CLEVELAND -- Bruce Springsteen is widely known to be a Jersey boy. But he may have Cleveland to thank for allowing him to become The Boss of Rock and Roll.

"Cleveland was the first major market outside Philadelphia that he broke through in," says Lauren Onkley, of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. "So it's always been close to his heart and Clevelanders have always liked him. He's always liked Cleveland in that they supported him before everyone else supported him."

The bond between Cleveland and Springsteen ran deep, thanks in large part to his lyrics that told the story of how factory workers were struggling to get by, lyrics Clevelanders could relate to.

"They are characters that are working, or trying to work," says Jim Henke, of the Rock Hall. "He went through a period where he was trying to represent the industrial, or post-industrial America. What happens to a town when those jobs disappear? And, how do people struggle to keep families together."

While the music hit a chord here, one radio station's willingness to play the up-and-comer was equally important.

"I think what really started Springsteen in Cleveland was WMMS radio," Henke said. "Kid Leo began playing his first record... incessantly."

His "liner" commercial for the radio station is remembered 25 years later by those die-hard WMMS fans.

"This is Bruce Springsteen," he said. "I don't have a radio, but 'Miami Steve' does, and he lets me listen to WMMS."

Springsteen has played at Kent State, John Carroll. the Agora, Richfield Coliseum, Municipal Stadium, Quicken Loans Arena and many small clubs around Northeast Ohio.

But it was one show, the tenth anniversary of WMMS, that was boot-legged and shipped around the world to those itching for a hit of Springsteen.

"You heard these legends around the country of Bruce in Cleveland. These were recordings that you could find if you knew how to find them or trade for them," Onkley said.

"To this day in Italy, Spain and Sweden, when fans decide to travel to see shows, they try to fit Cleveland in, because they knew they'd get a special show here."