Bruce Springsteen Dedicates His Broadway Debut To Tom Petty

(Radio.com) Bruce Springsteen hit the boards for the first preview of his Broadway residency on Tuesday (Oct. 3), and the Boss dedicated the show to his late friend and rock and roll peer, Tom Petty. Dressed in black, Springsteen said his thoughts and prayers were with Petty and his band The Heartbreakers.

Springsteen on Broadway debuted for preview audiences before the official opening on October 12. Fans in the audience spoke of their fondness for The Boss and their impressions of the show. "Bruce Springsteen sings about blue-collar, regular people," Bob Cappella told The New York Daily News. "I keep coming back."

Bruce played 15 songs in total, interspersed with spoken excerpts from his autobiography and various reflections and off-the-cuff remarks. Springsteen's wife Patti Scialfa joined him for two of the songs: "Tougher Than That" and "Brilliant Disguise."

One Instagram user said Bruce shared "his words, his thoughts, his music, and his innermost demons. Bruce (the boss) shed his blood and tears providing wisdom worth living. An honor and unforgettable experience." See some fan photos from the preview and check out the full setlist here.

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