Bruce Springsteen Inducts Brian Williams Into New Jersey Hall Of Fame

Bruce Springsteen Inducts Brian Williams Into NJ Hall Of Fame

In a heart-felt and charming surprise speech, Bruce Springsteen inducted his close friend and "NBC Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams into the New Jersey Hall of Fame Thursday night.

“If Walter Cronkite and Jon Stewart had a baby," Springsteen said, "and due to the ongoing controversy over same-sex marriage they had to abandon that baby on the New Jersey Turnpike, and it grew up to be a news anchor, its name would be Brian Douglas Williams.”

After listing Williams' many accomplishments as a journalist, citing his Peabody Award-winning coverage of Hurricane Katrina, the Boss delved deeper into William's life as a friend and model New Jersey citizen.

"The intrepid reporter is not the only Brian Williams that I know," he said. "He's the husband of the lovely Jane Williams. He's the New Jersey guy who still summers in New Jersey. He's an ex-Middletown volunteer fireman, and he's also the guy who carries more than 10,000-plus songs in his iPod, sleeps four hours a night, and wakes me up at 3 a.m. to talk about some new artist he's discovered."

Williams, too, expressed his love for his home state.

“I wouldn’t trade growing up where I did, how I did, with anyone, anywhere,” he said. "I wear New Jersey on me, I carry it with me everywhere."

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