Bruce Springsteen comes down with COVID-19
Bruce Springsteen has been struck down with a bout of COVID-19 shortly after playing the final date on his North American tour
Bruce Springsteen has been struck down with COVID-19 shortly after wrapping his North American tour.
The Boss, 73, played the final show of the first leg of his 2023 trek with the E Street Band on Friday night (14.04.23) at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey and was diagnosed with the bug just hours after coming off stage - forcing him to pull out of plans to attend the American Music Honors awards show at the Pollak Theatre on the campus of Monmouth University in New Jersey.
He had been due to attend the ceremony - which raised funds for the university's Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music - alongside his wife Patti Scialfa but had to appear via video message instead after they both fell ill.
Bob Santelli, the Archives’ executive director, broke the news to the audience at the show, telling them: "It broke our hearts around 6 a.m. this morning when I got a call that two of the most important people who were supposed to be here, Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa, unfortunately came down with COVID.”
The show's host Jon Stewart then tried to lighten the mood, joking: “They’re alive. Don’t overreact. You can still see them in concert. They’re home sitting by the fire eating French onion soup."
Springsteen appeared in videos to present prizes to fellow E Street Band member Steven Van Zandt and music legend Darlene Love, and he got teased by Stewart for looking "eerily healthy".
Stewart added to the music veteran: "Aren’t you supposed to have sniffles or something? We shut down the world for a year and a half ... Bruce with COVID looks healthier than me."
Van Zandt also ribbed his longtime friend, saying: “He does look kind of healthy, doesn’t he? Son of a b****."
Missing the event was a huge blow to Springsteen as he had been due to be honoured by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy who declared The Boss' birthday - September 23 - to be Bruce Springsteen Day in the musician's home state.
The event celebrated the work of artists including Love who gave a rendition of 'River Deep Mountain High' with Van Zandt’s group Disciples of Soul, which served as the house band throughout the night.
Steve Earle was also honoured along with Sam and Dave star Sam Moore.
Springsteen is set to continue his tour with a European leg that kicks off in Barcelona, Spain on April 28.
