What happened to Bruce Springsteen's mother, Adele? Legendary rockstar pays tribute, sharing adorable video of pair dancing together

Legendary Heartland rockstar Bruce Springsteen stated on February 1, 2024, that his mother Adele passed away on Wednesday, January 31, 13 years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Springsteen had previously spoken about his mother's love for dancing, so it seemed fitting that he paid tribute to her with a video of the mother and son dancing on a porch to Glenn Miller’s In the Mood on Instagram.

The video was captioned with the lyrics of Springsteen's 1998 song The Wish, which was written to highlight the sacrifices his mother had made for her children throughout her life.

Adele could be found dancing in several of Springsteen's concerts, even at the age of 90, when she joined her son on stage to dance to Ramrod at Madison Square Garden in 2016.

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Bruce Springsteen's mother died 13 years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's

While the exact nature of her death is unknown, Bruce Springsteen often spoke about how his mother's condition deteriorated after her Alzheimer's diagnosis. However, her love for dance prevailed despite her illness. According to Page Six, Bruce Springsteen said:

“My mother loves to dance. She grew up in the ’40s … [with] the big bands and the swing bands, and that was a time when dancing was an existential act. She’s 95 and she’s 10 years into Alzheimer’s and that’s taken a lot away from us but the need to dance hasn’t left her.”

In an interview with AAPR in 2020, Springsteen spoke of how his mother remained "in very good spirits" despite battling Alzheimer's.

“She can’t really speak, but you know when you see her, she still moves to rhythm if you create rhythm or put music on, and she’s happy.” He said.

The illness robbed Adele of the ability to speak, stand, or feed herself independently. However, Springsteen said she always smiled whenever she saw her son.

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Bruce Springsteen was always inspired by his mother's hard work

Adele Ann Zerilli Springsteen, born in Brooklyn in May 1925, was a legal secretary who worked hard to provide for her family. In Springsteen's song The Wish, he detailed how his mother toiled to buy him a brand new guitar as a Christmas present.

"Little boy and his ma shivering outside a rundown music store window. That night on top of a Christmas tree shines one beautiful star. And lying underneath a brand-new Japanese guitar," the lyrics went.

Bruce Springsteen's mother was a fixture by his side as the New Jersey native took the world by storm with his one-of-a-kind voice and thoughtfully penned lyrics.

In an interview with Uncut magazine in 2002, Springsteen cited his mother as his source of inspiration. He described his mother as “real smart, real strong, real creative” with a “refusal to be disheartened."

Bruce Springsteen and his mother (right) at the Grammy Awards (Image via Getty Images)

Adele, who would've turned 99 this year, is survived by her three children, Bruce, Pamela, and Virginia, several grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter.

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Bruce Springsteen, nicknamed the Boss, has a reputation that proceeds himself, releasing 21 albums throughout his illustrious career that has spanned six decades. The iconic singer is set to tour Europe from May to July 2024.