Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band has passed away at the age of 69, after suffering complications from a stroke last week.
While he is best known for his work with Springsteen, Clemons has also collaborated with Jerry Garcia Band, Ringo Starr’s All Star Band, Aretha Franklin, Jackson Browne, Roy Orbison and also more recently Lady Gaga. He also released several solo albums and a book detailing his time in the E Street Band, titled Big Man: Real Life & Tall Tales.
Clemons features in the iconic album art to Springsteen’s 1975 classic Born to Run (photo above) and has appeared in TV shows The Wire, The Simpsons and was cast as one of the “Three Most Important People In The World” in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
Bruce Springsteen has paid tribute to The Big Man with this statement posted on his official website.
It is with overwhelming sadness that we inform our friends and fans that at 7:00 tonight, Saturday, June 18, our beloved friend and bandmate, Clarence Clemons passed away. The cause was complications from his stroke of last Sunday, June 12th.
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.
