Dave Marsh, the music critic and esteemed biographer behind Born to Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story, has died at the age of 76. His long-time friend, Jim Rotolo, confirmed the news in a heartbreaking announcement on Saturday.
Death Announcement
“Some sad news today, E Street Nation,” Rotolo wrote on Facebook. “Bruce Springsteen biographer, SiriusXM host, and my friend, Dave Marsh, passed away late yesterday [14 August] at his home in Connecticut.”
Rotolo added: “Dave wrote several books about Bruce as part of a remarkable body of work spanning some 25 titles. A longtime rock critic for Creem and Rolling Stone, he was also one of the creators of E Street Radio and hosted Kick Out the Jams on SiriusXM for 19 years. Rest easy, Dave. Thank you for everything, my friend. You will be missed.”
Career Highlights
Marsh contributed to Creem, which launched in 1969, as well as Rolling Stone, Newsday, and The Village Voice. He became a bestselling author after publishing Born to Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story (1979). He continued to write about Springsteen and also penned biographies about Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, and Sly Stone.
Beyond writing, Marsh established a career in radio at SiriusXM, hosting Kick Out the Jams for 19 years.
Personal Life and Legacy
Marsh’s cause of death has not been disclosed. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Carr, a co-manager to Springsteen. He was predeceased by his stepdaughters, Kristen Ann and Sasha Carr. Following Kristen’s passing in 1993 from sarcoma, Marsh co-founded The Kristen Ann Carr Fund.
Tributes have flooded in from fans on social media. “RIP the great Dave Marsh. One of the first music critics I can remember reading back in the 70’s,” wrote one. Another tweeted: “Just found out that Dave Marsh passed away yesterday. He opened a whole new world of music for me when I was a child. I would sit for hours in the library, tearing through old Rolling Stone magazines and devouring his work. Rest in peace. What a giant.”
SiriusXM also responded: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dave Marsh, a pioneering music journalist, author, broadcaster and longtime member of the SiriusXM family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”
