Dave Marsh, Bruce Springsteen Biographer and Rock Critic, Dies at 76
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Dave Marsh, the influential rock critic and biographer best known for his 1979 book "Born to Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story," has died aged 76. He passed away at his home in Connecticut on Friday, with his death confirmed by SiriusXM presenter Jim Rotolo. Marsh was one of the first writers to chronicle Springsteen's rise from a New Jersey club act to a global star, and his death marks the loss of a key figure in American rock journalism.
Over his career, Marsh wrote around 25 books, covering artists including the Who, Sly & the Family Stone, the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Black Sabbath, alongside several further works on Springsteen. He was an early editor at Creem magazine and a longtime contributor to Rolling Stone, and in 2004 he launched the SiriusXM show "Kick Out the Jams," which he hosted for nearly two decades, as well as co-creating "E Street Radio." Marsh is survived by his wife, Barbara Carr; his daughter Kristen Ann Carr died of cancer in 1993 at 21, prompting him to found the Kristen Ann Carr Fund for sarcoma research, and his step-daughter Sasha died in 2024.
- Rock critic Dave Marsh, Springsteen's first biographer, has died aged 76
- Wrote "Born to Run" (1979) and around 25 other music books
- Longtime Creem/Rolling Stone writer, hosted SiriusXM's "Kick Out the Jams" for 19 years
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Dave Marsh was an American music writer who became prominent during the growth of rock journalism in the 1970s. He wrote for magazines including Creem and Rolling Stone, where critics often helped introduce readers to new artists and put popular music in its wider cultural context.
He was closely associated with Bruce Springsteen, whose early albums drew on rock, soul and stories of working-class life in New Jersey. Marsh’s 1979 book Born to Run examined Springsteen’s rise at a time when the singer was becoming known well beyond the local music scene.
Marsh also wrote about other major rock acts and worked in radio, including programming linked to Springsteen’s E Street Band. Outside journalism, he was involved in fundraising for sarcoma research and support for families affected by the cancer after the death of his daughter in 1993.