For years, a man has been on a quest to track down rare Bruce Springsteen photos that will fulfill his late brother's dying wish.
Russ Ceccola is sitting on a treasure trove of his late brother Phil's photographs, which are a holy grail for fans of the Boss. The collection includes pictures of rock-and-roll legends such as Van Halen and Bonnie Raitt, but most notably, Springsteen.
More than 20 years after Phil died of brain cancer, Russ is on a mission to compile a book of the best shots of his "artistic muse" - Bruce Springsteen. But there's just one problem: he has no idea where or when most of the pictures were taken.
Phil, who worked for many of the area's music venues, first connected with Springsteen in the mid-1970s. Over the years, Phil would give Springsteen a ride to local gigs and let him crash at his apartment - photographing the singer each step of the way. One of Phil's photos was even used on the cover of Springsteen's 1999 "18 Tracks" album.
"I have a series of photos from that night because they played at the Main Point [in Bryn Mawr] and went back to my brother's apartment," Russ said. The photos show Springsteen, estimated to be around 21 or 22 years old, wearing mismatched shoes and playing a guitar in Phil's Bridgeport apartment.
Another shot sparked Russ's investigative interest showed Springsteen mid-air playing guitar with members of his original band around him. The photo, estimated to have been taken around 1975, is taken at a much smaller venue than fans are used to seeing the star play now, but the crowd is just as energized as today.
Russ has spent years tracking down various venue managers, former employees, performers, photographers and friends to piece together the full story of his brother's storied Springsteen years. He's essentially like a forensic detective, comparing what Bruce was wearing on a given show with other known photographs at the time.
But there were only a few other photographers because venues would only allow Phil to shoot, according to Russ. "That was the power that he had as a photographer to get people to do things," Russ said. "He had an unusual eye and an unusual sense of humor that he would impart in his photographs."
A few years ago, Russ met Springsteen at the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music at Monmouth University and got to tell him how much his music has meant to him over the years and about the book's progress. He said the musician recognized his brother's name and expressed enthusiasm at the project.
Russ is waiting on a meeting with Springsteen's management team to fill in some remaining holes and discuss the possibility of Springsteen writing a foreword for the book, which he hopes will be ready for publishing by the spring.
Despite the challenge of tracking down the photos, Russ has been amazed by his brother's skills as a photographer and person. "I'm even more amazed of him as a photographer and as a person," Russ said. "If I had a couple of hours with him, I'd have so many questions."
Russ Ceccola is sitting on a treasure trove of his late brother Phil's photographs, which are a holy grail for fans of the Boss. The collection includes pictures of rock-and-roll legends such as Van Halen and Bonnie Raitt, but most notably, Springsteen.
More than 20 years after Phil died of brain cancer, Russ is on a mission to compile a book of the best shots of his "artistic muse" - Bruce Springsteen. But there's just one problem: he has no idea where or when most of the pictures were taken.
Phil, who worked for many of the area's music venues, first connected with Springsteen in the mid-1970s. Over the years, Phil would give Springsteen a ride to local gigs and let him crash at his apartment - photographing the singer each step of the way. One of Phil's photos was even used on the cover of Springsteen's 1999 "18 Tracks" album.
"I have a series of photos from that night because they played at the Main Point [in Bryn Mawr] and went back to my brother's apartment," Russ said. The photos show Springsteen, estimated to be around 21 or 22 years old, wearing mismatched shoes and playing a guitar in Phil's Bridgeport apartment.
Another shot sparked Russ's investigative interest showed Springsteen mid-air playing guitar with members of his original band around him. The photo, estimated to have been taken around 1975, is taken at a much smaller venue than fans are used to seeing the star play now, but the crowd is just as energized as today.
Russ has spent years tracking down various venue managers, former employees, performers, photographers and friends to piece together the full story of his brother's storied Springsteen years. He's essentially like a forensic detective, comparing what Bruce was wearing on a given show with other known photographs at the time.
But there were only a few other photographers because venues would only allow Phil to shoot, according to Russ. "That was the power that he had as a photographer to get people to do things," Russ said. "He had an unusual eye and an unusual sense of humor that he would impart in his photographs."
A few years ago, Russ met Springsteen at the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music at Monmouth University and got to tell him how much his music has meant to him over the years and about the book's progress. He said the musician recognized his brother's name and expressed enthusiasm at the project.
Russ is waiting on a meeting with Springsteen's management team to fill in some remaining holes and discuss the possibility of Springsteen writing a foreword for the book, which he hopes will be ready for publishing by the spring.
Despite the challenge of tracking down the photos, Russ has been amazed by his brother's skills as a photographer and person. "I'm even more amazed of him as a photographer and as a person," Russ said. "If I had a couple of hours with him, I'd have so many questions."
u gotta feel for this guy Russ Ceccola, he's literally been searching 4 his brother Phils pics of Bruce Springsteen 4 ages! Like, over 20 yrs old now & still no clue where most of the pics are. I mean, who wouldn't want to see those? 
I'm low-key jealous cuz I'd love to get my hands on some rare photos too. But seriously, it's awesome how Russ is dedicating his life 2 finding these pics 4 his brother's legacy. I hope he gets that foreword from Bruce soon! Fingers crossed 
. He's literally searching for old photos of his brother Phil who used to hang out with Bruce Springsteen back in the day 
. Can you imagine having a connection like that? It's so cool how he's piecing together the history of Springsteen and his brother's friendship. I'm also loving the fact that Springsteen himself has been supportive of this project 
. The photos from 1975 are so iconic - who would've thought Russ had some shots of Bruce playing guitar with his original band? 
. Good luck with the book, Russ! 
It's amazing how much passion and dedication he's got towards finding those rare Springsteen photos. I mean, it's not just about the pics themselves, but also about sharing the story behind them and giving tribute to his brother's legacy. 
The fact that Springsteen himself recognized his name and expressed enthusiasm for the project is just icing on the cake! 
Russ Ceccola's dedication to his brother's memory is truly inspiring 
this guy's quest is actually pretty cool 
i mean, the idea that his brother had these exclusive photos of Springsteen from back in the day is amazing. and it's not just about the rarity of the pics, but also about preserving his brother's legacy as a photographer. 
but at the same time, it's great that he's getting closer and closer to completing his book. 
what do you think this book would look like? would you buy it if you saw it on the shelves? 
. It'll be exciting to see if Springsteen writes a foreword for the book 
It's clear that Phil's legacy lives on through his incredible photography collection, and I'm excited to see the finished product 
.
anyway, i think it's kinda cool that russ is trying to honor his brother phil's memory with this book. but idk how much of the photos are even legit - i mean, some of them might be doctored or taken out of context. and what's up with springsteen being so friendly to russ? is he just being nice or does he actually want to help? 
and russ is on such a mission to get it all together for his book, i'm rooting for him! 
he's spent yrs chasing after venue managers and friends of phil's who took the pics but most r still missing 
anyway, it's super cool that he got to meet bruce at the archives & center and even met him again when he had his book talkin thru 
now he's hopin springsteen writes a foreword for his book