TACOMA, Wash. -- The 'Tacoma aroma' apparently forced rock superstar Bruce Springsteen to leave early during a recent concert visit but a promoter said he doubted the city's air made him sick, as a national magazine reports.
The Dec. 6 cover story of Rolling Stone said 'something in the air' caused Springsteen to be 'sick to his stomach' before his Tacoma Dome shows Oct. 17-18.
The article said the 'Tacoma aroma ... spewed out a lung-raking stench of noxious lumber-milling fumes and other foul industrial emissions that imparted a green-gilled tinge to most members of the Springsteen tour party.'
John Morrison, who helped promote the concerts, said Wednesday Springsteen's illness was probably caused by a virus that hit many Northwest residents this fall and had nothing to do with Tacoma's air quality.
Morrison said he got his information from Springsteen's road manager and a local doctor who treated the singer.
Dome manager Mike Gebauer said he is not worried about the article.
'I promised when I came here I would get us mentioned in Rolling Stone,' he said with a laugh. 'There was no other facility mentioned in that article. It's a case of 'I don't care what you say about me, just as long as you spell my name right.''
Springsteen arrived in Tacoma Oct. 16 after playing in Vancouver, B.C., and worked out at a health club for about an hour. The following afternoon, Morrison said, Springsteen developed severe stomach cramps and was 'deathly ill.'
He was treated and performed as planned but the second show scheduled for the next day was delayed a day.
Springsteen spent all day in bed at a hotel and he was still suffering Friday when he performed -- an exercise of 'sheer will power,' the promoter said.
Morrison said the Tacoma odor prompted Springsteen's early departure Saturday morning.
'He usually sleeps all morning and takes an afternoon plane flight out,' Morrison said. 'But on Saturday, the road manager told us the smell was so bad he had to leave on the first plane out Saturday morning. It was rank.'
