RIP, Clarence Clemons

I saw three Springsteen shows, including an awesome one with Clarence in '88. And I always love his little solo at the end of "Bobby Jean".

RIP Big Man.

 

RIP, Clarence.

 

Perhaps it was just a final statement on the band as we knew it during the performance of the Greetings album, but this clip from the last ESB show in 2009 is especially moving this morning.

 

I think it's cool. I think that for a long time, the thought was that rock music was only for the young, and the glorified deaths of guys like Morrison, Hendrix, Brian Jones, Cobain, Joplin, and on and on, fed into that myth. I think we've now seen that guys like Springsteen, Dylan (I know you hate him, but still), Neil Young, the Stones, the Dead, and the next generation like Pearl Jam and Dave Grohl can have long, vital careers in their craft just like any one of us schlubs.

That being said, it's tough when someone like the Big Man leaves us. For as much as we now realize that rock careers don't have to stop at age 30, we still remember vividly when our musical idols were young and immortal. Because we were, too.

 

Posnanski weighs in. http://joeposnanski.blogspot.com/2011/06/big-man.html

 

Reminded me of when I saw the band at the Capital Center 1984-85. Slept out in the streets to be first in line to get tickets the next morning. Some member of the band's extended family had passed away and after a big solo (Jungleland?), Clarence was sobbing as he slowly stepped back out of the spotlight. One of those raw moments growing up, never saw that before and haven't seen it since.

 

Damn spnited, hogging the solos to himself now.

 

Beautiful.

 

Well said.

 

my 'father's day' has been ruined.... thanks for all the posts and video links. too soon for them to be healing but comforting all the same.

rip, big man. 'thanks for the memories' falls woefully short. :'( :'( :'(

 

Saw the band in Charlottesville in Oct., 1974, while "Born to Run" was being prepped for release (at that time it was to be called "Jungleland).

His solo in Jungleland nearly levitated the old gym at UVa. Great band, great show, great memory.

He also hits it pretty well in "Kitty's Back."

Rest easy, Big Man.