Bruce Springsteen and Chris Christie Connect Through Hurricane Sandy

Bruce Springsteen superfan Chris Christie finally got a chance to talk to his hero today. During a briefing about New Jersey’s recovery from Hurricane Sandy, the governor told reporters that he was speaking with Obama on the phone earlier in the day when the president passed the phone to Springsteen, who has been campaigning heavily for Obama and made three appearances today alone, on the final day of the campaign.

It’s unclear how long Springsteen and Christie spoke on the phone, but the two also shook hands behind the scenes last Friday at NBC’s telethon to benefit victims of the storm. The governor said that he cried after that encounter. 

Christie has seen Springsteen in concert over 130 times, but they have only met on two brief occasions: on a plane in 1999 and then at the 2010 New Jersey Hall of Fame induction ceremony. According to a report in The Atlantic about Christie’s Springsteen fandom, they “exchanged only formal pleasantries” on those occasions – though Christie noted that Springsteen was “very kind” to his children. 

There are plenty of opportunities for Springsteen and Christie to come together in the coming months, as New Jersey continues to rebuild after Hurricane Sandy and the rocker likely continues his efforts to raise money for the relief effort. If Christie is able to come together with President Obama days before the campaign, he can certainly continue to find common cause with Springsteen.