roth and Michael Shave, grandchildren Evan, Jessica, Sam, Ruby Roth, Christopher Shave, and Marisa Potts, and great-grandchildren Lily Harper Springsteen, Nicole, and Samantha Shave. Her love and happy spirit will always be remembered.
