Bruce Springsteen has recovered nicely from his bout with peptic ulcer disease.
That’s the word from the Boss himself on the Monday, Nov. 20, episode of his SiriusXM “From My Home to Yours” deejay show.
“Hello, hello, hello. This is Bruce Springsteen, and I have no bellyache!” said Springsteen at the start of the broadcast.
That’s quite a contrast from the Oct. 9 show, when he said he had “a bitch of a bellyache” that was “unfortunately rocking my internal world.”
Springsteen’s bout with peptic ulcer disease halted the E Street Band’s 2023 tour across America and Canada for the rest of the year. The postponed shows have been rescheduled for 2024, and stadium shows in Europe have been added as well.
Springsteen returned to the concert stage Nov. 6 with a surprise 20-minute solo set, which included a duet with John Mellencamp, at the Stand Up for Heroes fundraiser for the Bob Woodruff Foundation for veterans at Lincoln Center in New York City.
On the Nov. 20 SiriusXM show, the Boss paid tribute to the state of California.
“I lived there for six years, on and off, and while it’s not New Jersey, it’s pretty spectacular,” Springsteen said. “I loved the beaches along the Pacific Coast Highway. I loved the Santa Monica Mountains, taking my bike out along Mulholland Drive, or up into the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles Crest Highway, riding along the L.A. Aqueduct, north into Death Valley, or south from San Francisco past San Mateo on California 1.
“My folks lived in San Mateo for 30 years after bailing out of New Jersey in 1969. But California is an incredible state to ride your motorcycle in. Yosemite is a hint of an Eden on Earth, and California is a big state, and we’ve got a big show for you today.”
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Springsteen played songs by Californian artists and California-themed songs, from “Pacific Coast Highway” by the Beach Boys to “Go West” by the Pet Shop Boys.
The Boss had a special dedication for Mike Ness, frontman for Social Distortion, when he played Social D’s “California (Hustle and Flow).”
“Mike, I’m going to send this out to you, my good friend, wishing you a strong recovery,” Springsteen said. “Mike had a cancer struggle, and I love this guy and his music. God bless Mike. We hope to see you soon back on the boards and in good health.”
The episode will be re-broadcasted on E Street Radio 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 21; 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22.; 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 23; 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 24; and 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25.
It’s also available on demand from siriusxm.com.
Bruce Springsteen Archives to expand at Monmouth University
Bruce Springsteen attends the Springsteen Archives expansion announcement at Monmouth University.
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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; cjordan@app.com
