ONLY ONE PER COFFIN: R.I.P. CLARENCE CLEMONS (BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN's E STREET BAND-SAXAPHONE)

"From the churches to the jails, tonight all is silence in the world"
It's been a very bad day. ITP V.011 would like to extend condolences to the "BIG MAN" CLARENCE CLEMONS (BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN and THE E STREET BAND's SAXAPHONE player) family, bandmates, friends and loyal fans internationally.
World reknown saxophone player CLARENCE CLEMONS passed away today less than a week after suffering from a major stroke. CLARENCE CLEMONS, whom has performed with BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN's E STREET BAND since the early 70's also has performed with Jackson Browne, Aretha Franklin, Twisted Sister, Ringo Starr and his ALL STAR BAND, Grateful Dead, the Jerry Garcia Band, Roy Orbison and most recently with Lady Gaga.
Needless to say, outside of the genre of extreme metal, ITP's author grew up a BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN fan seeing him live about 5 times. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN and his merry E street Band put on the greatest rock and roll show on Earth, a four hour marathon performance of wonderful story telling, a rock and roll party for the ages.
Needless to say, a piece of my childhood has just passed, and we will miss CLARENCE CLEMONS. CLARENCE CLEMONS, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN's onstage sidekick tore it up onstage with an electrifying, charming and intense chemistry. Stay tuned to this journal entry for CLARENCE CLEMONS tributes.
FROM BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN:
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.FROM CNN.COM:
[Updated at 9:53 p.m ET] Legendary rock saxophonist Clarence Clemons has died of complications from a stroke, a spokesperson for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band said Saturday. He was 69.

Clemons had played sax in Springsteen's E Street Band off and on since 1972.

He passed away at a hospital in Palm Beach, Florida, the spokesperson said. Clemons was surrounded by members of his family, including his wife, Victoria, according to the spokesperson.
FROM NJ.COM:
Clarence Clemons — the Big Man with the big horn — died today of complications from a stroke he suffered last weekend, according to a spokeswoman for Bruce Springsteen who requested anonymity because she was not authorized by the Clemons family to issue a statement. He was 69 years old.
He was the spirit of the E Street Band, and the oaken staff that Bruce Springsteen leaned on.
"He was the kahuna of surf and soul and a man that had love in his heart and, always, a smile on his face. He was my brother — my musical brother," said original E Street Band drummer Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez.
Lopez last saw Clemons when he guested at an E Street Band show in Philadelphia, in 2009. "I was in the dressing room with him, and we were laughing and talking about golfing," said Lopez.
Clemons was having a hard time walking, Lopez remembered.
"It's just a shame," said Lopez of Clemons' death. "He had a lot more he could give."
There have been many charismatic figures in the E Street Band, but none had the personal gravity of Clarence Clemons, the group’s Bunyanesque saxophonist.
Springsteen himself acknowledged this, always introducing Clemons last at concerts and adopting a reverential attitude uncommon among rock stars. It’s Clemons' big shoulder that Springsteen was looking over lovingly on the famous cover of his "Born to Run" album. As his bandleader beamed at him, Clemons, black-hatted and bold, turned toward the camera and blew his sax.
"Clarence lived a wonderful life," Springsteen said in a statement tonight. "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 40 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."
Clemons seemed to be a character out of a storybook — or better yet, a widescreen movie about the triumph of a romantic gang of rock ’n’ roll renegades. Wildly popular among fans of the E Street Band, he was the sort of larger-than-life figure to whom legends accrued. Recognizing this, Clemons and Springsteen did much to play up those legends: "Big Man: Real Life and Tall Tales," Clemons’ 2009 autobiography written with Don Reo, combined genuine reflections with fiction in an attempt to capture the mythical quality of the musician.
Springsteen’s oft-told story of his initial meeting with Clemons felt Biblical: with a lightning storm raging outside, the Big Man tore the door off an Asbury Park club, strode onstage, and made magic. (Springsteen would later immortalize this meeting in "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out," a song on "Born to Run.")
Was this embellished? Most likely. But reality never seemed quite big enough to accommodate Clarence Clemons.
"Mere facts," wrote Bruce Springsteen in the preface to Clemons’ book, "will never plumb the mysteries of the Big Man."
Born in Norfolk, Va., Clemons was the son of a Baptist minister who had no love for raucous rock ’n’ roll. But at the age of 9, his family gave young Clarence an alto saxophone — and soon he discovered his lung power was formidable.


