In 1974, music critic Jon Landau boldly proclaimed rising musician Bruce Springsteen as “rock and roll future.”
The glowing review sparked a lifelong business partnership that helped Springsteen build his iconic stature as “the Boss,” and the new biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere explores their unbreakable bond. In theaters starting Friday, October 24, the movie stars Jeremy Allen White as Springsteen and Emmy-winner Jeremy Strong as Landau and examines their friendship amid the making of the singer’s 1982 album Nebraska.
Thanks to Landau’s guidance around this time, Springsteen overcame a career and personal depression and continued his ascent to become a 20-time Grammy winner and beloved icon. More than four decades later, the manager’s influence is considered an indelible part of Springsteen’s rise.
Landau began his career as a music critic
Born in New York City in 1947, Landau became enamored with music at an early age. His father had a collection of jazz records, while his mother listened to opera on the radio every Saturday. Then at age 4, Landau attended a Pete Seeger children’s concert. “I really do believe that that afternoon, listening to ... the brightness of Pete’s banjo and his charisma as a person on stage, I think that was my moment,” Landau told the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. “That was my moment where I knew somehow I was going for a life that was gonna be related to music.”
Landau attended Brandeis University, near Boston, and studied history while also performing with his own band, the Jelly Rolls.
Before he made his mark as a manager, Landau built his reputation as a critic. He began writing reviews for early music magazines such as Crawdaddy and Rolling Stone—which debuted in 1967.
But Landau’s life, and career path, changed thanks to an emerging rocker named Bruce Springsteen.
Landau’s review of a Bruce Springsteen concert started their partnership
On May 9, 1974, Landau attended a concert at the Harvard Square Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Springsteen and his E Street Band—still relative unknowns following their 1973 debut release, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.—opened ahead of established headliner Bonnie Raitt.
By the end of the night, Landau could only think about Springsteen and his performance. He said as much in his review for The Real Paper.
“On a night when I needed to feel young, he made me feel like I was hearing music for the very first time,” Landau wrote, also praising the singer’s guitar skills and showmanship. “When his two hour set ended I could only think, can anyone really be this good, can anyone say this much to me, can rock and roll speak with this kind of power and glory?”
Excerpts from the review appeared in other publications and generated plenty of buzz, but Landau saw even more potential in Springsteen. That October, he attended another concert in Boston and spoke with the singer, laying out his ideas for Springsteen’s transition from upstart to superstar. Soon after, Landau joined the rocker’s management team as a co-producer—kicking off one of the most fruitful partnerships in music history.
Landau oversaw iconic albums, including Born to Run
As a producer, Landau worked with Springsteen’s then-manager Mike Appel to create Born to Run (1975), the singer’s third studio album. With iconic singles such as “Thunder Road” and the titular track, the project became the singer’s breakout.
By 1978—after the release of Darkness on the Edge of Town—Landau became Springsteen’s manager, replacing Appel. From that point, the pair dove into what Landau called “phase one” of Springsteen’s career.
“The way I put it is we’d sort of gone on a crusade. We approached everything with this incredible level of intensity,” Landau said. “Bruce wanted to be great, he was great, and he wanted to be great. He wanted the world to know he was great, too.” In 1980, double album The River became another certified hit—earning Springsteen his second Grammy nomination and solidifying him as a stadium headliner.
Landau backed Springsteen during the making of Nebraska
Beyond his music acumen, Landau became a trusted friend to Springsteen—perhaps no more evident than in the making and release of Nebraska in 1982.
Springsteen previously told CBS News he began experiencing “his first major depression” by his early 30s. He returned to his rented farmhouse in Colts Neck, New Jersey, and pondered his future.
“Suddenly I looked around and said, ‘Where is everything? Where is my home? Where is my partner? Where are the sons or daughters that I thought I might have someday?’ And I realized none of those things are there,” Springsteen explained. “So, I said, ‘OK, the first thing I’ve gotta do as soon as I get home is remind myself of who I am and where I came from.”
Deliver Me from Nowhere director Scott Cooper described Landau to Deadline as Springsteen’s “manager, mentor, confidante and therapist” at the time, offering the singer support as he confronted his mental health. Springsteen previously told the Awards Chatter podcast it was Landau who directed him to seek professional help for his symptoms after experiencing a “pretty good breakdown.”
The singer also claimed he only had $20,000 in his bank account despite the success of his previous albums, perhaps leading him to take a stripped-down approach with sixth studio album Nebraska.
Inspired by the 1973 movie Badlands—based loosely on the real murder spree of serial killer Charles Starkweather and his girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate—Springsteen recorded the acoustic tracks for Nebraska in his bedroom on a four-track player with help from his guitar tech Mike Batlan (played by Paul Walter Hauser).
Although the songs were initially planned to receive studio re-recordings, it was ultimately decided the acoustic versions would comprise the album—an extremely unusual step for a major record label project at the time. Though Nebraska peaked at No. 3 and didn’t receive the commercial acclaim of other Springsteen projects, it is now considered one of the most influential entries of the singer’s catalog.
Landau joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020
Additional songs Springsteen wrote at the time were used in his diamond-certified 1984 album Born in the U.S.A. Meanwhile, Landau continued serving as Springsteen’s co-producer and manager through 1992 and also worked with popular artists such as Jackson Browne, Shania Twain, and Train.
In 2020, Landau was welcomed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, cementing his connection to music history. Springsteen delivered his induction speech.
“Of course, I reserve my most heartfelt thanks for Bruce, who gave me the chance, the encouragement, and the love that I needed to fully realize who I am, and what I have to contribute,” Landau said.
See Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere starting October 24
Strong, an Emmy-winner for his role as Kendall Roy in the hit drama Succession, called his turn as Landau a “relentless process of observation and study.” He even mimicked the longtime manager’s walk without him realizing.
The actor also saw the deep friendship between Springsteen and Landau firsthand during a concert in Denmark, setting the foundation for his performance.
“I watched this ritual they have before every show, where they kind of hold each other, and touch each other’s foreheads before Bruce goes up the gangplank to the most thunderous sound you’ve ever heard in your life,” Strong told Deadline. “And then Jon is the first person there to greet him after the show and they embrace each other. When I saw that, that was everything I needed to know about what this relationship is, how deep it is. They are blood brothers.”
See Strong and White onscreen as the famous duo when Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere debuts in theaters Friday, October 24. The movie also stars Gaby Hoffman as Springsteen’s mother Adele, Stephen Graham as his father Douglas Springsteen, and Odessa Young as fictional love interest Faye Romano.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
