Happy 75th Birthday AND Happy Father's Day to "The Godfather Of The Guitar:" the great Nils Lofgren!
- Letters To You
- 28 minutes ago
- 1 min read
June 21, 2026
How fitting that this year, on his 75th birthday, Nils Lofgren's special day also falls on Father's Day. After all, Bruce Springsteen himself famously dubbed Lofgren onstage to be the E Street Band's "Godfather Of The Guitar, The Minister Of Heart And Spirit, the great, great Nils Lofgren!"
More than a quarter-century has passed since Springsteen first used that "Godfather" line to describe Lofgren's musical prowess, a prowess which remains and actually extends well beyond just guitar to pretty much anything with a fretboard, along with more than a few fretless instruments added to the mix, like accordion, pedal-steel, and piano. Let's not forget that he still has that beautiful singing voice, too!
And yes, that "Minister of Heart and Spirit" moniker also remains equally applicable after all these years. We are fortunate to have firsthand knowledge of what a genuinely kind, caring, and concerned person Nils still is. Great musician, and great guy all around... now that's TRUE "Godfather of The Guitar" material!
Best wishes for a Happy 75th Birthday, Nils, and for many, many more Happy Birthdays to come. Thanks for all of the great music, and keep it comin', please. Long may you run, "Godfather!"