Back to Patti
As he accepted the fact that his marriage to Phillips was at the point of no return, he began an affair with Patti Scialfa, who was by then the E Street Band backup singer. Springsteen had actually convinced Scialfa to rejoin the tour. She was reluctant at first because what she really wanted was to start recording her own solo album.
Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks, Bruce Springsteen, and Patti Scialfa. Photo By Bei/Shutterstock
But when he told her the tour would be short, Scialfa agreed to postpone her solo record and join the tour. The two fell in love during the Tunnel of Love Express Tour. Unlike Phillips, Scialfa shared his working-class New Jersey background, and the two had much more in common. His divorce to Phillips came in 1989, and Springsteen moved in with Scialfa.