Bruce Springsteen Signs Local 5th Grader's School Absence Note

When Bruce Springsteen signs your school absence note, the principal won't second guess you, as long as you give her a copy of the autograph.

That's what fifth-grader Michael Fenerty learned this week, after he had a chance to meet the rock star during school hours.

Michael attended Springsteen's fan meet-and-greet at the Central Library of the Free Library of Philadelphia on Thursday. The Masterman School fifth-grader went with his dad, Mike, a Springsteen fanatic who has been to 160 concerts.

The night before going to the daytime event, Mike asked his son what the policy was for missing school. "He said I had to call in and he had to bring in a signed absence note," Mike said.

Which gave his son an idea.

"He said, 'You know what, we should get Bruce to sign my absence note,'" Mike recalled.

So the pair went to the computer to draft a letter for Bruce to sign. Michael stuffed it in his pocket the next morning, along with a pen.

During the meet-and-greet, when the two had some face-to-face time with The Boss, Michael found the perfect opportunity to present the rock star with his note. Bruce read it out loud, gladly signed it, and then gave his son a hug and a high-five, Mike said.

Michael also got his photo taken with the rock star.

After the event, father and son stopped to make a photocopy of the letter (they saved the original) before presenting it to the school's principal. A photo of it that Mike posted on Facebook went viral within an hour, he said.

His son was "starstruck" by the whole ordeal, dad says. "He thought it was awesome, he loves Bruce."

Mike's interest in The Boss recently escalated after going to his first Springsteen concert at Citizen's Bank Park. That night, Michael's first day of school, the rocker played "the longest show he's ever played in America."

"As a Springsteen fan I was thrilled. As a parent I wanted to kill him," Mike said, adding the pair got home at 1 a.m.

As for the letter, Mike says as of Friday afternoon it was on the front seat of his car, but the pair plans to have it framed along with the photo of Michael and Springsteen taken during the meet-and-greet.

PHOTOS: Fifth-grader Michael Fenerty with Bruce Springsteen, and a copy of the now-famous note, used with permission from Mike Fenerty.