Bruce Springsteen might be dealing with peptic ulcer disease, but it’s clear he’s lost none of his sense of humour thanks to a new update.
The 74-year-old music legend was forced to cancel all of his 2023 tour dates with the E Street Band following the diagnosis, which had caused him to push back multiple dates across August and September.
However, in the latest episode of his SiriusXM E Street Radio show, he was keen to assure fans he was on the mend – even though he couldn’t perform at the moment.
The Born To Run singer opened up the show by declaring himself “your favorite rock star with a b***h of a bellyache”.
Quickly addressing the elephant in the room, Springsteen later explained: “Let me take a moment and thank my fans affected by our postponed shows for their understanding.”
“I am deeply sorry but this belly thing, despite my ability to laugh at it, has been a monster and is still unfortunately rocking my internal world,” he added.
All canceled dates have now been rescheduled for March and April 2024 – with Springsteen already making plans to get back on the road with tours starting from August.
Those unable to attend the new dates who purchased their tickets through official ticketing companies have 30 days to request a refund.
Springsteen announced at the end of September he would be coming off tour for the remainder of the year.
He said at the time in a statement it was down to doctors orders and “an abundance of caution”.
A peptic ulcer is a sore or lesion that forms on the lining of the stomach, small intestine, or esophagus. Peptic ulcers can cause a variety of symptoms, and these symptoms may vary depending on the location and severity of the ulcer.
The hallmark symptom of a peptic ulcer is a burning or gnawing pain in the upper abdomen, usually between the navel and the breastbone.
This pain can be intermittent or continuous and may worsen at night or between meals when the stomach is empty.
His loved ones, particularly his wife Patti Scialfa, are believed to have encouraged him to rest up and look after himself to stop things getting worse in the long run.
Originally, he was hoping to get back on his feet after a month-long break across September 2023, but it became clear that wasn’t enough.
A source told DailyMail: “Bruce hates not being able to do what he loves. Although an ulcer doesn’t sound serious, it can be and can require surgery.”
They added: “Bruce isn’t dying which is the best-case scenario, he isn’t hiding from any other lingering problems, the ulcers that he has are just kicking his ass and making it very uncomfortable to perform the way that he and his fans expect.”