By young adulthood, he excelled at music and athletics and earned a football scholarship to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Injuries suffered in a car accident prevented the young lineman from trying out for the Cleveland Browns. From then on, Clemons dedicated himself to his horn.
Clemons called his instrument "a vehicle to move my spirit around."
"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."
On the tenor saxophone, Clemons developed a style that was considerably more than the sum of his influences: party-ready King Curtis, brassy Junior Walker, skronking Earl Bostic. Clemons could be tough, raspy and percussive, but as a carrier of melody, his shoulders were broad.
After playing with a number of Asbury Park outfits in the early ’70s, Clemons joined the as-yet-unnamed E Street Band in 1972. Along with bassist Garry Tallent, drummer Vini Lopez, organist Danny Federici, pianist Dave Sancious and Springsteen himself, Clemons was an original member of the group.
He was also the oldest, and it’s no exaggeration to suggest he was often treated as the in-house big brother. His saxophone became a pillar of the E Street sound, and helped anchor Springsteen’s storytelling in blues, jazz and gospel traditions.
"That night we first stood together," said Springsteen of Clemons during his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction speech in 1999, "I looked over at C and it looked like his head reached into the clouds. And I felt like a mere mortal scurrying upon the earth, you know. But he always lifted me up. Way, way, way up. Together we told a story of the possibilities of friendship, a story older than the ones that I was writing and a story I could never have told without him at my side."
Clemons’ solos on songs like "Jungleland" and "Born to Run" were quintessential rock ’n’ roll sax rides — things of beauty and drama unmatched by efforts of thousands of imitators. But Clemons also took his support role seriously. On "Spirit in the Night," his graceful passages were part of a thick tapestry of sound. On "Hungry Heart," the E Street Band’s first Top 10 hit, his baritone sax tugged at the bottom of the track like taffy on the sole of a sneaker.

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.
That wasn’t the only time Clemons swapped his trademark tenor for a baritone. In the early ’70s, he kept another tool in his shed: a lilting soprano saxophone; on more recent tours, he covered the top end with a pennywhistle. Reeds weren’t all he did — with the E Street Band, Clemons also proved himself an able percussionist and an enthusiastic backing vocalist, too.
With his instantly identifiable tone and passion for all varieties of popular music, Clemons was often in demand as a session musician. When E Street activities slowed in the ’80s and ’90s, Clemons had no difficulty finding work. He played on scores of records, including Aretha Franklin’s "Who’s Zooming Who," Twisted Sister’s "Come Out and Play" and Roy Orbison’s comeback "King of Hearts." In 1989, he joined the inaugural version of Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band, where his charismatic stage presence and playful attitude fit in perfectly.
When Lady Gaga attempted to resurrect the glory of ’80s stadium rock on her recent album "Born This Way," she called in Clemons.
"The universe is there to give you what you want," Clemons told All Access about his multifaceted success. "You just need to be there to get it."
Clemons also released five solo albums under his own name. "Hero," a 1985 set produced by Narada Michael Walden, gave him a hit duet (with Jackson Browne): "You’re a Friend of Mine," a song, ironically, about the relationship between Clemons and Springsteen. Even on his solo sets, the sax player could not elude the shadow of the Boss.
For two years, Clemons operated Big Man’s West, a rock venue in Red Bank that became something of a clubhouse for the E Street team and affiliated acts. Springsteen himself appeared at Big Man’s close to 20 times. Although the club closed its doors for good in 1983 for financial reasons, its existence helped revive the Shore sound. Many of the musicians who’d rock the Garden State (and beyond) during the late ’80s took the stage at Big Man’s, including Jon Bon Jovi and John Eddie.

