George Theiss of Freehold, Bruce Springsteen's bandmate in the Castiles, has died

Chris Jordan | Asbury Park Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Bruce Springsteen's 1982 bar tour In the spring, summer and early fall of 1982, Bruce Springsteen jammed at Jersey Shore clubs more than 30 times.

George Theiss, the man who co-wrote the first songs Bruce Springsteen ever recorded, passed away on Friday, July 13 after a two-year battle with lung cancer, according to family members.

He was 68.

Theiss, who grew up in Freehold, was a veteran of several Asbury Park bands in the '70s and '80s, including Rusty Chain, Doo-Dah, the Cahoots and the George Theiss Band, but it's time as the lead singer for the Freehold teenage band the Castiles in the '60s that's secured his legacy.

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A teenage Bruce Springsteen was the lead guitarist. Theiss, who dated Springsteen's sister Virginia, asked the future Boss to join.

“I was sitting in my South Street home one afternoon when a knock came at our front door,”said Springsteen in his autobiography, “Born to Run.” “It was George Theiss, a local guitarist and singer who’d heard through my sister that I played the guitar. I’d seen George around the Elks. He told me there was a band forming and they were looking for a lead guitarist. While I hesitated to call myself a lead guitarist, I had been hard at it for a while and worked up some very rudimentary ‘chops.’ We walked across town to Center Street and into a little half-shotgun house fifty feet up the block from where the metal-on-metal war of the rug mill spilled out open factory windows onto the streets of Texas. In Texas I’d slip on my guitar and join my first real band.’“

The Castiles, managed by Gordon “Tex” Vinyard, played more than 100 shows over three years starting in 1965, from the Left Foot in Freehold to Cafe Wha? in New York City.

The band — Paul Popkin, guitar; Frank Marziotti, bass; and Bart Haynes, drums, were the other original members — often rehearsed in the Theiss home.

“They played in the basement in my house,” said Barbara Theiss Dressler, George's younger sister. “My friend Linda and I would watch and Bruce would come around and chase us and scare us and say get out of here. We were so young.”

Springsteen references his time in the Castiles in “Springsteen on Broadway,” emphasizing the jack of all trades experience being in the band gave him. In May 1966, when Springsteen was 16, the Castiles recorded two songs, “That's What You Get” and “Baby I,” at the former Mr. Music in Hooper Avenue in Toms River.

Theiss and Springsteen wrote the songs on the car ride to Mr. Music from Freehold.

“Yep, we wrote them in the back seat,” said Theiss in an Asbury Park Press interview with Jean Mikle. “We really didn't do much original music at the time, but one day, Tex said, ‘C'mon, it's time for you boys to make a record.’ So we did.”

The Castiles, Springsteen wrote in “Born to Run,” eventually ran their course, and there was tension between Theiss and Springsteen, who was ascending to the frontman status that Theiss had already attained.

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“At that point we were really butting heads,” said Theiss said to the Salisbury Post in January of this year.

Yet, Springsteen attended Theiss' wedding in 1969, and the two remained friends. In a twist of irony, Michael Scialfa, the brother of Springsteen's future wife, Patti Scialfa, was Theiss’ bandmate in the Cahoots.

Finally, in 2016, “Baby I” was given a proper release in “Chapter and Verse,” a companion album to the “Born to Run” autobiography.

“George was the best vocalist we had,” said Springsteen in ‘“Born to Run.” ‘“He had a real voice and charisma and did the job well. I was considered toxic in front of a microphone, my voice the butt of many of Tex’s jokes, and years later, after selling millions of records, I would visit Tex and he would take grand pleasure in sneering at me, ‘You still can’t sing. George is the singer.’ ”

There have been many tributes to Theiss, who had moved with his family to North Carolina, online.

“Last night I lost my best friend, bandmate, writing partner and big (and older) brother of 43 years,” posted Tony Amato on Saturday, July 14. “Handsome George with an infectious smile, who upon me releasing songs he wrote delightedly decided to tell me he hated the way I sing. This is my brother. You rocked it since you were a fat 14. Forever grateful to be with you until the end. Love you always.”

“Music was his life,” Barbara said. “He loved it.”

No information about services has been released.

Chris Jordan: cjordan@app.com. Twitter: @chrisfhjordan