RIP Clarence Clemons

[Goose24]

Anybody got any memories of this great musician?

[Tracy 2112]

Here's me and Clarence over 30 years ago:

[MMJ_fanatic]

The big man's left the band  :'(.  Very sad I never got to see him play live.

[JaneCool]

I am so sad tonight.  :(   
When I heard the news I immediately thought of my good friend here, Eric - we only saw one show with Bruce and the E Street Band together, but the band is near and dear to both our hearts. RIP "Big Man" - you are a legend and shall never be forgotten!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHJGSGbhFwk&feature=player_embedded#at=201

[JaneCool]

And one more for any other fans out there, I think Carl could pull this sax solo off! ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PTJHhUeAfc&feature=player_embedded#at=369

[Ghosts_on_TV]

Very sad. R.I.P. Big Man.

[Clarkwork]

He was just on Howard Stern not that long ago. Seemed like a great guy. Of course he was an awesome player. The E Street Band will never be the same. No one can replace the big man.

[headhunter]

An irreplaceable loss.  I've seen Bruce and the E Street Band close to 100 times and never ever walked away disappointed.  Clarence was, well, he was the Big Man.  He was always a special part of the band and a special part of all shows.  My words can't come close to describing what Bruce & the East Street brought live if you haven't seen them.  The comradery that Bruce and Clarence shared on stage was special and Clarence was so much more than just a sax player, more than just the Big Man.  A loss that cannot be replaced.  Very sad.

[nuggets]

My only real exposure to Clarence was when I saw him play with the GD a few times. Guy did a beautiful job. Clean, solid, professional. Seemed like he could sit in with anyone and blend. Really sad to hear of his passing.
(((((RIP Clarence)))))
Grateful Dead :-: Estimated Prophet :-:1989 :-:

[br00ke]

phish covered thunder road tonight in honor of clarence

the view @ the stone pony in asbury park, nj today

[CTdeadhead]

Ed Vedder reacts to Clarence Clemons death..,
http://www.courant.com/entertainment/music/sound-check/hc-concert-review-eddie-vedder-bushnell-hartford-20110618,0,4504475.column

[weeniebeenie]

R.I.P. Clarence.

[rincon]

To this day the best concert I ever saw was Springsteen in 81. It was the Jungleland solo that was the high lite.

[walterfredo]

Anybody got any memories of this great musician?

I had the pleasure of riding an elevator with him about 20 years ago in an L.A. hotel. I was about 18, and I could tell he was shocked that I knew who he was. He was as nice as they come.

[Crispy]

As a saxophone-playing kid in the 80s, I loved Clarence. So sad to see the Big Man go.

[ericm]

Anybody got any memories of this great musician?

I'm so bummed and sad I don't know where to begin. I have a few that bring a smile to my face every time, so I'm hoping they do now too.

The first was sitting front row at his club "Big Man's West" in Red Bank N.J. way, way, back when and Clarence was on stage having a blast and literally blowing us away. He looks down at me and my kid's mom dancing, smiling and just having a blast. C gives us that big ole' smile of his and a wink.

At the end of the set he steps down and comes up to us and gives us a big hug. One of us under each arm. I thought he might squeeze the hell out of us, but it was the opposite, just a real warm and tender embrace. He looks at me, thanks me for coming and said he dug watching us have such a good time and make sure we come back.

The next memory was from a Philly show. I always tried to get seats on CC's side and have gotten many a huge smile or thumbs up from him, but this night he came over to the rail as he was leaving the stage and handed me a bottle of Perrier, and said "here ya go".  I'm not a huge Perrier fan, but that bottle went down fast and easy. I like to think he recognized me,and that's why he did what he did, but I think he really just saw a guy who was spent after the show, and wanted to give me a drink. Either way, it was a gesture I'll never forget. Pretty ironic that this show was on Dec. 8th 1980. I went from such a high, to an incredible low, about 10 minutes later walking to the car.

My last memory of Clarence is hearing him play what might be his last time on stage. My daughter and I went to see Furthur in Orlando in April. We had such a blast that we decided to drive to Boca Raton for the show the next night. We get there and there's not a ticket to be found anywhere. It was an open air venue in a park, so even though we couldn't see the stage, we could hang in the park with hundreds of others and hear it beautifully.

My daughter and I were having fun, but a bit bummed we didn't get in. We were thinking of leaving but figured we made the long drive, lets hang and just enjoy what we can. Right before the end of the first set, Bobby and Phil welcome the Big Man on stage to jam with them and do a fantastic "Lil Red Rooster". At first I was even more bummed not to be able to see Clarence, but hearing him up there sounding so good, made me instantly happy, wiped any of my blues away, and made the trip worth every second. This night will be forever etched in my memory, and so thankful something told me we had to go to Boca. I never imagined it would be my last time hearing Clarence play, but so glad we went, and really thankful that Furthur had him sit in. I knew I always loved those guys too, and this night is just another reason why.

I was down in Florida this past week when we got word of the stroke and then Clarence's passing. I'm still so so sad, but thankful for all the great times Bruce, Clarence, and The E Street Band have given me. They've been one of the true soundtracks of my life,shared many shows in many cities, and Clarence was a very big part of every one of those memories.

As Jeff said above " a loss that cannot be replaced".

RIP Big Man 

Sorry for the long reply. This one hit pretty hard, but sharing these memories has made me smile a bit.

[headhunter]

As Eric put it so well

" I'm still so so sad, but thankful for all the great times Bruce, Clarence, and The E Street Band have given me. They've been one of the true soundtracks of my life,shared many shows in many cities, and Clarence was a very big part of every one of those memories."

MMJ is where I am now, but I grew up on Bruce Juice.  Since i first heard Born To Run some 35 years ago, Clarence was a major part of the soundtrack of my life.

[Crispy]

Great to hear your stories, Eric, and share in the sadness and some comfort.

[el_chode]

Never really got into Springsteen, but I did get my first guitar by kicking ass on the Baritone Saxomophone. Still think the Breakdown in Born to Run is one of the greatest in music, and it's carried by the sax punching the high notes and getting you all pumped up, then dropping down into that low hold that takes you to the breaking point as Bruce comes back in with the highway line.

/and yes I grew up in NJ

[sittingcow]

Best saxophonist I've seen live by a mile. RIP.