Tony Wilson
Tony Wilson’s son, Jack, is only 5 and lives with cerebral palsy which affects all four limbs and means he can’t see further than a metre and is very sensitive to loud noises.
He’s also one of Bruce Springsteen’s biggest fans.
Which is why dad, Tony, decided it was worth a shot to take Jack along to a concert.
‘He watches “Bwuce” all day on YouTube. No greatest hits fan is Jack. He requests specific gigs, tracks, guest artists (Bwian from Gaslight Anthem with Bwuce!). He knows all the E-Street Band by name,’ Tony writes in a touching Facebook post.
But at the same time, a lot of visual and audio stimulation for Jack can be overwhelming.
‘He’s made screaming exits from the school fete and dozens of other PA scenarios. He even hates rain if it’s too loud on the roof.
‘So we thought he was no chance to cope,’ Tony explains.
With his son tucked into a backpack carrier, snuggled up to Tony, and donning a pair of industrial earmuffs, they made their way in to the concert.
Nervously, Tony waited for Jack to have enough. But Jack had a great time.
‘Jack did the shrieking he does for the YouTube songs. His happy cheers. He called Bruce’s name. He called Steven van Zant’s name. He jiggled, he rocked, he had a ball.
‘Then he broke. Youngstown broke him, and he asked to go home.’
Jack lasted a whole hour and ten minutes, when they were expecting two minutes.
Tony says Jack has watched the video of his trip to see ‘Bwuce’ over and over ever since.
‘I’m a Bwuce Springsteen fan,’ he told his dad the next day.
‘I’m a Bwuce Springsteen goer.’
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