All about Bruce Springsteen’s sisters, Virginia and Pamela

Bruce Springsteen may be known as The Boss for his music, but he was also the boss of a family with two younger sisters.

Born and raised in New Jersey, the “Dancing in the Dark” singer is close to both of his younger sisters, Virginia and Pamela. This trio was fostered by Adele and Douglas Springsteen.

Although both of his sisters lead fairly private lives, they both support their brother’s career and he too draws inspiration from their lives.

Bruce’s early life is highlighted in the biopic “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere,” which opens in theaters on October 24th. Jeremy Allen White plays Bruce, and child actor Arabella Olivia Clarke plays young Virginia. The real-life Virginia attended the Telluride Film Festival premiere in August 2025 to show her support for the film.

“She sat there and watched the movie with me, and she held my hand and when the movie was over, she turned to me and said, ‘Isn’t it great that we got this?'” he said during a festival panel discussion at the time, Variety reported.

Here’s everything you need to know about Bruce Springsteen’s sisters, Virginia and Pamela.

Pamela is a skilled photographer who photographed her brother

According to Peter Ames Carlin’s 2012 biography Blues, Pamela was Adele and Douglas’ third child and was born in February 1962. Pam was born after Bruce had already begun his musical career and was moved to California by his parents as a child.

Pamela began acting early in her career and appeared in various films and television shows, including Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers, Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland, and Modern Girls.

She then pivoted her career to photography, photographing various artists and musicians, including her brother. Pamela photographed several of Bruce’s singles and albums, including the cover of his 1992 album Lucky Town.

In addition to catching her brother, she has also worked with Willie Nelson, Olivia Newton-John, Ice Cube, Keith Richards, and Vonda Shepard, according to her website. When I’m not photographing musicians, I help shoot movies and documentaries.

They have supported their brother’s career for many years

As Bruce gained fame for his poetic rock style, his sisters showed their support for his career. Pamela frequently posts photos and videos of Bruce’s concerts and encourages her followers to check out his shows, interviews, and music.

Although Virginia lives a quiet life, she attended the Telluride Film Festival with her brother to show her support for his brother’s biopic.

All three siblings were close to their late mother Adele

Bruce, Virginia and Pamela all had a close relationship with their mother, Adele, until her death on January 31, 2024. She was 98 years old and had been battling Alzheimer’s disease for more than a decade.

Bruce mourned his mother’s death by sharing a video of her dancing and a caption with lyrics from his 1998 song “The Wish.” Pamela also paid tribute to her mother by posting a smiling photo, writing that her mother was a “treasure”.

Before his death, Bruce said that when he was a child, his mother gave him his first guitar and encouraged him to pursue music.

“My mom loves dancing. She grew up in the 1940s surrounded by big bands and swing bands, when dancing was an existential act,” he said during Springsteen’s 2021 Broadway performance, Today reported.

He continued: “She is 95 years old and has had Alzheimer’s disease for 10 years, which has taken so much from us, but the need to dance has never left her.”

According to fan page E Street Nation, on Mother’s Day 2025, Pamela shared a rare photo of all three of her siblings smiling with Adele.

Pamela has a daughter named Ruby.

Pamela is married to television and film director and screenwriter Bobby Ross, and they have one daughter, Ruby Ross, born in July 2002.

Pamela celebrated Ruby’s 20th birthday in 2024 by posting a current photo of her daughter attending a music festival and a black-and-white photo of her as a toddler.

“You have been the light of my life since birth!” she captioned the post.

Bruce wrote the hit song “The River” about Virginia and her husband

Bruce looked to his sister Virginia for inspiration when writing his 1980 album The River. In the hit song that gave the album its name, Bruce wrote the true story of how his sister became pregnant at age 18 and a senior in high school.

Shortly after Virginia learned the news, she and her high school boyfriend, Michael “Mickey” Scheib, married in a small ceremony, according to Bruce’s biography. The singer previously spoke about the experience and explained how it touched her heart.

“My sister, who lived only 30 minutes away from me, lived the life of my parents in a way,” he said on a 2021 episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” “They lived a very blue-collar life. Her husband was a construction worker. It was the recession of the ’70s and there weren’t many jobs available. She and her husband were actually the core inspiration for that song.”

Bruce premiered the song at a 1979 concert with Virginia in the audience.

“It was great that he wrote it and everything, but it’s all true and I’m completely exposed here (in the audience),” she said on Blues. “I didn’t like it at first, but now it’s my favorite song.”

Virginia is a mother of three children

After Virginia and Mickey married and welcomed their first child, they expanded their family with two more children. They have sons Michael Jr. and Christopher, and daughter Marissa. Bruce said the couple are also grandparents and have at least three grandchildren.

The couple tragically lost their son Michael Jr. on April 14, 2023, at the age of 53, according to his obituary. At the time of his death, he worked as a carpenter and enjoyed hunting. He and his wife, Kelly Ann, had two daughters, Nicole and Samantha.

Variety reported at the time that Bruce paid tribute to his nephew after his death by closing the concert with an acoustic version of his song “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” dedicating the song to Michael Jr.

Virginia approves of his biopic ‘Deliver Me from Nowhere’

The 2025 film Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere stars Jeremy Allen White as Bruce, a Grammy Award-winning rock star trying to find his way. But it also highlights some of the personal struggles he has endured over the years, including his complicated upbringing.

Bruce was an active participant in the film’s production, later explaining that the “most important thing” to him was to have the support and approval of both sisters.

“I had two sisters, one was a year younger than me. She grew up with me through all these experiences,” he said of Virginia on BBC Radio in October 2025. “This movie is a little difficult, so I didn’t know what she would think.”

However, after attending the premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, Virginia shared that she loves the biopic.

“She came in and sat next to me and held my hand throughout the movie,” he added. “At the end of the movie, she said, ‘God, it’s amazing that we made this movie that really honors my family. It honors the struggles and experiences that we went through.’