Bedtime no issue as Sophie (6) shows Springsteen who's boss

A SIX-YEAR-OLD girl was the envy of every Bruce Springsteen fan when she joined the Boss on stage at the RDS in Dublin.

Sophie Sutton, from Leopardstown, was plucked from the audience by Springsteen to sing Waiting on a Sunny Day on Tuesday night. Several clips of her appearance have already been posted on YouTube.

Undaunted by being the centre of attention for 35,000 fans, Sophie made a stab at the chorus of the song when prompted by the American rocker. Despite her tender age, she knew the words.

The schoolgirl is the youngest of five children. Her father Paul Sutton has seen Springsteen perform at least 30 times. He described it as something that you “can’t plan for but you hope might happen”.

Sophie’s mother Denise said herself and all the children were Springsteen fans “by osmosis” as they had no choice in the matter.

The couple took Sophie to the show though its 11.30pm finish was well past her bedtime because she had never been to a Springsteen concert before.

They wangled their way into the pit and to the left of the stage for the start of the concert.

“Having somebody small with you has its advantages,” Denise said.

Sophie spent the entire concert on her father’s shoulder, which brought her to Springsteen’s attention.

This was not the first time one of the Sutton children joined Springsteen on stage. The middle daughter, Niamh, danced with him the last time he was in Dublin. Their mother is adamant there was nothing staged about either event.

Sophie reprised her turn with Springsteen on several radio stations yesterday morning.

“When you are fifth in line, you exude confidence. She is an extremely confident child. She takes everything very easily in her stride,” her mother added.