Throughout his decades-long career, Bruce Springsteen has had his wife, Patti Scialfa, by his side.

The couple met at a local bar in the early ’80s and quickly developed a friendship. Scialfa, who is also a musician, then joined the music legend and the E Street Band on their 1984 Born in the U.S.A Tour as a backup vocalist.

While the two musicians had chemistry on stage, their relationship did not turn romantic until 1988 after the “Dancing in the Dark” singer split from his first wife, Julianne Phillips.

Springsteen and Scialfa quickly fell in love and got married in 1991. They’ve since welcomed three kids and continue to perform together.

So, who is Bruce Springsteen’s wife? From her relationship with the iconic musician to her solo music career, here’s everything to know about Patti Scialfa.

She was born in New Jersey, where she got into music through her grandfather

Throughout his decades-long career, Bruce Springsteen has had his wife, Patti Scialfa, by his side.

The couple met at a local bar in the early ’80s and quickly developed a friendship. Scialfa, who is also a musician, then joined the music legend and the E Street Band on their 1984 Born in the U.S.A Tour as a backup vocalist.

While the two musicians had chemistry on stage, their relationship did not turn romantic until 1988 after the “Dancing in the Dark” singer split from his first wife, Julianne Phillips.

Springsteen and Scialfa quickly fell in love and got married in 1991. They’ve since welcomed three kids and continue to perform together.

So, who is Bruce Springsteen’s wife? From her relationship with the iconic musician to her solo music career, here’s everything to know about Patti Scialfa.

She was born in New Jersey, where she got into music through her grandfather

After graduating from Asbury Park High School, where she was considered “very quiet” and “intelligent” by teachers, she enrolled at the University of Miami’s jazz conservatory at the Frost School of Music. She began studying jazz vocals, but after three years, she moved to New York City.

Scialfa transferred to New York University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study in 1975.

She married Springsteen in 1991

Springsteen’s first wife, Julianne Phillips, filed for divorce in August 1988 and their divorce was finalized in 1989. After Phillips and Springsteen separated, he and Scialfa began living together in New Jersey; they later moved to N.Y.C. and Los Angeles. “Patti’s been in love with Bruce for as long as I can remember,” her high school art teacher, Curtis K. Smith, told PEOPLE in 1988.

In 1991, Scialfa and Springsteen got married at their home in Beverly Hills, California. Scialfa often posts on social media to mark their wedding anniversary; in June 2022, she shared a photo of the couple riding horses for their 31st wedding anniversary.

She has three children with Springsteen

ialfa and Springsteen have three adult children together. Their first son, Evan James, was born in 1990, while their daughter, Jessica Rae, was born in 1991. They welcomed their youngest son, Samuel Ryan, in 1994.

Evan is also a musician and has joined his father on stage several times, while Jessica is an Olympic equestrian. Sam became a firefighter in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 2020. Both Scialfa and Springsteen have been hands-on parents, playing the guitar, writing music and making breakfast with their children.

Scialfa and Springsteen became grandparents for the first time in 2022, when their son Sam welcomed his first child. The proud grandmother shared a photo of Sam with his partner and their daughter, writing, “walking the baby. Lily Harper Springsteen.”

She supports Springsteen’s mental health

In 2016, Springsteen shared that he’d begun living with periods of depression during his 60s. “It sneaks up on you. I got to where I didn’t want to get out of bed, you know?” he explained during an interview with Sunday Morning.

He credited Scialfa with being his main source of support during his bouts of depression: “You’re not behaving well at home and you’re tough on everybody. Hopefully not the kids. I always try to hide it from the kids. But, you know, Patti really had to work with me through it. … Her strength and the love she had was very important.”

She’s a member of the E Street Band

Springsteen has played with the E Street Band since 1972, and Scialfa has been a member since 1984. She was the band’s only female member at the time, providing backing vocals, tambourine and guitar.

“I didn’t know when we started rehearsing that he was going to give me a lot to do,” she told PEOPLE in 1988. “It happened slowly over the course of rehearsing. Bruce coaxed me and urged me to reach. He was very patient, very willing to teach. He had a lot of confidence in me.”

However, the couple manage to keep their personal and professional lives separate. Springsteen told Variety in 2017, “When she comes on stage with the E Street Band, she’s an E Street band member, and when we walk off stage, we’re husband and wife.”

She’s recorded solo albums