RIP Clarence Clemons

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/06/clarence_clemons_dies.html

Although I can't say I ever heard a sax part that I thought, "Wow, this is essential," his presence was an essential part of the E Street Band's chemistry. RIP.

"I don’t think it’s only my saxophone," Clemons told All Access Magazine in 2008, "it’s who I am. My spiritual guide … told me that my purpose in life was to bring joy into the world. He didn’t know about my music, he didn’t know who I was. He saw my heart, he saw my soul, and he saw my determination for this life."

aw damn

heartbreaking. love you, big man.

I'm not familiar with his work outside of Lady GaGa, but I'm really sorry to hear this. Rest in peace.

:(

his solos ALWAYS make me feel something when i hear them on the radio, i'm going to be tearing up at red lights all summer

RIP

man how sad. was at a friend's house listening to springsteen and talking about clarence just earlier this evening, obviously had no idea about this :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH_NvYPBDY0#t=4m01s

RIP.

R.I.P.

RIP, Big Man.

bummer, rip

Damn, thought he was doing better, might survive this, etc. RIP.

:( A very distinctive sax player. Nobody sounded quite like him, and The E-Street Band will never be quite the same again. :(

Nope. Very sad.

RIP.

RIP.

clemons and jr. walker are perhaps the only saxophonists i can say have had a profound impact on the way i think about popular music.

so sad. the E Street Band will never be the same..

RIP

Aw man, Been listening to Born to Run quite a bit lately on some drives. Was just talking about CC this morning w/dudes.

RIP. Very bummed about this. Saw Springsteen and E street 3 years ago. It was great, but Clemons was obviously not well. Hard to have the E Street band without him.

RIP. First time as a teen I ever heard his work was when he guested on Michael Stanley Band's "Heartland" album. Although he isn't in the video, his sound here is unmistakeable:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44bamW7ZbMo

god damn this is so sick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5xhgWqiJiE

otm

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l35c8cLfx81qafrowo1_500.png

rip big man, small man

RIP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJIXkgnOl9c

Just bawled my eyes out through Jungleland.

This sucks so hard. Love you, big man. ;_;

;_;

yeah it's time for some sentimental springsteen listening, shit

I even liked 'You're a Friend of Mine'

yeah it's time for some sentimental springsteen listening, shit

pretty sure 98% of springsteen fans listen sentimentally already. anyway RIP, talented dude obv.

right i'm just saying if i listen to the entirety of "born to run" it's because i'm feeling mad emo

RIP

Listening to Springsteen in memoriam of Clarence fucking sucks. Working through Darkness now. Boo to this state of affairs. Feels like when Ronnie James Dio died.

(I say that as a personal thing, they both occupied the same stratosphere in my world)

Clarence Clemon's sax playing was one of the beautifully anacronistic parts of Bruce Springsteen's sound. The Big Man and his part of the E-Street sound was a tie back to sax being the lead instrument of rock and roll.

When Danny Federici died, I wondered how they would handle it, but they found a tasteful (for lack of a better word) way to move on. At the same time, though, I wondered aloud with a friend what Bruce would do when Clarence died (who, don't forget, was neither young nor healthy - he'd had numerous surgeries in recent years, and most shows he sat out for long stretches with an oxygen tank nearby). The loss of the symbolic presence of the Big Man is something that just can't be surmounted. I wouldn't be surprised if Springsteen actually broke up the E Street Band over this.

RIP

Bruce Springsteen said of Clarence: 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.

;_;

listenin to a NY bootleg, they're playin 10th avenue freezeout and bruce does the band intros and after getting through everyone but clarence--

''last but not least--that's right, last but not least--i'm talkin about the minister of soul, secretary of the brotherhood: do i have to say his name?? (nooooooo) do i have to say his name?? (noooooooo) say who! (clarence!!) say who! (clarence!!) say who! say! who!"

*big man joined the band interlude*

^ That's been a ritual for years and years iirc, but it's cool every time it's done.

it's my favorite thing.

