Born in the late 1950s, Bruce Springsteen, like most kids of his generation, was greatly influenced by the iconic Elvis Presley. At the age of six, after watching Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show, Springsteen was hooked. He immediately requested a guitar from his mother, Adele.
It was not just Elvis’s style that captivated the young boy, the sheer energy and movement of the Rock and Roll king sent audiences into a hysterical frenzy. Springsteen would go on to explain how, after seeing Elvis on TV, he knew that his own life had found its meaning.
Bruce Springsteen wrote a song for Elvis Presley
Springsteen wrote “Fire” with Elvis Presley in mind while working on Darkness. Springsteen was not looking for fame or hit singles. Springsteen wanted to create something real and raw. For Springsteen, “Fire” was a great song for the King of Rock and Roll, and he thought Elvis, as a force of nature, could bring to the song the same kind of wild energy Springsteen always adored.
Excited about the idea, Springsteen sent the demo to Elvis in hopes that the legendary singer would record it. Sadly, Elvis passed away before he ever got around to hearing the song, leaving part of Springsteen’s musical dream unrealized.
Bruce Springsteen’s song for Elvis Presley became a hit
Even though Elvis never got to sing “Fire,” the song did go on to claim a place in music history. Springsteen, though disappointed, was not ready to let it go. He thought that the song had some potential, so he proposed it to Robert Gordon, a singer whose voice resembled Elvis’s.
Gordon, with the same voice, was the perfect artist to bring justice to the song. However, the most successful rendition of “Fire” was done by the Pointer Sisters. Their upbeat rendition of the song, recorded in 1978, was a huge hit. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, 21 places higher than Springsteen’s own “Born to Run.”