Bruce Springsteen Is in 'Great Shape' amid Peptic Ulcer Disease Recovery, Steven Van Zandt Says (Exclusive)
“We're gonna come back stronger than ever in March,” the E Street Band icon tells PEOPLE
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Bruce Springsteen in July 2023.Bruce Springsteen is tougher than the rest!
The 74-year-old singer-songwriter is in “great shape” amid his recovery from peptic ulcer disease, E Street Band member Steven Van Zandt told PEOPLE at the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Friday.
The legendary guitarist, 72, says he and the rest of Springsteen’s legendary backing band are excited to hit the road again soon.
“We're gonna come back stronger than ever in March,” he tells PEOPLE.
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Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt in May 2023.Related: Bruce Springsteen's Life and Career in Photos
“It was a very, very intense first six months of the tour — maybe our most intense ever,” he adds. “And so we're gonna come back with that same intensity, and it's gonna be great.”
Van Zandt also says that Springsteen and the E Street Band’s enduring intensity on stage is a “wonderful” thing.
“Well, it's wonderful, isn't it? Because we were gone for seven years. So, you know, we weren't really sure what was gonna happen,” he says. “It could have been like, ‘E Street who?’”
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Bruce Springsteen (left) and Steven Van Zandt (right).“But we came back stronger than ever in terms of the business, in terms of enthusiasm. Everything sold out immediately,” the E Street Band icon continues. “So it was a wonderful surprise and, I think, just a tribute to the craft.”
He adds, “We spent so much time learning that craft, and Bruce's songs just hold up so well.”
“And look [at] what's happening this week, in the past two weeks. We had a new Rolling Stones record, a new Beatles record … It just shows that people who work on their craft tend to last a while,” he finishes.
Van Zandt’s health update about Springsteen comes weeks after the “Born in the U.S.A.” singer announced in late September that he was in the midst of treatment for peptic ulcer disease, and was pushing back the remainder of his 2023 tour dates as a result.
Related: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Announce First Tour in Six Years: 'I'm Just Aching to Play'
Springsteen shared an update about his recovery from the painful stomach illness in mid-October on his SiriusXM E Street Radio show, From My Home to Yours.
The “Born to Run” singer kicked off the episode by introducing himself as “your favorite rock star with a bitch of a bellyache!”
Later in the show, he expressed gratitude for his fans’ support in the wake of the concert postponements, and said that his painful condition has been a “monster” to deal with.
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Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt in July 2023."Let me take a moment and thank my fans affected by our postponed shows for their understanding,” he said. “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.”
Upon announcing his illness, Springsteen said he was “heartbroken” to have to push back his September concerts, but promised that he and the E Street Band would be “back to pick these shows up" — "and then some.”
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The 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is available to stream on Disney+. ABC will air a special featuring performance highlights and standout moments on Jan. 1 at 8pm ET.
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