Health

In a video message, he called the PMC leaders and organizers “the boss of cancer fundraising.”

Bruce Springsteen made it clear who’s really boss when he turned up via video at the “State of PMC” program in Worcester on Friday, an event spotlighting the annual Pan-Mass Challenge bike ride that benefits cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

“I’ve said it before: In my world, they ridiculously call me the boss,” the rocker said at the start of the video after being introduced by Billy Starr, founder and chairman of the Pan-Mass Challenge. “But Billy … you and your great team, you are the boss of cancer fundraising.”

According to Springsteen, Starr had originally sent a letter inviting Springsteen to participate back in 1984, the year he was busy with “Born in the USA” and the massive tour that followed. That might explain why it took him 42 years to respond. 

“Well, we’re a little late,” Springsteen admitted. “But here we are, and it’s a pleasure to be with you. Since 1980, you’ve inspired a community who has done something remarkable. You’ve never stopped believing that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference, and because of that, countless lives have been saved.”

Springsteen has a personal reason to get behind the PMC, which is the largest athletic fundraiser in the world and has raised over $1 billion for Dana-Farber. His wife, E Street Band member Patti Scialfa, has been treated in Boston since being diagnosed with multiple myeloma eight years ago.

“Thankfully, she is in remission,” Springsteen said. “Now, however, like millions of families facing cancer, we’ve learned what every patient learns, hope has a face. It’s our physician who refuses to stop searching and caring. It’s our nurse who sits beside us when we’re scared, and always makes our journey just a little bit easier. 

“You know, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know my friend, Dr. Paul Richardson, throughout this journey and seeing firsthand the work that’s happening at Dana-Farber,” Springsteen said. “Every single day, he and his incredible team provide hope and amazing care to all their patients and families, including Patty and I, as well as helping to provide cutting edge research.”

Springsteen — who brought his activist “Land of Hope and Dreams” tour to TD Garden in May — also was sure to point out that this particular cause is not political. “Medical research isn’t an idea. It isn’t politics. It isn’t a line in a budget,” he said. “It’s the reason families find hope when hope seems hardest to find. When we lose sight of that, we lose sight of one another. And that’s too high a price for anyone to pay.”

Springsteen ended his video appearance with an acoustic performance of “one of my best riding songs,” “Born to Run.” Watch his remarks and performance in the video below.

Peter Chianca

General Assignment Editor

Peter Chianca, Boston.com’s general assignment editor since 2019, is a longtime news editor, columnist, and music writer in the Greater Boston area.

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