R.I.P. Clarence Clemons

Jon and the Boys paid tribute to Clarence Clemons, the larger-than-life saxophone player for the E Street Band, who died Saturday night after being hospitalized following a stroke almost a week prior. At their concert in Denmark, Bon Jovi played "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out."



Springsteen posted a message on his website over the weekend in tribute of his longtime friend:

"Clarence lived a wonderful life," Springsteen wrote." "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."

NJ.COM had this to say, as part of a really nice article:

Clemons’ richly textured saxophone was so integral to the sound of the E Street Band and his larger-than-life presence was such a central element in the band’s stage show that it’s hard to wrap your head around the concept of the group continuing without him.

But the band has endured countless lineup changes over the years. And the 2008 loss of another original member — keyboardist Danny Federici, who died of cancer — did not put an end to it.

It’s too early to say whether the band will continue in any form. It doesn’t even feel right to think about it. Yet it must be noted that the last two sentences of Springsteen’s online message seem to leave the door open for that to happen: "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."

Life does go on, and the band may live to rock another day. But it would be a different band — with the same name, maybe, but a different sound, and a different personality.

The E Street Band may eventually present joyful shows again. But there will be an inescapable sadness whenever your eyes wander to the part of the stage where Clemons always stood. The Big Man’s stamp was simply that big.

RIP Big Man
Clarence Clemons
1942 - 2011

~ Hath

VH1 Classic is paying tribute to Clarence Clemons with 24 hours of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. They started last night (June 19th) at 7PM EST.

TonyK (The Screen Door) also has a lovely, poignant piece up.Clarence Clemons: Cross This River To The Other Side