Bruce Springsteen immortalized his hometown in 1973 when he wrote about the fortune teller who worked on the boardwalk at Asbury Park, N.J. She's gone, and the New York Times gave her an obituary.
July 2, 2008 Madam Marie, Jersey Shore Psychic, Is Dead By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSASBURY PARK, N.J. — The Asbury Park fortuneteller known as Madam Marie, who became a figure of rock ’n’ roll mythology thanks to Bruce Springsteen, died on Friday. She was in her mid-90s.
Her death was announced by her great-granddaughter Sally Castello.
Billing herself as a psychic reader and adviser, Marie Castello had told fortunes on the Asbury Park Boardwalk since the 1930s.
She became famous worldwide in 1973 when Bruce Springsteen paid homage to her in the song “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy).”
His lyric “Did you hear the cops finally busted Madame Marie for tellin’ fortunes better than they do” cemented her fame.
Here's Springsteen singing Fourth of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) at his famous Hammersmith Odean concert in 1975.
Here's another cut from that great concert, Rosalita:
