Bruce Springsteen finds having therapy "useful"

Asked if he thinks his openness will encourage others to seek help, he joked: "I would advise everyone to immediately run to the nearest psychologist, everyone could use a little help."

He then more seriously added: "I've been having it for 30 years, the first guy died on me, I've got another guy now, but I've found it to be useful."

The 67-year-old singer has been promoting his autobiography, 'Born to Run', and has been touched by the number of fans he's met at book signings who have shared their stories of how his music has helped them through tough points in their lives.

Speaking in his first radio interview since 2009, he told BBC Radio 2's Simon Mayo: "One of things I've heard recently, because I've met my fans one by one at the book signings, and one of the common things people say is, 'You helped through this particular time or that particular time'.

"It's one of the things that music does well. It can support you when times get hard, it's just fundamentally uplifting, it is one of the things music can do."

Bruce - who has three children with wife Patti Scialfa - is famous for his lengthy concerts and still enjoys performing life.

And the veteran rocker insists he never gets tired of his most famous songs as experiencing them through his fans' ears keep them fresh.

He said: "I enjoy it, a good song has open arms and it takes in the years and your new audience.

"When you come out at night, if you have one foot on stage and one in the crowd you get to hear it anew through their ears.

"I can look down and see someone who is hearing it for the first time, and it refreshes it for me, I still enjoy it."