RIP: Clarence Clemons

[Louis]

Those Springsteen and the E-street Band albums were part of the soundtrack of my college years.

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTEDEVewib9NQ8Ga_LbPqOZhcUW8fU_S EflnfdJV3wqKK4StUTHOA

[jr59]

R I P

Big Man!

[chuckroast]

Sad news indeed, RIP big man.

[cmg]

deep sadness. saw them at the cotton bowl. R.I.P.

[PBWrench]

And then the Big Man joined the band . . .

[Climb01742]

'jungleland' should be his obituary.

[toaster]

Rest in peace. Always a great part of E Street Band, maybe the best.

[AngryScientist]

talented man, he will be missed. impressive how he was playing with the band up to very near the end.

[Ray]

Sad indeed. Its a strange time when our favorite rock musicians start dying of old age. It was always tragic when they died young, there's something almost nice about them living to be relatively old and then dying of natural causes, only a slightly accelerated by hard living. Clarence was 69 and a lot of those guys are about that age, a little ahead or behind. Dylan is 70, I think some of the Stones are about that old. I'm sure McCartney and Ringo are, Lennon would have been. Etc, etc, etc.

Clarence was far from the best sax player I ever listened to, but he really expanded my horizons and he fit in perfectly with Bruce's stuff. After hearing him play sax in a rock context, I started searching out more of it and that opened me up to the whole amazing world of jazz. For that, and the great E-Street shows I saw him play in, I'm forever indebted to him.

RIP Big Man!

-Ray

[csm]

sad. I guess the soundtrack of today will be Bruce.

[lemondsteel]

Indeed, so sad. He was always one of my favorite sax artists. I dearly loved to listen to his solo albums. Some of the music came from so deep within his spirit. Sadly missed!

[rwsaunders]

Sir Paul turned 69 yesterday, Ray.

I saw The ESB for the first time at St. Vincent's College gym in Latrobe, PA in 1977. My college roomate was from Philly and begged me to borrow my Mother's car to make the drive from Pittsburgh, promising that I'd never seen a band like Springsteen's. He was correct...RIP.

[jr59]

If there is a rock and roll heaven;

Let the Big Man join the Band.

You know they got a hell of a band.

[binxnyrwarrsoul]

He played on Lady GaGa's record, hell, he even played on a glam metal band's album, Great White. He was no one trick pony.
R.I.P. big man.

[binxnyrwarrsoul]

:beer: If there is a rock and roll heaven;

Let the Big Man join the Band.

You know they got a hell of a band.

[Bob Ross]

Always a great part of E Street Band, maybe the best.


No "maybe" about it imho. I always detested Springsteen & the E Street Band, but even amidst my loathing I recognized the immensity of CC's talent, and the sheer sense of exuberance he conveyed with his playing. He sincerely sounded like he was having the time of his life with every note he played. Lottsa musicians could learn something from his joyous overt enthusiasm.

I will miss him.

[soul survivor]

You always "detested" the E Street Band? I feel sorry for you. Saw them first in 1977 at University of Rochester gym, just incredible show from the Born to Run tour. Then about 10 times after that -- in the 1980's, they were about as good as it got.

Springsteen's new stuff simply bores me -- but he is a genius. And Clarence was the cat's meow on his sax -- no doubt about it.

SS

[Bob Ross]

You always "detested" the E Street Band? I feel sorry for you.

Nope, not kidding. And I would happily elaborate on all the reasons why I not just "don't like" them but literally "detest" their music, but I'm not sure this is the time or the place. Clarence Clemons was a ray of sunshine, definitely. (So was David Sancious, but I guess he wasn't around long enough for his lucidity to rub off on the rest of the band.)

[witcombusa]

You always "detested" the E Street Band?



Yep...me too!

INCLUDING the early stuff :crap:

perhaps one of the most over rated bands still surviving on inertia

[fuzzalow]

INCLUDING the early stuff :crap:
IYO

The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle. Side 2 is one of the greatest album sides in the history of rock.

[Nooch]

The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle. Side 2 is one of the greatest album sides in the history of rock.

I'm not sure I'd +1 this, but I do love it dearly.

Born to Run has been on repeat on my iPod for weeks for no real reason, other than it just gets down into my bones.

My father is a huge Bruce fan, and we caught wind of The Big Man's passing after eating a Father's Day Dinner (celebrated early). The music was a big part of my dad's life -- he cried.

I'll always remember the shows I got to see with my old man, and thank the music for bringing us that little bit closer.

RIP Big Man

[Ray]

Everyone is permitted to detest whoever they like. I detested a lot of VERY popular bands in the late '70s and early '80s and I always saw Bruce and the boys as one of the only antidotes to that noise. But the bottom line is there wouldn't be an outpouring of grief for Clarence right now if an awful lot of people not only didn't detest Bruce and the boyz, but dug them immensely.

I count myself as one who did. I had weird tastes - the Dead and Bruce were it for me, maybe because they were the best live bands I ever saw. And I saw most of 'em.

-Ray

[johnnymossville]

I saw him and his band play at Tink's back when I lived in Scranton, PA and they rocked the place. He put everything he had into that show.

Man I didn't expect him to go so soon. RIP Clarence.

[eric007]

In the spring of 1980, before The River came out, I was in high school and bought Born to Run and Darkness because a REALLY pretty girl was very into Bruce. Never got anywhere with the girl. But kept the albums. Saw the E-streeters on the 1980 tour and a handful of times after. No opening act. Came on stage at 8PM. Finished after midnight.

I hope everyone got to have that much fun. It was fabulous.

[LegendRider]

Sad indeed. Its a strange time when our favorite rock musicians start dying of old age. It was always tragic when they died young, there's something almost nice about them living to be relatively old and then dying of natural causes, only a slightly accelerated by hard living. Clarence was 69 and a lot of those guys are about that age, a little ahead or behind. Dylan is 70, I think some of the Stones are about that old. I'm sure McCartney and Ringo are, Lennon would have been. Etc, etc, etc.

-Ray

Ray,

I'm surprised you didn't mention Phil Lesh! 71, liver transplant recipient and still touring with Furthur.

[Ray]

Ray,

I'm surprised you didn't mention Phil Lesh! 71, liver transplant recipient and still touring with Furthur.
Yup, I'd guess the other remaining members, other the Weir, are about the same age too. Ace was always the kid...

-Ray