Friday, December 5, 2025

More Proof Bruce Springsteen is A Mensch: He Invited First Manager Mike Appel to a Screening of “Deliver Me from Nowhere”

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The Boss is a mensch.

He actually invited his original manager, Mike Appel, to a screening of “Deliver Me from Nowhere.”

Appel managed Bruce through “Born to Run.” Then he caused so much trouble Bruce had to take a three year break before returning with “Darkness on the Edge of Town.”

(Appel had signed a 22 year old Bruce to an all encompassing contract, and it took immense legal wrangling to get him out of it.)

So I don’t know if this was out of the goodness of Bruce’s heart, or the old adage ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.’

Anyway, 50 years later time heals all wounds.

Funny PS I once wound up seated on a plane next to Mike Appel. He told me the whole story over 8 hours. Seems now like it must have been in 1943. Anyway, he was a nice guy.

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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