Bruce Springsteen was unsure whether he would be able to sing again last year while battling peptic ulcer disease.
The legendary rocker has postponed the cancellation of his world tour in September after announcing he was receiving treatment for his symptoms and telling fans he was “heartbroken” by the decision.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, this condition causes erosion in the lining of the stomach or the upper part of the small intestine.
“You sing with your diaphragm. My diaphragm was hurting so much that when I tried to sing it hurt like hell,” Springsteen, 74, told Jim Rotolo on SiriusXM's “E Street Radio.” said in a recent interview. “So I literally couldn't sing at all, which lasted for a couple of months. There were countless other painful issues.”
The New Jersey native and 20-time Grammy winner said people reassured him that his symptoms would “go away” and that he would be “okay,” but added that he had his doubts.
“You're thinking, 'Hey, are you going to sing again?'” he said. “And this is one of the things I want to do the most, but I can't do it right now.”
“It took a while for the doctors to say, 'No, it's okay,'” he says. “I was nervous at first because no one brought it up. And at the end of the day, I met some amazing doctors who set me straight and I have nothing but gratitude to them all. .”
Springsteen and the E Street Band are back on tour hitting a number of U.S. cities before heading to Europe for shows starting in May.