Springsteen saxophonist Clemons dies: reports

http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20110619&t=2&i=441866120&w=460&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=2011-06-19T011328Z_01_BTRE75I03EQ00_RTROPTP_0_PEOPLE-CLEMONS

LOS ANGELES | Sat Jun 18, 2011 9:13pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Clarence Clemons, the saxophone player in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, died on Saturday, according to media reports, almost a week after he had a stroke at his Florida home. He was 69.

The New York Times said Clemons' death was confirmed by a spokeswoman for Springsteen. Reuters could not immediately confirm the reports.

Clemons started playing with Springsteen in 1971, and had notable solos on such tunes as "Born to Run," "Thunder Road" and "Badlands." He was dubbed "Big Man," which was also the title of a 2009 memoir he co-wrote with Don Reo.

Away from the E Street Band, Clemons enjoyed a hit single in 1985 with "You're a Friend of Mine," a duet with Jackson Browne. He also dabbled in acting, and worked with other artists including Ringo Starr, Aretha Franklin and Lady Gaga.

Clemons underwent double knee-replacement surgery in 2008, and walked for the first time in three months when Springsteen and the E Street Band played the Super Bowl early in 2009.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/19/us-clemons-idUSTRE75I02E20110619




Dan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wgnTU31z7s

Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run {1975}





Dan

So sad

Rest in Peace

http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/15/tearyeyed.gif

R.I.P. Mr Clemons.

:o

:(

RMB3M43AEpc

RIP Clarence

He just added SO much to the music and made it really magic!  RIP Big Man.

R.I.P :\'(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knVbfhmME1g

R.I.P. to one of the greatest musicians ever.  The music world will not be the same without him :(

One of the premier saxophonists of his age.
He contributed to the signature sound of Bruce Springsteen.

There will never be another like him.

Rest In Peace.
:\'(

:o    :\'(

You can never replace Clarence Clemons,he is one of a kind and played a mean sax.RIP Big Man and play some sax in heaven. :)

He just added SO much to the music and made it really magic!  RIP Big Man.


He played a mean sax.

He played a mean sax.


He sure did, Howard.  Imagine what any Bruce tune would sound like without his sax!

Goodbye, Clarence... you will certainly be missed...  :\'(

He sure did, Howard.  Imagine what any Bruce tune would sound like without his sax!



After 40 years he can't be replaced.  :\'(

This is very sad news!  Too young  :\'(  :\'(  :\'(

R.I.P. Clarence Clemons

There's only 3 members left...  Bruce, the drummer dude, and the guy with the 'do rag.

Clarence's shoes are gonna be awful big to fill for whoever plays sax at Bruce's next gig.  :-\\

There's only 3 members left...  Bruce, the drummer dude, and the guy with the 'do rag.

Clarence's shoes are gonna be awful big to fill for whoever plays sax at Bruce's next gig.  :-\\


Conan O'Brien's former band leader and Silvio Dante from 'The Sopranos'

There's only 3 members left...   Bruce, the drummer dude, and the guy with the 'do rag.

Clarence's shoes are gonna be awful big to fill for whoever plays sax at Bruce's next gig.   :-\\


I don't know of any other legendary sax player that could fill his shoes.

Dave Koz?

There's only 3 members left...   Bruce, the drummer dude, and the guy with the 'do rag.

"The room was dark, the bed was empty! then I heard that long whistle whine...
And I dropped_to my knees, hung my head and cried."
'Downbound Train', 1985

Yes, there is Max and Little Steven. But also, Bruce still has Roy, Nils, Garry, and you'd be kinda foolish to leave out Patti!
I still recall Bruce extolling his love for all members of the E Street Band at his 1998 induction into the R&RHoF, and Clarence was mentioned as last-but-not-least. I always thought his sax playing was among the coolest in rock & roll, and his passing is a crushing blow to the entire (especially 80's) music community. RIP, Clarence. I'm sure that the angels have a new saxophone waiting for you on Heaven's 10th Avenue.

Your Pal,
Doc
:\'(

Dave Koz?


Bobby Keys is the top notch saxophonist out there these days.  He's played sax on countless classics such as Rolling Staones' "Brown Sugar", "Honky Tonk Women", and "Waiting on a Friend".  As well as John Lennon's "Whatever Gets You Through the Night"

Dave Koz?


Jerry Hey? ???

The song that made me fall in love with E Street

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5buOHjOGiI

"The room was dark, the bed was empty! then I heard that long whistle whine...
And I dropped_to my knees, hung my head and cried."
'Downbound Train', 1985

Yes, there is Max and Little Steven. But also, Bruce still has Roy, Nils, Garry, and you'd be kinda foolish to leave out Patti!
I still recall Bruce extolling his love for all members of the E Street Band at his 1998 induction into the R&RHoF, and Clarence was mentioned as last-but-not-least. I always thought his sax playing was among the coolest in rock & roll, and his passing is a crushing blow to the entire (especially 80's) music community. RIP, Clarence. I'm sure that the angels have a new saxophone waiting for you on Heaven's 10th Avenue.

