Patti Scialfa, Bruce Springsteen’s wife and a member of the E Street Band, has revealed that she has been fighting cancer for several years.
In Springsteen’s latest documentary, “Rock Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band”, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, Scialfa disclosed that she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2018.
As reported by “Variety”, the singer-songwriter explained that the diagnosis made it challenging to tour with her husband and the E Street Band, leading her to make the tough decision to step away.
“This affects my immune system, so I have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go,” she shared. “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.”
Earlier, Scialfa shared with the Asbury Park Press that she chose to perform only a few shows during Springsteen’s current tour, which kicked off in February 2023, in order to spend more time with her granddaughter, Lily Springsteen, who was born in July 2022, and to focus on her solo album.
“I didn’t feel as needed in a way because there were a lot of musicians on stage,” the guitarist explained. “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.’”
“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. So I took that opportunity to do my record.”
Scialfa isn’t the only one dealing with health challenges. In September 2023, Springsteen had to postpone the rest of his 2023 tour dates while undergoing treatment for peptic ulcer disease.
In early summer 2024, he once again had to delay some shows, this time due to “vocal issues.” Fortunately, this only impacted three performances.
