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Outlook: How Springsteen became my lifeline

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Sarfraz Manzoor with Bruce Springsteen

29/08/2019 GMT

How Springsteen became my lifeline

BBC World Service - Outlook, How Springsteen became my lifeline

The working class British-Pakistani teen who found a musical hero in The Boss

As a teen, Sarfraz Manzoor felt he was destined for a humdrum life in working class Luton. But then he discovered Bruce Springsteen, a musical epiphany that would change his life.

As a British-Pakistani teenager growing up in 1980s Luton, Sarfraz Manzoor didn’t think his future held huge promise – that is until he discovered the music of Bruce Springsteen.

Sarfraz could relate to The Boss – they both came from working class backgrounds and both had challenging relationships with their fathers. But if Springsteen had made it to the top, maybe Sarfraz could too. 

He's now a successful writer and journalist. Emily Webb speaks to Sarfraz and finds out how his story was turned into the film Blinded by the Light.  

Picture: Sarfraz Manzoor with Bruce Springsteen
Credit: Courtesy of Sarfraz Manzoor

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