Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist considered by many as Bruce Springsteen's right-hand man in the E Street Band, passed away on 18 June at the age of 69.
He had suffered a stroke on 12 June, and was recovering in hospital when he died from complications on Saturday evening. Having first joined forces with Springsteen in 1972, Clemons' huge onstage presence and soulful blasts of saxophone helped shape and define the sound of the E Street Band for over forty years and was affectionately known as the 'Big Man' among fans and friends alike.
Appearing alongside Springsteen on the iconic cover of 1975's Born To Run album, he was also immortalised in that record's second song, Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out: "When the change was made uptown and the Big Man joined the band / From the coastline to the city, all the little pretties raised their hands." The song soon became a live favourite, and has remained a staple of Springsteen's epic concerts for almost four decades - with crowds across the globe consistently cheering ecstatically at the mention of the saxophonist.
Outside of the E Street Band, Clemons was a successful solo artist and had also recently featured on Lady Gaga's latest album, Born This Way, playing saxophone on the songs Hair, The Edge Of Glory and Highway Unicorn (Road To Love).
In 2009, his autobiography, Big Man, was published, and he'd also appeared in numerous television shows and films, including The Wire and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.
In recent years, he had suffered from a succession of health issues, suffering back and hip problems. He had double knee-replacement surgery in 2008 and also suffered a detached retina in 2002, causing him to lose most of his vision in one eye.
Bruce Springsteen was among the first to pay tribute to his bandmate posting on Brucespringsteen.net.
"Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him," he wrote. "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."
Meanwhile Q Editor-in-Chief Paul Rees, who spent time with Clemons while profiling the E Street Band for the cover of Q276 said:
"A couple of years ago Q was fortunate enough to spend several days on the road with Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band. It was time enough to establish the extraordinarily close bond that existed onstage and off between The Boss and his most loyal lieutenant. Time too to establish that Clarence was not only a fine musician but also a true gentleman. The term 'sideman' does him a terrible injustice - he was almost as indelible a part of Bruce Springsteen's music as Springsteen himself, no more so than on onstage, where he excelled. He will be irreplaceable."
Janet Jackson, U2 and Coldplay have also paid tribute online over the weekend to the saxophonist.
Post your thoughts and memories of Clarence Clemons in the comment box below.
11:03 AM | 20/06/2011
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