Your Pal,
Doc
:\'(


I always forget that Nils was in the E Street Band.  He replaced Little Steven.
I always associate him with his 1981 solo effort 'Night Fades Away' which was a popular hit here in Canada

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkRu3x-IEyg

Bruce Springsteen's Eulogy for Clarence Clemons

'Clarence doesn’t leave the E Street Band when he dies. He leaves when we die'

By Rolling Stone

June 29, 2011 1:35 PM ET

Bruce Springsteen has released the text of the eulogy that he delivered at the funeral of Clarence Clemons on June 21st at Royal Poinciana Chapel in Palm Beach, Florida. He also performed an acoustic version of "10th Avenue Freeze-Out" and ended the ceremony by performing "You're A Friend Of Mine" with Jackson Browne and members of The E Street Band. "This is a slightly revised version of the eulogy I delivered for Clarence at his memorial," says Springsteen. "I’d like to thank all our fans and friends who have comforted us over the past difficult weeks."

I’ve been sitting here listening to everyone talk about Clarence and staring at that photo of the two of us right there.  It’s a picture of Scooter and The Big Man, people who we were sometimes.  As you can see in this particular photo, Clarence is admiring his muscles and I’m pretending to be nonchalant while leaning upon him.  I leaned on Clarence a lot; I made a career out of it in some ways.

Those of us who shared Clarence’s life, shared with him his love and his confusion.  Though "C" mellowed with age, he was always a wild and unpredictable ride.  Today I see his sons Nicky, Chuck, Christopher and Jarod sitting here and I see in them the reflection of a lot of C’s qualities. I see his light, his darkness, his sweetness, his roughness, his gentleness, his anger, his brilliance, his handsomeness, and his goodness.  But, as you boys know your pop was a not a day at the beach.  "C" lived a life where he did what he wanted to do and he let the chips, human and otherwise, fall where they may. Like a lot of us your pop was capable of great magic and also of making quite an amazing mess.  This was just the nature of your daddy and my beautiful friend.  Clarence’s unconditional love, which was very real, came with a lot of conditions.  Your pop was a major project and always a work in progress.  "C" never approached anything linearly, life never proceeded in a straight line. He never went  A… B…. C…. D.  It was always A… J…. C…. Z… Q… I….!  That was the way Clarence lived and made his way through the world.  I know that can lead to a lot of confusion and hurt, but your father also carried a lot of love with him, and I know he loved each of you very very dearly. 

Remembering Clarence Clemons: His Life and Career in Photos

It took a village to take care of Clarence Clemons.  Tina, I’m so glad you’re here.  Thank you for taking care of my friend, for loving him.  Victoria, you’ve been a loving, kind and caring wife to Clarence and you made a huge difference in his life at a time when the going was not always easy. To all of "C’s" vast support network, names too numerous to mention, you know who you are and we thank you. Your rewards await you at the pearly gates.  My pal was a tough act but he brought things into your life that were unique and when he turned on that love light, it illuminated your world.  I was lucky enough to stand in that light for almost 40 years, near Clarence’s heart, in the Temple of Soul.

So a little bit of history: from the early days when Clarence and I traveled together, we’d pull up to the evenings lodgings and within minutes "C" would transform his room into a world of his own.  Out came the colored scarves to be draped over the lamps, the scented candles, the incense, the patchouli oil, the herbs, the music, the day would be banished, entertainment would come and go, and Clarence the Shaman would reign and work his magic night, after night.  Clarence’s ability to enjoy Clarence was incredible.  By 69, he’d had a good run, because he’d already lived about 10 lives, 690 years in the life of an average man.  Every night, in every place, the magic came flying out of C’s suitcase.  As soon as success allowed, his dressing room would take on the same trappings as his hotel room until a visit there was like a trip to a sovereign nation that had just struck huge oil reserves.  "C" always knew how to live.  Long before Prince was out of his diapers, an air of raunchy mysticism ruled in the Big Man’s world.  I’d wander in from my dressing room, which contained several fine couches and some athletic lockers, and wonder what I was doing wrong! Somewhere along the way all of this was christened the Temple of Soul; and "C" presided smilingly over its secrets, and its pleasures.  Being allowed admittance to the Temple’s wonders was a lovely thing. 

