Fire starter Springsteen's anti-Trump broadside divides fans

As the lead singer of a Bruce Springsteen cover band, Brad Hobicorn had been looking forward to performing at Riv's Toms River Hub in New Jersey last Friday.

- David Smith

Then came a text message from the bar's owner, saying the gig was cancelled. Why? Because the real Bruce Springsteen had lambasted Donald Trump.

"He said to me his customer base is redder than red and he wishes Springsteen would just shut his mouth," Hobicorn recalled. "It was clear that this guy was getting caught up in that and didn't want to lose business. The reality is we would have brought a huge crowd out there: new customers that are Springsteen fans that want to see a band locally." The culture wars have arrived in New Jersey. Springsteen - revered for songs such as Born in the USA, Glory Days, Dancing in the Dark and Born to Run - has long been a balladeer of the state's blue-collar workers. But last year, many of them voted for Donald Trump.