Overview

• Joe DePugh, the real-life inspiration behind Bruce Springsteen's 1984 hit 'Glory Days,' passed away from cancer at the age of 75 in Florida.
• Springsteen shared a heartfelt Instagram tribute, calling DePugh 'a good friend when I needed one' and quoting lyrics from the song that immortalized their 1973 encounter.
• DePugh and Springsteen grew up together in Freehold, New Jersey, playing baseball in the same youth league before their lives took different paths.
• Their chance reunion at a bar in Neptune, New Jersey, in 1973 inspired the narrative of 'Glory Days,' a reflection on nostalgia and moving beyond past achievements.
• DePugh's life was marked by resilience, raising his younger brothers after their mother's death and later working as a contractor, while maintaining a modest and grounded outlook.