Bruce Springsteen’s wife Patti Scialfa has been battling cancer in secret.
Bruce Springsteen's wife Patti Scialfa has been battling cancer
The 71-year-old songwriter/guitarist - who plays in her husband E Street Band - was diagnosed with a form of blood cancer called multiple myeloma back in 2018 and she stepped back from touring as she faced the health crisis in private.
She revealed her cancer battle in new documentary 'Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,' which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in Canada on Sunday night (08.09.24). Speaking about her decision to scale back her stage commitments, Patti explained: "I’ve been performing with this band for 40 years. With those first performances, it felt so good to be back onstage.
"Touring has become a challenge for me. In 2018, well, Bruce and I were doing a play on Broadway. I was diagnosed with early stage multiple myeloma."
She went on to reveal she tries to come to a show every so often but she's no longer a regular on stage.
Patti added: "This affects my immune system so I just have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go. Every once in a while, I come to a show or two and I can sing a few songs onstage, and that’s been a treat. That’s the new normal for me right now, and I’m OK with that."
The documentary marks the first time Patti has spoken publicly about her cancer diagnosis.
Her husband Bruce has also faced a series of health crisis during the last few years of touring. He was struck down with peptic ulcer disease which forced him to take a six-month break from work because it affected his singing.
Speaking earlier this year on Sirius XM's E Street Radio, he explained, "You sing with your diaphragm. You know, my diaphragm was hurting so badly that when I went to make the effort to sing, it was killing me, so I literally couldn't sing at all, you know?
"And that lasted for two, three months, along with just a myriad of other painful problems."
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