"He offered me some advice in the beginning, like, ‘Get out of the business,’ " Clemons told The Star-Ledger this year. "My accountant agreed with him: ‘Just consider that you had a party for two and a half years, and invited all your friends, and you picked up the tab.’ That’s what it was like."
Clemons’ celebrity never quite faded. But in recent years, a series of debilitating ailments kept him out of the limelight. The Big Man was felled by multiple spinal surgeries and knee replacements. Undeterred, he continued to blow from his wheelchair. ("He’s always on time, he’s always in pain," wrote Don Reo in "Big Man.")
The musician lived long enough to see "Who Do I Think I Am?," a documentary about his life, air at the Paramount Theatre in his beloved Asbury Park this April. Hobbled by his health problems, he nevertheless took the stage at the Paramount and answered questions and signed autographs, smiling all the while.
Under the stagelights, surrounded by those who loved him, Clemons was in his element. Pushing 70, he rehabbed hard, hoping for a chance to join the E Street Band on tour in 2012.
He told Rolling Stone magazine in February that as long as he had a mouth, a brain and a pair of hands, he would keep on playing. Nobody who saw Clemons perform would ever have doubted it: his dedication was total. The saxophone was a conduit for his spirit, he assured us, and that spirit was a colossus.
Far beyond the boardwalk of Asbury Park, those big notes will keep echoing.
FROM BACKSTREETS (SPRINGSTEEN FANZINE):
The King of the Universe, the Big Kahuna, the Prince of the City, the Duke of Paducah — also known as the Big Man, Clarence Clemons, began his 40 year friendship and musical association with Bruce Springsteen in September of 1971 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The Bruce Springsteen Band was playing at the Student Prince over on Kingsley Avenue, and Clarence was appearing with Norman Seldin and the Joyful Noyze a few blocks away at the Wonder Bar on Asbury Avenue.

As the legend has been told over the years, the door to the club "lifted off and blew off down the street as a large shadow of a man stepped into the back room beside the band." Was it King Curtis? Was it Junior Walker? "He walked to the stage and said, 'I wanna play with you.' What could I say? I said 'sure.'"

This was the moment when "We made that change uptown and the Big Man joined the band" as commemorated in "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out," the song consistently referred to by Bruce as "the story of the band."

A less colorful (although likely more factually correct) version of that story would relate that Clarence simply strolled a few blocks down the street and around the corner to see what the competition was up to. Some people insist that the door did, indeed, get blown off its hinges due to a storm in the area that night. But what did happen was that Clarence and Bruce met for the first time — although they had traveled in the same New Jersey musical circles for a while — and Clarence was invited to play with the band. He didn't formally join forces with Bruce until almost a year — and many surprise guest appearances by Bruce Springsteen with the Joyful Noyze — later, as they embarked on tour for the first time in the late fall of 1972 and then in support of Greetings from Asbury Park. (At the time, Norman Seldin and the Joyful Noyze was more successful, and more lucrative, than the Bruce Springsteen Band, and as related in Clarence's autobiography, Big Man, his departure from the Joyful Noyze was termed "a big mistake.")

"Without Scooter, there is no Big Man" —Clarence Clemons, from Big Man

Clarence became "The Big Man," back in the day when everybody in the band had a nickname. He became known for his fashion flair, rivaling his compatriot Miami Steve Van Zandt on the other side of the stage. ("Back when this was a band that wore hats!") The white suit, the red suit, the hats, the ties, the scarves... it all became part and parcel of the legend, down to the dreadlocks he grew later and the majestic cape he wore on the Working on a Dream tour.



