Clarence Clemons Dies, an 'Immeasurable' Loss Says Bruce Springsteen

By Marc Schneider Posted Jun 18th 2011 09:07PM

He was the "Big Man" that Bruce Springsteen leaned on, both figuratively and literally, to provide the soul and heart of the legendary E Street Band. Now, that light has gone out. Clarence Clemons, the larger-than-life sax man in the world's greatest backing band, died Saturday of complications from a stroke suffered last week, a spokesman said. He was 69.

Clemons and Springsteen have been tethered together for 40 years, starting with a mythical rainy night in Asbury Park in 1971 when the horn player sat in with the unknown and struggling songwriter at a local bar. He was soon in Springsteen's backing band and was a part of his debut, 'Greetings From Asbury Park.'

Springsteen released a statement on his website following his friend's death:

"Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage. His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly forty years. He was my great friend, my partner, and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band."

In the E Street Band, his horn playing was an essential part of the scrappy yet huge sound on records like 'Thunder Road' and 'Jungleland.' It's Clemons who 'The Boss' leans on on the cover of perhaps his most iconic album, 'Born to Run' and he raved about the artwork in Clemons' memoir, 'Big Man: Real Life and Tall Tales.'

"When you open it up and see Clarence and me together, the album begins to work its magic," Springsteen wrote. "Who are these guys? Where did they come from? What is the joke they are sharing? A friendship and a narrative steeped in the complicated history of America begins to work and there is music already in the air."

And while guitarist Steven Van Zandt gets to cozy up with Springsteen night after night, trading backing vocals during their marathon concerts, it's always Clemons who has been introduced last by the E Street Band's boss.

That level of respect has been shared by E Street devotees for decades.

Clemons did not depend solely on Springsteen, though, and scored a hit of his own alongside Jackson Browne with 1985's 'You're a Friend of Mine.' He also did a bit of acting in the 1980s, on TV in 'Diff'rent Strokes' and films like 'Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.'

Fans of the gritty HBO drama 'The Wire' will remember his 2-episode stint as Roman.

In 1989, about 17 years into his tenure in E Street, Springsteen called and informed Clemons he was breaking up the band. He was on tour with Ringo Starr at the time and Clemons said the Beatle looked on with concern, believing the saxophonist was being told about a death.

"[Springsteen] said he wanted to try something new, do something different," Clemons explained in the Phoenix Gazette. "It was quite a shock; you go through all the emotions of a divorce, all the emotions, instantly. I didn't say much to him. I just said, 'Good luck.' But before long I started to see the good side."

Ten years later, Springsteen reformed the band and they've produced some of their most inspired work in their history, including the post-9/11 'The Rising' and 2007's rollicking 'Magic.'

Clemons is the second member of the band to pass away in recent years. In 2008, organ and accordionist Danny Federici lost a fight with melanoma, a type of skin cancer.

While he allowed fans into his world as a musician, Clemons didn't speak much about his personal life. The Norfolk, Virginia native was married five times in his lifetime and is survived by four sons, Clarence III, Charles, Christopher and Jarod.

Tags: Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Clarence Clemons

Comments

(89)

Sunday 19 June

By Peter Frank Santovito

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RIP Clarence Clemons...

Saturday 18 June

By ladylala

God Bless You Clarence,Best Sax in the World..R.I.P. Love and Peace.

By tim

sorry about u loss he was such a great man

By Josie Ann

God Bless you Clarence! The E Street Band never would have been what is was without you.

By Rob

Oh man,this is so sad.He was awsome. R.I.P. Clarence

By charles m

How sad I wanted to go to a Bruce Springsteen concert and see the E street band. When I was young in the nineties he sidelined the band but got back together. Saw the Super Bowl half time a couple of years ago it was one of the best the rocked the house down! God bless him.

By BTDT

How sad. RIP Big Man.

God Bless you Clarence! The E Street Band would not have been what it was without you.

By Deb

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YOU, lag, should be ashamed of yourself! What an idiotic thing to say. D**n............

Yep, Josie Ann. He is going to be so missed. :(

I agree Deb, he will be missed. The E Street Band is great, but Clarence just really broke through and gave it that special sound with his sax. Such a talent!!

By SgtJoeFriday

Don't pay no attention. Lag is just jealous because Clarence has more talent in his pinky than Lag will ever have in his entire being.

By Nadine Feldmus

My condolences to Bruce and all the members of the band, along with the family. The shock of a legend's death is one thing to the public and so much more personal and painful to all that loved him. May Clarence rest in peace and may you all have only the fondest and best memories of sharing a life and career that was profound. God Bless him.

By dave hallock

Rest In Peace "BIGMAN"

By MISS SWEET D

HEAVEN IS JUMPING WITH GREAT MUSIC TONIGHT, THE BIG MAN HAS ARRIVED, R I P BIG GUY,

By Lori

^ Sooo true!

By Kim

Such talent lost...so tragic and sad.

Heard from a friend who knew him, that the Big Man was a nice guy.

RIP

By Tina

Remembering literally walking into you when I went to see Earth Wind and Fire in Vegas years ago. You were so sweet about my clumsiness. So sad your gone.

Friday 24 June

By Kit

That's sad, so many people are dying from having suffered strokes, it's really a sad loss.

By Manny

This is a very sad day. RIP Big Man.

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