LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Clarence Clemons, the burly saxophone player
who played a crucial role in shaping Bruce Springsteen's early sound,
died on Saturday, six days after suffering a stroke at his Florida home,
media reports said. He was 69. The New York Times said Clemons' death was confirmed by a spokeswoman
for Springsteen. Reuters could not immediately confirm the reports. Clemons, dubbed the "Big Man," started working with Springsteen in 1971
and was a charter member of the backing group that came to be known as
the E Street Band. His gritty, evocative saxophone solos powered such notable Springsteen
songs as "Born to Run," "Jungleland," "Prove It All Night," "Tenth
Avenue Freeze Out," and "Badlands."On stage, Clemons proved a worthy foil for Springsteen and his bandmates. In a 1975 concert review, Rolling Stone said Clemons betrayed an "ominous cool" in contrast to guitarist Steven Van Zandt's "strange hipster frenzy." "Clarence was the big black saxophone player who completely represented the tradition of rock 'n' roll and R&B," Van Zandt told Britain's Mojo magazine in 2006. Alongside Van Zandt, Clemons personified the E Street Band, and he took it hard when Springsteen broke up the group for a decade in 1989. But by then, Clemons was being used less in the studio. On stage, he was often reduced to playing tambourine or engaging in crowd-pleasing theatrics, like kissing Springsteen during the live staple "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)."
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