69 year old saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen's band the E Street Band Clarence Clemons died from a stroke today.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/18/clarence.clemons.obit/

Never got to see them live, but I heard they were amazing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e4-20tqC4A&feature=related

RIP

I went to their concert way back in '85 or '86. Great show and I got y tickets from a scalper for face value!

TheWalkingMan

RIP

I went to their concert way back in '85 or '86. Great show and I got y tickets from a scalper for face value!

TheWalkingMan

Yes RIP Clarence " The Big Man" as Bruce called him.

Always remember his pic with Bruce on the "Born to Run" with great fondness.................

It's pretty rare that I am saddened by the passing of someone I did't know, even artists whose worked I enjoy -- after all so many people die every day and some of them "matter" more than an actor or musician -- but this does make me a bit sad...

I suspect it's partly a matter of making me feel the loss of my youth: I saw Bruce and the E Street Band a couple times as a teenager in the late 70s.

The man was a vital component on some phenomenal albums and astonishing shows. And it seems to ridiculous to say it about a multi-millionaire rock star but I feel a bit sorry for Bruce...(though obviously more for Mr Clemons family.)

RIP Big Man

When the change was made uptown

And the Big Man joined the band

From the coastline to the city

All the little pretties raise their hands

I'm gonna sit back right easy and laugh

When Scooter and the Big Man bust this city in half

With the Tenth Avenue freeze-out

Tenth Avenue freeze-out

When the change was made uptown

And the big man joined the band

Yeah, the crowd would go pretty crazy when that line came up during Tenth Avenue Freezeout.

First time: fall, 1975, my college's chapel, a week before the Boss graced both Time and Newsweek. Best concert: December, 1980 close to Christmas so we got "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", "You better be good for goodness sake", which always had a great solo for Clarence.

When I worked for AT&T/Lucent I was in Middletown every two weeks and I used to stay in Red Bank. I saw Clarence ~ 5 times at various spots in Red Bank, always said "Hi".

Another image from the Eric Meola "Born to Run" cover shoot.

His last public performance...last month.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d1FIvhqnRI