Clarence was the onstage foil, the straight man, the counterpart. He became larger than he already was in real life, a superhero whose reputation was reinforced by the endless stream of superlatives attached to his name when Bruce introduced the band every night. "King of the world — master of the universe — do I have to say his name?" The introductions became a much-anticipated, treasured part of the live show, working their way through the entire band, applause growing as the audience knew what came next. Sometimes it was a simple recitation of facts and sobriquets ("best-selling author!" or "Socrates of the Saxophone!"), other times Bruce would take a leaf out of the Stax-Volt treasury and get the audience to spell his name a la Otis: "'C' is for cool, which only a foolish man would dispute! 'L' is for lean and mean! 'A' is 'cause he's the ace of the saxophone!...."

Bruce and Clarence were Scooter and the Big Man, they were black and white, they were big and small. It was still a bold move in the early '70s, especially in some parts of the country, to have an African-American in your band, much less one you danced with, rubbed butts with and engaged in a long soulful kiss with; the country was only a few years out of the Civil Rights movement and there are stories of gigs the band didn't get and hotels they were told they weren't welcome in. But the pairing would become iconic, forever commemorated in Eric Meola's now-legendary cover photo for Born to Run; 34 years later, the world was greeted with the almost identical image as the E Street Band began their set during halftime at the Super Bowl in 2009.

This was in addition to Clarence's active participation, or at least invocation, in the gamut of stories Bruce told onstage. It was Clarence who walked through the woods with Bruce to find the gypsy woman, or it was Clarence that gave him the directions to find God to ask him whether he should be a writer or a lawyer. It was Clarence with whom Bruce drove through the wind and the snow and the tornado, the car falling apart, until the radio broke. It was Clarence in the forest when they were visited by Little Melvin and the Invaders in the spaceship. Clarence was there when Bruce and Steve sat on the porch trying to get up their nerve to talk to Pretty Flamingo, and it was Clarence on the park bench showing off the pictures of his son. He was front and center with Bruce exhorting the crowd after they played their respective solos during "Badlands." He was the anchor of his side of the stage and during the general admission shows of recent years, his side of the pit filled up first.

Clarence's horn solidified the soul in E Street. Bruce recruited Clarence to complete the final tracks of the Greetings from Asbury Park album and then to join the band and head out on tour. "Rosalita" or "Growin' Up" would be unthinkable now without Clarence's role. The saxophone as played by Clarence Clemons soon became a trademark of the Springsteen sound, culminating with its classic role in the Born to Run album. And what a role that would be: what would become the trademark solo in "Thunder Road"; the intro and backbeat to the band's own folk tale, "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out"; the clarion call in "Born to Run"; and the now-legendary, haunting wail in "Jungleland," which would become Clarence's signature solo. On the cover, there they were: Scooter and the Big Man, Soul Brother Number One and his most loyal disciple.



While the sax was present in three key solos on Darkness on the Edge of Town and showed up on several places on Born in the U.S.A., it was on The River that the sax was practically everywhere: "The Ties That Bind." "Sherry Darling." "Independence Day." "Out in the Street." The main riff to "Cadillac Ranch," the heartbreaking solo on "Drive All Night," even the carnal underpinnings in the background of "Ramrod." Additionally, who could forget the original composition created and named just for him: "Paradise by the 'C'," a highlight of live shows in the '70s and on the Live: 1975/85 box set for those who couldn't be there to see it in person.

As befitting the master of the universe, Clarence had other interests as well: he was a rock club owner (Big Man's West in Red Bank); an actor, with recurring roles on TV shows (from Nash Bridges to The Wire) and some movie work (notably in Scorcese's New York, New York). He also had a small but notable solo career, reaching #18 on the charts with "You're a Friend of Mine." He toured in the first incarnation of Ringo Starr’s All-Star Band and sat in with the Grateful Dead several times. His session work ranged from Aretha Franklin's comeback hit "Freeway of Love" to his most recent work with Lady Gaga.

