Bruce Springsteen’s wife and E Street Band member Patti Scialfa disclosed she had been fighting cancer for a few years.
In Bruce Springsteen’s new documentary, Rock Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which premiered on September 8 at the Toronto International Film Festival, Scialfa revealed that she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2018.
The singer-songwriter took the tough choice to back off as the diagnosis made it challenging for her to tour with her husband and the E Street Band.
This affects my immune system, so I need to be cautious about my activities and the places I go, she explained. “It’s really nice to catch a show now and then and get to sing a couple of songs on stage. For now, this is just how things are for me, and I’m okay with it.”
Scialfa mentioned to the Asbury Park Press that she wanted to dedicate more time to her granddaughter, Lily Springsteen, who was born in July 2022. She also wanted to concentrate on her solo album. Because of this, she chose to perform only a limited number of shows during Springsteen’s tour that kicked off in February 2023.
The guitarist said, “There were so many musicians on stage that I felt needed in a different way. I played the first few shows, and as I saw how everything was going, I thought, ‘This is awesome. This feels complete. I don’t really have much room to bring something special.’”
“And the big thing was I had a record I couldn’t have completed when Bruce was at the studio all the time. I so grabbed that chance to record my record.
Many people are facing health issues, not just Scialfa. For example, Springsteen had to push back his remaining tour dates for 2023 in September because he is still getting treatment for gastric ulcer disease.
Once more he had to postpone tour dates in early summer 2024 because of a medical problem. This time it was for “vocal issues,” and happily it only affected three dates.
Patti Scialfa is with me in prayers as she battles multiple myeloma.
