Bruce Springsteen was the guest of honor at the 2013 MusiCares Person of the Year benefit, which featured an eclectic mix of artists including Neil Young, Elton John, Jim James, Mumford & Sons and Mavis Staples covering classics from the New Jersey icons massive songbook. A televised version of the event, A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen, will premiere December 5th at 9 p.m. ET on PBS, as part of the networks Arts Fall Festival 2014.
The Jon Stewart-hosted benefit features Young performing the Springsteen staple Born in the U.S.A., Elton John handling Streets of Philadelphia and Tom Morello and Jim James teaming up for a duet of The Ghost of Tom Joad.
Other tributes include Mumford & Sons version of Im on Fire, Patti Smiths Because the Night (a song co-written by Smith and Springsteen), John Legends piano-driven take on Dancing in the Dark, Alabama Shakes intense interpretation of Adam Raised a Cain and a collaborative My City of Ruins from Zac Brown Band and Mavis Staples. To close the concert, Springsteen takes the stage with the E Street Band for Thunder Road and Born to Run, and the all-star performers all join in for a grand finale.
In early November, Springsteen participated in theStand Up for Heroes charity eventin New York City,performing an unplugged five-song set of classic tunes. Since the benefit also featuredsome of the worlds top-billed stand-up comedians, the singer-songwriter also unleashed a few punchlines of his own. On the New Jersey Turnpike the other night, a truck was hijacked by a group of thieves, he cracked at one point. The truck was full of Viagra. The New Jersey state police are now looking for a group of hardened criminals.