In recent years, Clarence’s instrument played a key role in modern classics such as "Land of Hope and Dreams," "My City of Ruins" and "Long Walk Home," each number demonstrating that the saxophone remained at the core of the E Street Band sound. Plus, if he wasn't playing the horn during the show, the Big Man made key contributions on backing vocals or on maracas, tambourine, chimes, and penny whistle. His vocal spotlight in "Out in the Street" and his verse of "If I Should Fall Behind" reminded us that there was power in the voice, not just in the horn. And if he wasn't doing any of those things, Clarence was far from idle: He danced. He smiled. He clapped. He shook his butt. He was an always somewhat mysterious, somewhat beatific, always smiling presence in the band.

Even when his mobility had decreased, his presence on the E Street stage remained as large as ever. He strolled on last before Bruce, always to loud and enthusiastic applause, and when his knees couldn't walk up the steps to the stage any longer, Bruce had an elevator installed for him. Sometimes the Big Man would need a break from standing, and rather than just have a chair or a stool, he was provided with an ornate, golden throne, illuminated from underneath. It seemed only right and fitting.

As long as we tell the stories, as long as we play the songs, as long as we remember, the Big Man will always be with us.

—Caryn Rose and Glenn Radecki, June 18, 2011 TRIBUTES:
FROM NJ GOVERNOR CHRISTIE: http://twitter.com/#!/GovChristie
A very sad night for Springsteen fans & all of NJ--thx Clarence Clemons for 40 years of magical & soulful music. He will be missed forever.
Christie also ordered flags lowered to half-staff in the musician’s honor Thursday.

