Bruce Springsteen grew up infatuated with Elvis Presley. In 1976, security marched him away from Graceland

Bruce Springsteen, a lifelong Elvis Presley fan, tried to meet him at Graceland in April 1976 after a concert in Memphis. The episode shows how strongly Presley had shaped Springsteen’s ambitions and his belief that music could transform a life.

Springsteen and E Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt took a taxi to the mansion, where Springsteen climbed over the wall after seeing an upstairs light on. Security stopped him and explained that Elvis was away in Lake Tahoe; Springsteen’s fame did not change their answer, and they escorted him back to the street. The following year, Springsteen wrote “Fire” hoping Elvis might record it, but Presley died before hearing it; the song later became a hit for the Pointer Sisters.