Bruce Springsteen, the legendary rock icon, is opening up about the profound impact his wife Patti Scialfa’s recent cancer diagnosis has had on his perspective on life. During a panel discussion for the new documentary “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,” the 75-year-old singer-songwriter spoke candidly about how confronting “questions of mortality” has become a part of his daily life.
Springsteen addressed the audience at the Academy of Motion Picture Museum, saying, “Hey, as you get older, those are the things you’re thinking about.” “Patti and I have had to deal with her illness, and you’re worried about… questions of mortality, and it just becomes a part of your life,” Springsteen said to the audience at the Academy of Motion Picture Museum.
Scialfa, 71, a longtime member of Springsteen’s acclaimed E Street Band, had not previously publicly addressed her 2018 diagnosis of multiple myeloma, a rare form of blood cancer. But in the new documentary, she opened up about the challenges she’s faced in continuing to perform due to her illness.
“This affects my immune system, so I just have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go,” Scialfa shared in the film. “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 okay with that.”
Springsteen credited his late friend and former bandmate George Theiss, who passed away from cancer in 2018, for shaping his perspective on life and death as he’s grown older. “Like I say in the film, there’s a lot more yesterdays and goodbyes once you get up around where we are than there was 30 or 40 years ago,” Springsteen acknowledged.
In a separate interview with ABC News, the “Born to Run” singer provided an update on Scialfa’s health, noting that they “caught it early, which was important,” though he admitted it’s “a tough disease” and “very fatiguing.”
The documentary, which chronicles Springsteen and the E Street Band’s recent reunion tour, will be available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu starting October 25th. For the legendary rocker, the project represents a chance to document his life and career while he still can. “Well, if we didn’t make it now, I’d be dead pretty soon. We got to make these while we can,” Springsteen told the panel audience.
As Springsteen and Scialfa navigate this new chapter of their lives, the musician’s words serve as a poignant reminder to cherish every moment. Their story is a testament to the power of love, resilience, and the indomitable spirit that has defined Springsteen’s iconic career.