“Through his accomplishments and achievements in the entertainment industry and his contributions to the cultural identity of New Jersey, Clarence Clemons has made New Jersey a better place,” the order read. FROM MICHAEL MOORE:
MMFlint Michael Moore
RIP Clarence Clemons. So many yrs of bringing joy 2 so many of us. In 94 I spent a day cruising round NJ w/ him. Unforgettable.
FROM BOOTSY COLLINS:
Bootsy_Collins Bootsy Collins
We lost another funkin' soldier y'all, Clarence "Big Man" Clemons. the Funkateer Nation will rise to this... http://fb.me/Hvkk51FX
FROM COLUMBIA RECORDS:
The world lost an amazing musician and an amazing person today. We'll miss you, Clarence Clemons.
EDDIE VEDDER DEDICATES BETTER MAN TO CLARENCE CLEMONS:
As Eddie Vedder dedicates Better Man to Clarence Clemons, guitar tech tells him Clemons died today. Vedder puts hand over face, carries on.
FROM TOM MORELLO (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE):
RIP- The Great Clarence Clemons. Thankyou so much Big Man for sweetening the sound of our planet with your sax and your soul.
FROM ROBE LOWE:
Clarence Clemons was an electric, generous, sweet spirit. Taught me how to look cool with a sax. Goodbye Big Man #Legendary
FROM QUESTO OF THE ROOTS:
questlove Questo of The Roots
RIP Clarence Clemons. A True Legend. Will be absolutely missed.
FROM FUSE:
RIP Clarence Clemons. Absolute. Legend.
RANDY BLYTHE (LAMB OF GOD):
lambvox D. Randall Blythe
RIP Clarence Clemons! I'm so glad I got to see you blow that sax with The Boss live & up close. Play on, Big Man...
FROM EDDIE TRUNK:
After a really busy few days of travel just hearing about Clarence Clemons passing away. Sad to hear, obviously a huge contributor to rock.
FROM BRYAN ADAMS:
RIP Clarence Clemons, one of the greatest rock sax players
FROM SLASH:
Great sidemen like Clarence Clemons don't get the full appreciation they deserve until they're gone. Iii|: (
FROM JANET JACKSON:
Clarence Clemons was a wonderful talent. He will be on my mind tonight
FROM VH1: RIP Clarence "Big Man" Clemons (1942- 2011.) We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family:
FROM HARD ROCK CAFE:
RIP Clarence Clemons. We miss Big Man. We'll always have the amazing music and moments he left us. ow.ly/5gNSg
FROM COLDPLAY:
Coldplay called Clemons their "favourite saxophone player
FROM CHUCK D (PUBLIC ENEMY):
"RIP Big Clarence".
FROM SETH MYERS (SNL):
"RIP Clarence Clemons. I'll never forget when the change was made uptown and the big man joined the band."
FROM GAYLE KING ( Gayle King, editor of The Oprah Magazine and host of The Gayle King Show):
"So sorry to hear about clarence clemons we became pals after I intvued him last year thinking about his lovely wife victoria tonite," she wrote.
FROM DAVID REMINICK THE NEW YORKER:
"an entirely sublime band member, an absolutely essential, and soulful, ingredient in both the sound of Springsteen and the spirit of the group."
FROM DEF LEPPARD:
The Leppard family would like to pass on their sincerest condolences to Clarence Clemons's family, and to Bruce and the E-Street Band.
FROM KILL ROCK STARS (RECORD LABEL):
RT @annkpowers: I hope all of you remembering Clarence Clemons today listen to his work with Gaga - his latest and currently most relevant!
FROM CARL WEATHERS (ACTOR):
R.I.P. BIG MAN, Clarence Clemons. We met on the set of BROTHERS. He was great on the show. What a generous performer. Cool brother.
FROM BB KINGS (NYC MUSIC VENUE):
We are saddened by the news of our longtime friend CLARENCE CLEMONS passing this past weekend.... A great artist... http
JON BON JOVI: (BON JOVI):
Bon Jovi state that Clarence Clemons was “ a pillar of the rock and roll community.”
FROM PHISH:
Phish also paid tribute to the ‘Big Man,’ putting their spin on ‘Thunder Road’ last night during a performance in Portsmouth, Va. According to fan reports, the band’s rendition wasn’t very “tight.” It was the first Phish performance of the song, and obviously had been learned rather quickly for this tribute. Phish frontman Trey Anastasio reportedly apologized at the end of the song for their “shaky” performance. But fans were kinder, noting that Trey did “nail the Big Man’s section at the end.”
FROM KENNY WAYNE SHEPHARD:
Kenny Wayne Shepherd (@KWShepherd) RIP Clarence Clemons. What a great musician. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family.
FROM JENNIFER ANISTON:
Clarence Clemons has died at the age of 69. He will be greatly missed. His family, friends & band mates will be in our thoughts and prayers.
FROM ZAO:
Jeff made a good point Clarence Clemons was a true Artist! And worthy of being an idol RIP FROM THE STONE PONY:


PONY OPEN AT NOON SUNDAY TO REMEMBER CLARENCE

The Stone Pony family is deeply saddened by the passing of Clarence Clemons. Clarence will always be our friend, brother and a beloved founding father of Asbury Park's historic musical heritage. The Pony will open at noon on Sun., June 19 for fans to share their thoughts and reflect on memories as the "Sounds of Asbury Park" are played through our concert sound system. God bless Clarence Clemons.
FROM CBSNEWS.COM:
(AP)
ASBURY PARK, N.J. - Scores of fans gathered Sunday at a legendary rock club to mourn the death and celebrate the life and music of saxophonist Clarence Clemons.

The Stone Pony in Asbury Park was the place where Clemons, Bruce Springsteen and other E Street band mates got their musical starts. It opened its doors to a crowd of about 150 people, many adorned in Springsteen T-shirts.

A makeshift vigil got under way at the club late Saturday as word spread of Clemons' death from complications of a stroke he had suffered about a week earlier at his home in Singer Island, Florida. By Sunday afternoon, the stage was adorned with Clemons photos.