Jackson Browne, Bob Weir, Tom Morello and More Pay Tribute to Clarence Clemons

As a young child my son Sam became enchanted with the Big Man… no surprise.  To a child Clarence was a towering fairy tale figure, out of some very exotic storybook.  He was a dreadlocked giant, with great hands and a deep mellifluous voice sugared with kindness and regard.  And… to Sammy, who was just a little white boy, he was deeply and mysteriously black.  In Sammy’s eyes, "C" must have appeared as all of the African continent, shot through with American cool, rolled into one welcoming and loving figure.  So… Sammy decided to pass on my work shirts and became fascinated by Clarence’s suits and his royal robes.  He declined a seat in dad’s van and opted for "C’s" stretch limousine, sitting by his side on the slow cruise to the show.  He decided dinner in front of the hometown locker just wouldn’t do, and he’d saunter up the hall and disappear into the Temple of Soul.

Of course, also enchanted was Sam’s dad, from the first time I saw my pal striding out of the shadows of a half empty bar in Asbury Park, a path opening up before him; here comes my brother, here comes my sax man, my inspiration, my partner, my lifelong friend.  Standing next to Clarence was like standing next to the baddest ass on the planet.  You were proud, you were strong, you were excited and laughing with what might happen, with what together, you might be able to do.  You felt like no matter what the day or the night brought, nothing was going to touch you.  Clarence could be fragile but he also emanated power and safety,  and in some funny way we became each other’s protectors; I think perhaps I protected "C" from a world where it still wasn’t so easy to be big and black.  Racism was ever present and over the years together, we saw it.  Clarence’s celebrity and size did not make him immune.  I think perhaps "C" protected me from a world where it wasn’t always so easy to be an insecure, weird and skinny white boy either.  But, standing together we were badass, on any given night, on our turf, some of the baddest asses on the planet.  We were united, we were strong, we were righteous, we were unmovable, we were funny, we were corny as hell and as serious as death itself.  And we were coming to your town to shake you and to wake you up. Together, we told an older, richer story about the possibilities of friendship that transcended those I’d written in my songs and in my music.  Clarence carried it in his heart.  It was a story where the Scooter and the Big Man not only busted the city in half, but we kicked ass and remade the city, shaping it into the kind of place where our friendship would not be such an anomaly. And that… that’s what I’m gonna miss.  The chance to renew that vow and double down on that story on a nightly basis, because that is something, that is the thing that we did together… the two of us.  Clarence was big, and he made me feel, and think, and love, and dream big. How big was the Big Man?  Too fudgeing big to die.  And that’s just the facts.  You can put it on his grave stone, you can tattoo it over your heart. Accept it… it’s the New World.

Clarence doesn’t leave the E Street Band when he dies.  He leaves when we die. 

So, I’ll miss my friend, his sax, the force of nature his sound was, his glory, his foolishness, his accomplishments, his face, his hands, his humor, his skin, his noise, his confusion, his power, his peace.  But his love and his story, the story that he gave me, that he whispered in my ear, that he allowed me to tell… and that he gave to you… is gonna carry on.  I’m no mystic, but the undertow, the mystery and power of Clarence and my friendship leads me to believe we must have stood together in other, older times, along other rivers, in other cities, in other fields, doing our modest version of god’s work… work that’s still unfinished.  So I won’t say goodbye to my brother, I’ll simply say, see you in the next life, further on up the road, where we will once again pick up that work, and get it done. 

Big Man, thank you for your kindness, your strength, your dedication, your work, your story.  Thanks for the miracle… and for letting a little white boy slip through the side door of the Temple of Soul. 

SO LADIES AND GENTLEMAN… ALWAYS LAST, BUT NEVER LEAST.  LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE MASTER OF DISASTER, the BIG KAHUNA, the MAN WITH A PHD IN SAXUAL HEALING, the DUKE OF PADUCAH, the KING OF THE WORLD, LOOK OUT OBAMA! THE NEXT BLACK PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES EVEN THOUGH HE’S DEAD… YOU WISH YOU COULD BE LIKE HIM BUT YOU CAN’T!  LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE BIGGEST MAN YOU’VE EVER SEEN!... GIVE ME A C-L-A-R-E-N-C-E.  WHAT’S THAT SPELL? CLARENCE! WHAT’S THAT SPELL? CLARENCE! WHAT’S THAT SPELL? CLARENCE! … amen.

I’m gonna leave you today with a quote from the Big Man himself, which he shared on the plane ride home from Buffalo, the last show of the last tour.  As we celebrated in the front cabin congratulating one another and telling tales of the many epic shows, rocking nights and good times we’d shared, "C" sat quietly, taking it all in, then he raised his glass, smiled and said to all gathered, "This could be the start of something big."

Love you, "C".

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/bruce-springsteens-eulogy-for-clarence-clemons-20110629




Dan