The Loner: Nils Sings Neil

Biography

Nils Lofgren (born Nils Hilmer Lofgren in Chicago, Illinois, USA on 21 June 1951) is an American rock music recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has marked over 25 years as a member of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band as well as a former member of Crazy Horse and Grin. Born in Chicago to Swedish/Italian parents, Lofgren moved to the Washington, D.C., area as a teenager. His first instrument was the accordion. He was also a compet...

Nils Lofgren (born Nils Hilmer Lofgren in Chicago, Illinois, USA on 21 June 1951) is an American rock music recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has marked over 25 years as a member of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band as well as a former member of Crazy Horse and Grin.

Born in Chicago to Swedish/Italian parents, Lofgren moved to the Washington, D.C., area as a teenager. His first instrument was the accordion. He was also a competitive gymnast in high school, a skill that popped up later in his career.

Lofgren joined Neil Young's band in 1968 at age 17, playing piano on the album After the Gold Rush. Lofgren would maintain a close musical relationship with Young, appearing on his Tonight's the Night album and tour among others. He was also briefly a member of Crazy Horse, appearing on their 1971 LP and contributing songs to their catalogue.

From '71 to '74 Lofgren was active in Grin, the band he founded in '69. After landing a record deal in '71 the band released 4 critically-acclaimed albums but met with little commercial success.

In 1975 Lofgren released his a self-titled solo album featuring songs that went on to become staples of his solo performances; 'Keith Don't Go', 'Back it Up' and the cover of Carole Kings 'Goin' Back'.

Solo albums and tours followed every year through the 70s as Lofgren established himself as a top guitarist and live performer earning the respect and acclaim of his peers.

Bruce Springsteen made the call in 1984 and Lofgren joined the E-Street Band for the 'Born in the USA' tour. Lofgren was instant hit with Springsteens fans through his playing and vibrant on stage persona. Lofgren remains a stalwart of the E-Street Band to the present day.

Lofgren continues to juggle his tenure with the Springsteen Band and a solo recording career, whilst writing and performing with many other artists. His 2008 album 'Nils Sings Neil' was a project featuring Lofgren acoustically covering songs written by Neil Young, his former bandleader in Crazy Horse. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.