Clarence Clemons dies from stroke complications
Photos: Clarence Clemons: 1942-2011

Fans were lining up to snap pictures and leave flowers to honor Clemons. He was known as the Big Man, a nod to his physical size, stage presence and booming sax notes.

Within hours of Clemons' death on Saturday night, fans slowly began stopping by the club, which was hosting an unrelated act catering to a younger crowd. Flowers, a candle and a handwritten sign saying "RIP Big Man" soon sprouted outside the building, and more items were added throughout the night and on Sunday.

Gary Mottola, who owns the Stone Pony, said Sunday that the E Street Band was "the soul of Asbury Park" and that Clemons was the soul of the band. Mottola said that when the city fell on hard times, it was the energy from the band's performances that kept it alive.

Fans who attended the gathering had similar views, fondly recalling the impact Springsteen and Clemons had on their lives.

"One of our first dates was a Bruce concert," said Cyndi Matts of Little Silver, recalling the night more than a quarter-century ago when she and her now-husband heard the band perform the song "Jungleland."

"When he had that solo and everyone put their hands up - it still gives me chills," Matts said.

Clemons' raucous sax solos helped define the Jersey shore sound of the '70s and '80s, a genre that also included Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, and occasionally, a young Jon Bon Jovi. He was a vital part of the E Street Band and loyally served for decades with Springsteen, whom he met in 1971 on the New Jersey bar band circuit.

Kyle Brendle, the house promoter at the Stone Pony, said Springsteen and Clemons played routinely at the club in the 1970s - but usually as unannounced acts. He said the last time Clemons performed at the club was at a solo show in the summer of 2006.



Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/06/19/entertainment/main20072406.shtml#ixzz1PkktjI00 FROM TWITTER FANS/FEED:
Clarence clemons of the E street band has died. about to report on it for cnn. sad night. @cnn #cnn
6 minutes ago

Glen_Hansard Glen Hansard
Clarence Clemons, sleep soft.. A great man left us today.. RIP
6 minutes ago

ClassicRockMag Classic Rock
RIP Clarence Clemons. You will be missed, Big Man. #fb
6 minutes ago

jaketapper Jake Tapper
Correx: that's Clarence Clemons' last performance w/E Street. E Street purists - God bless - remind me of the late great Danny Federici.
10 minutes ago

howardfinkel Howard Finkel
Sad to hear of the passing tonight of E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons. What an integral part of The Boss' band he was! RIP...
11 minutes ago

blogness Bruce Springsteen!
Clarence Clemons 1/11/1942-6/18/2011 We love you Big Man Clarence Clemons. Rest in Peace. http://fb.me/X1GGC3Kr
13 minutes ago

Gibsonthomas Thomas Gibson
Clarence Clemons played the sax like no one else. I know the Boss will miss the Big Man, and so will the rest of us...too soon...
14 minutes ago

lambvox D. Randall Blythe
RIP Clarence Clemons! I'm so glad I got to see you blow that sax with The Boss live & up close. Play on, Big Man...
15 minutes ago

CNN CNN
Rock saxophonist Clarence Clemons of E Street Band dies. on.cnn.com/jueSyu
15 minutes ago

OKnox Olivier Knox
Clarence Clemons is dead? Yet the band Train roams the land, unmolested? And you ask me to trust in a loving God?
15 minutes ago

CNNshowbiz CNN Entertainment
Clarence Clemons has died, a rep for Springsteen & The E Street band confirms. He died from complications from a stroke he suffered Monday
17 minutes ago

BonnieBernstein Bonnie Bernstein
Springsteen fans will miss Clarence Clemons. As a sax player, I appreciated even his mastery of the instrument even more. #RIPBigMan
17 minutes ago

todayshow The Today Show
RT @JBaiata "I do read music, but I prefer playing from the heart." - Clarence Clemons R.I.P. Big Man.
18 minutes ago

questlove Questo of The Roots
RIP Clarence Clemons. A True Legend. Will be absolutely missed.
20 minutes ago

pennjillette Penn Jillette
Bye to Clarence Clemons. Saw him a zillion times with his (and everyone's) Boss. I was lucky enough to play music with him once on our show
23 minutes ago

