Bruce Springsteen’s first visit to London “was a little disconcerting”.
Bruce Springsteen and Sir Paul McCartney in London
The 74-year-old singer was awarded an Academy Fellowship at the Ivor Novello Awards on Thursday (23.05.24), and during his acceptance speech, Springsteen reflected on his relationship with the UK.
The ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ hitmaker – who first visited London in 1975 – said: “The airplane food was not so great, and my first thought when we landed at Heathrow was, ‘Where’s all the cheeseburgers?’
“The cheeseburgers had either been hidden or replaced by something called fish and chips. It was a little disconcerting.
“Then our next stop was the Hammersmith Odeon, where I was greeted by a huge sign announcing: ‘London is finally ready for Bruce Springsteen’.
“And all I thought was, ‘If London isn’t ready for a cheeseburger, they may not be ready for me!'”
During the ceremony in London, Springsteen was introduced by Sir Paul McCartney, who affectionately mocked the award-winning star.
McCartney, 81, said that he “couldn’t think of a more fitting” recipient “except maybe Bob Dylan”.
He added: “Or Paul Simon, or Billy Joel, or Beyonce, or Taylor Swift … The list goes on.”
McCartney also joked about Springsteen’s reputation for being a “working man”.
The former Beatles star said: “He’s known as the American working man, but he admits he’s never worked a day in his life.”
Springsteen is actually the first foreigner to receive an Academy Fellowship, and he previously confessed to feeling honoured by the recognition.
The music icon added: “This entire country has made me feel welcome every step of the way, and for this, I will always remain deeply appreciative.”
