Entertainment
Legendary Rocker’s Wife Reveals Battle with Blood Cancer, Steps Back from Touring
Clear Facts
- Patti Scialfa, Bruce Springsteen’s wife, has been battling multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, since 2018.
- Scialfa has taken a step back from touring with the E Street Band due to her health concerns.
- Bruce Springsteen has also faced health issues, leading to the postponement of several concerts.
Patti Scialfa, the wife of legendary rocker Bruce Springsteen, has disclosed her ongoing battle with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, which she has been fighting for the past six years.
The announcement was made during the Toronto Film Festival premiere of Springsteen’s documentary, “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.”
Scialfa, who joined the E Street Band in 1984 and married Springsteen in 1991, revealed that she was diagnosed with the disease in 2018 during the “Springsteen on Broadway” residency. According to the Mayo Clinic, multiple myeloma is “a cancer that forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell.”
Due to her health, Scialfa has had to step back from the E Street Band’s current tour, which began in February 2023 and is set to conclude in July 2025.
“Touring has become a challenge for me,” Scialfa said in the documentary.
“This affects my immune system, so I just have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go.”
Despite her diagnosis, Scialfa occasionally joins the band for a few shows.
“Every once in a while, I come to a show or two and I can sing a few songs on stage, and that’s been a treat. That’s the new normal for me right now, and I’m OK with that.”
Previously, Scialfa had mentioned stepping away from touring but had not disclosed her health issues as the reason. In an interview, she cited spending time with her grandchild as her primary reason for stepping back.
“I didn’t feel as needed in a way because there were a lot of musicians on stage,” she said.
“I did the first couple of shows, and as I saw how it was all rolling, I thought, ‘This is good. This is completely intact. There’s not much room for me to add anything special.’”
She also mentioned using the time to work on her own music.
“And the main thing was I have a record that I couldn’t have finished when Bruce was home because he’s in the studio all the time,” she continued. “So I took that opportunity to do my record.”
Bruce Springsteen himself has been dealing with health problems over the past year. His tour was initially postponed last summer due to a peptic ulcer, which made singing extremely painful.
Health issues have persisted, causing further postponements. In May, Springsteen had to cancel all concerts within a 10-day period on doctors’ orders.
“Following yesterday’s postponement in Marseille due to vocal issues, further examination and consulting has led doctors to determine that Bruce should not perform for the next ten days,” read a statement on his Instagram.
“With this in mind, additional postponements are required for Airport Letnany in Prague (originally scheduled for May 28) and San Siro Stadium in Milan (originally scheduled for June 1 and 3). New dates for these shows will be announced shortly. Those wishing a refund will be able to obtain it at their original point of purchase. Bruce is recuperating comfortably, and he and the E Street Band look forward to resuming their hugely successful European stadium tour on June 12 in Madrid at the magnificent Civitas Metropolitan.”
Despite these challenges, both Scialfa and Springsteen remain committed to their music and their fans.
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