RobLowe Rob Lowe
Clarence Clemons was an electric, generous, sweet spirit. Taught me how to look cool with a sax. Goodbye Big Man #Legendary
25 minutes ago

RobRiggle Rob Riggle
Rest in Peace Clarence Clemons...
26 minutes ago

monsterjeth JE†HRO
RIP Boomkack oh i mean Clarence Clemons
26 minutes ago

cnnbrk CNN Breaking News
Springsteen sax player #ClarenceClemons dies, spokesperson says. on.cnn.com/im1oZN
28 minutes ago

ToureX Touré
Clarence Clemons's NY Times obit: http://toure.is/mRhJ7V
32 minutes ago

monsterjeth JE†HRO
Clarence Clemons in the Edge of Glory http://twitpic.com/5djw94
33 minutes ago

realjeffreyross Jeffrey Ross
Can you feel the darkness on the edge of town? The Big Man Clarence Clemons rest in peace.
36 minutes ago

JasonRomano Jason Romano
I'm not a big Springsteen guy, but Clarence Clemons was definitely one of a kind. He'll be missed for sure.
39 minutes ago

CORI013 CORI
So sadden by this.....RIP.....tmz.com/2011/06/18/cla…
41 minutes ago

njdotcom NJ.com
E Street Band member Clarence Clemons dies of complications following stroke. http://bit.ly/mF4sX8
42 minutes ago

RachelleGardner Rachelle Gardner
RT @todayshow: Saxophonist Clarence Clemons has died: http://on.today.com/k7iPYU // Very sad.
45 minutes ago

Reuters Reuters Top News
Clarence Clemons dies of complications from stroke nj.com/news/index.ssf…
46 minutes ago

todayshow The Today Show
Saxophonist Clarence Clemons has died: on.today.com/k7iPYU
46 minutes ago

MJMcKean Michael McKean
Terrible news about Clarence Clemons; a wonderful human being. Irreplaceable. RIP
46 minutes ago

mortreport Chris Mortensen
“@TheBillWalton: Clarence Clemons Plays The National Anthem April 1, 2011 fb.me/uoZ97vxu” thanks Bill...
47 minutes ago

joshuahorowitz Josh Horowitz
Clarence Clemons is gone. Sad news. http://nyti.ms/jutNUT
58 minutes ago

ProfBlackistone Kevin B. Blackistone
Clarence Clemons played football w/ Jets Super Bowl star Emerson Boozer (maybe Art Shell too) at historically black Maryland-Eastern Shore.
1 hour ago

TMZ TMZ
Clarence Clemons Died http://bit.ly/j5QZCZ
1 hour ago

adbrandt Andrew Brandt
Sad news with death of The Big Man. Music fans of many genres and generations will miss Clarence Clemons.
1 hour ago

Spinner Spinner.com
Tragedy strikes E Street: Clarence Clemons is dead. -- http://aol.it/lz2b1T
1 hour ago

HeadKickLegend Matthew Roth
RIP Clarence Clemons. You were the big man and the soul of the E Street Band. Thanks for the memories from the 42 Springsteen shows I saw.
1 hour ago

LouBrutus Lou Brutus
RIP Clarence Clemons: Summertime for those of us who grew up on the Jersey Shore will never be quite the same again.
1 hour ago

Spinner Spinner.com
RIP Clarence Clemons. We'll miss you Big Man.
1 hour ago

hausofchristina Chris†ina.
RIP Clarence Clemons.
1 hour ago


Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l- HORNS UP, literally RIP CLARENCE CLEMONS, WE MISS YOU BROTHER!!!