For the first time this xmas, listening to "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" will make me sad. ;_;

oh man

That Bruce statement posted above is great: "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." It's not that we can do more things when we're together; it's that togetherness is a worthy aim in itself. RIP

Watching the '75 Hammersmith Odeon DVD for the first time--HOLY FUCKING SHIT, CLARENCE--WHAT A HERO

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

RIP

Hammersmith show is awesome.

So I guess the last work he laid down in the studio was with Gaga, right? Nice way to go with the best selling American album in six years, Big Man.

xp: I haven't seen or heard a single Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band show that wasn't awesome, but yeah

Strangely symbolic:

http://www.clarenceclemons.com -> "bandwidth limit exceeded"

oof

hah

what else did he ever do but play past us

the sax solo on the live version of 'Independence Day' from the Live 75-85 box set is just the tenderest, most beautiful thing I've ever heard.

terrible news, very very very sad

http://fashionbzaar.net/?p=531 : "Breaking news: Lady Gaga’s saxophonist Clarence Clemons has died"

^ otm

listened to born to run last night. that sax holds the whole thing together like glue and nails.

That SUCKS, that is way too young!!!

That Letterman clip above is extraordinary. "I just keep it on simmer."

:(

now i will bawl twice as hard every time i hear his "bobby jean" solo

Lady Gaga’s saxophonist Clarence Clemons

ugh, fuck you "fashion bazaar: the prince of pop culture"

"Lady Gaga's bought post-ironic novelty item Clarence Clemons"

dude had amazing tone, never really appreciated it before

RIP. Have fond memories of seeing him with the E Street band way back when.

VH1 Classic's 24 hour tribute to Clarence just started...probably going to be watching it all night

"Lady Gaga's bought post-ironic novelty item Clarence Clemons"

― hay lbj hayyy (absolutely clean glasses), Sunday, June 19, 2011 4:15 PM (7 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

curtis

what

clarence clemons could make his own decisions about whose songs he wanted to play on

no doubt! and may his spirit live on as "Lady Gaga's saxophonist" because of it.

but that is who he is best known as to the audience of that website!

Bazaar Staff Writer

At age 18, Clemons had one of his earliest studio experiences, recording sessions with Tyrone Ashley's Funky Music Machine, a band from Plainfield, New Jersey that included Ray Davis, Eddie Hazel and Billy Bass Nelson, all of whom later played with Parliament-Funkadelic. He also performed with Daniel Petraitis, a New Jersey and Nashville legend. These sessions were eventually released in 2007 by Truth and Soul Records as Let Me Be Your Man.[11][12] While at Maryland State College Clemons also joined his first band, The Vibratones, which played James Brown covers and stayed together for about four years between 1961 and 1965. While still playing with this band he moved to Newark, New Jersey where he worked as a counselor for emotionally disturbed children at the Jamesburg Training School for Boys between 1962 and 1970.

dude had an interesting life, i'd say.

like every tv show is using CC as bumper music and i just tear up every time--make it stop!

hahaha! yaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVTSqsLDhs4&feature=player_embedded#at=262

<3 that was great!!!!

i could watch that all day.

also jeeeeeeeeez at Bruce being all cute and shit. Killing me.

For decades, I thought that video was just a legend. Holy crap.

springsteen's eulogy: http://www.brucespringsteen.net/news/index.html

NEW YORK (AP) - Steve Van Zandt says Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band will get together over the next couple of weeks to discuss how the band will proceed without Clarence Clemons. The saxophonist died in June following complications from a stroke.

Van Zandt said the band, which has periodically toured and recorded with Springsteen since 1972, will never be the same without Clemons. But then he added it wasn't the same after keyboard player Danny Federici died in 2008.

Clemons provided the band with its trademark horn sound apparent on such hits as "Blinded By the Light," ''Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," and "Jungleland."

"That's a void we will never replace," Van Zandt said.
But the E-Street band guitarist feels they will still play music until the end because he says: "That's what we do."