Glory Days. We all have memories of friends and high school. People leave an impression or a memory that we cherish. There are thousands of songs about encounters with these kinds of things, but we don’t know if they are made up or genuine.

“Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen is actual. It happened in 1973 at a bar called The Headliner in Neptune, New Jersey when he ran into an old Little League baseball teammate who was walking out and Springsteen walking in. They walked back in, had some drinks, and reminisced. They talked about baseball and when they were in seventh grade.

Who was the teammate

According to the New York Times, the real-life Little League teammate is Joe Depugh. Springsteen and Depugh attended St. Rose of Lima School in Freehold, NJ. They were friends, and Depugh gave Springsteen the nickname “Saddie” because his baseball skills were not that good.

In high school, they drifted apart. During Depugh’s senior year, he had several offers to play college basketball and an invitation to try out for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but that didn’t pan out. However, he did play basketball at King’s College in Wilkes Barre, Pa., and earned a degree in English. By the time he graduated, his parents had died, and he became the legal guardian for his two youngest brothers. He worked as a substitute teacher but couldn’t find a permanent teaching position, So he became a self-employed contractor.

“Glory Days” was about Depugh

Depugh told a co-worker about the run-in with Springsteen, and years later, when he heard “Glory Days,” he knew it was about Depugh. Depugh was living in Vermont when he got a call from his co-worker about the song.

He didn’t believe the song was about him at first. One of his friends called the local radio station and requested “Glory Days.” When his wife heard it, she started crying, and he knew it was about him.

It was confirmed at their 30th high school class reunion in 1997 when a classmate asked Springsteen if the song was about Depugh and the singer said that it was.

Depugh and Springsteen get together

In May 2005, classmate Don Norkus arranged for them to get together for lunch at Red Bank, N.J.

Depugh said, “when Bruce arrived, I point at him, and he points at me. Then we hugged”

A few years later, they got together again, in Freehold, New Jersey. Depugh said when the evening ended, Springsteen says, “always remember I Love you.” As he was walking out the back door, Depugh shouts ‘Sad’! he turned around, and I said as I’m pointing at him, “I love you too, and I’m real proud of you.” He waved and left.

Born In The U.S.A. one of the biggest selling albums

“Glory Days” climbed to number 5 on the Billboard Top Pop Singles Charts in 1985 and was one of seven top 10 U.S. hits from the album Born In The U.S.A.

Springsteen’s Born In The U.S.A. is his most commercially successful album. By 2012 it had sold 30 million copies and is one of the best-selling albums ever.