Bruce Springsteen confronts Rolling Stone editor over major snub

Bruce Springsteen was on the cover of Time and Newsweek on Oct. 27, 1975. It was a milestone achievement for the Asbury Park rocker from Freehold.

But it wasn't the thrill that will get you when you get your picture on the cover of the Rolling Stone as Union City's Dr. Hook once sang.

Last night (Tuesday) Springsteen let Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner know how he felt about the slight during a one-hour conversation that they two had at the 92nd Street Y in New York City.

“I was not on the cover of Rolling Stone when 'Born to Run' came out, you know,” said The Boss. “I’m not picking a bone or anything, but I always felt — while we’re talking about it — they were a little skittish about putting me on the cover when that record came out. I was on the cover of Time and Newsweek.”

Wenner's reply was that those magazines represented the establishment (how times have changed) and that Springsteen making both covers caused intense controversy.

Making both covers proved to be costly for The Boss.

"I hadn’t paid a penny in taxes when I was on the cover of Time and Newsweek, and the IRS found out about it and it took me 10 years [to pay it].”

As much as people wanted to be on the cover of Rolling Stone, there were some according to Wenner who didn't. Joni Mitchell was the one and only artist to decline the opportunity.

At one point where Wenner taking questions on index cards asked which copies of Rolling Stone he would gift to aliens answered any magazine with Springsteen or Bob Dylan on the cover.

The conversation with Springsteen and Wenner will air on Sirius XM’s E Street Radio, host Jim Rotolo told Variety.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise only. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.

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