By Matthew Sockol
Staff Writer
Residents from many hometowns came to Freehold Township to meet an icon who calls Freehold Borough his hometown.
Following the release of his memoir “Born to Run,” Bruce Springsteen, who turned 67 on Sept. 23, made a Sept. 27 appearance at Barnes & Noble, Route 9.
Thousands of people who obtained an admission ticket prior to the event had a chance to meet the singer-songwriter and have a photo taken with him. Each guest received an autographed copy of “Born to Run” they had pre-purchased.
Conversations with some of the people who journeyed to Freehold Township revealed them to be of different ages and places of residence, but they appeared to have one thing in common: a wish to have a personal encounter with Springsteen.
“I’m excited for this,” Billy Sikora, 19, of Marlton, said as he headed toward the bookstore. “I can’t wait to tell all of my buddies back home.”
“I can die happy now,” Frank Lankey, 31, of Edison, said after he greeted Springsteen.
Fans from all over New Jersey, including Stacey D’Onofrio, 51, of Byram Township in Sussex County, to Jay Reed, 57, of Williamstown in Gloucester County, arrived in Freehold Township for the event.
“This was something my whole family was looking forward to,” D’Onofrio said. “Barnes & Noble did an awesome job organizing this and Bruce was very down to earth.”
“It was unbelievable,” Reed said. “My knees were going when I was getting my photo with him and he was great. He asked me how I was.”
Will Eremin, 26, of Atlanta, Ga., was 13 when he saw The Boss in concert. He said that is the day when he became a Springsteen fan. Meeting the singer “was an opportunity I didn’t think I would get,” Eremin said.
“I’ve always liked him,” said Valentino Capobianco, 27, of Winthrop, Mass. “And he was taking his time with everybody. It was nice.”
“I’ve been to about 100 shows, but I’ve never been that close to Bruce before,” said Scott Williams, 41, of Havre de Grace, Md.
Bill Dean, 57, of Gainesville, Fla., made his way to Freehold Township for the meet and greet. Dean, who met his fiancee at a Springsteen show, said he became a fan while he was covering the concerts for his newspaper.
He said he flew to New Jersey when he found out about the Barnes and Noble event that Springsteen was going to hold to mark the release of his memoir.
“This is a fantasy every real Bruce fan has,” Dean said.
Fans such as Maddy Pryor, 25, of Neptune, and Sean Burke, 30, of Philadelphia, credited their parents with introducing them to Springsteen’s music.
“I was raised on Bruce, thanks to my parents,” Pryor said. “He’s a legend. I know people who have met him and it’s exciting to finally meet him.”
“My mom played me his music back in the day,” Burke said. “Meeting him and getting his autograph was pretty crazy. It’s something to check off the list.”
Robert Brand, 62, of Belmar, said he was friends with former E Street Band member David Sancious and has been a Springsteen fan for close to 50 years.
Having met Springsteen in the past, Brand described the Barnes and Noble event as just another day on the road, but for many people, meeting an iconic figure for the first time was an emotional experience.
“My heart was going to jump out of my chest,” said Deanna Durante, 47, of Utica, N.Y. “The guy in front of me was crying and I was so happy for him.”
“It was exhilarating,” said Denise Pittman, 50, of Howell. “I’m still shaking. I asked him for a hug and he hugged me. He said he was happy for me.”
“I think I might have blacked out,” said Maria Ronan, 23, of Hazlet. “I hope I’ll meet him again.”
“It was unimaginable,” said Tiffany Arevalo, 35, of Woodbridge. “You just can’t describe it. Your nerves are going. I’m just happy I didn’t cry.”
Fans exiting the store were unanimous in their praise of Springsteen and the experience of meeting him in person.
“This guy is real, he was personable,” said Andrew Suydam, 24, of Marlboro. “It was a great experience.”
“He showed up 90 minutes early,” said Stan Goldstein, 56, of Ocean Grove. “He took his time with people and was friendly. I got a great photo with him.”
“I got a hug, it was great,” said Tim Butler, 28, of Long Beach Island. “You really appreciate him up close.”