#ripbigman

[bossfan4lyfe]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG MAN CLARENCE CLEMONS!!!! GONE BUT SURELY NEVER EVER 4GOTTEN. #longlivethebigman #ripbigman #2big2die #clarenceclemons #brucespringsteen #estreetband #TheBoss #bigmanclarenceclemons #bigman

[bossfan4lyfe]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG MAN CLARENCE CLEMONS!!!! GONE BUT NEVER EVER 4GOTTEN!! WE ALL MISS YA BIG C! #longlivethebigman #ripbigman #2big2die #bigman #clarenceclemons #brucespringsteen #estreetband #TheBoss

[theskibbereeneagle]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=456baiiyLcs) 5 years gone but not forgotten. #RIPBigMan

[twentyminutesaday]

Clarence Clemons

"And last but not least. Do I have to say his name? Do I have to SPEAK his name? In this corner...king of the world...master of the universe...weighing in at 260 pounds...THE BIG MAN...CLARENCE CLEMONS!"

What to say about the Big Man that Bruce himself hasn't already said? How can we mythologize someone who, in life, was already more myth than man? "Bigger than life" doesn't do justice to Clarence's size, his life story, and most importantly, the sound that came out of his horn. I mean, the guy's autobiography was semi-fictional - but could anyone have really doubted that it all seemed not just possible but likely to have happened?

When I think back on my memories of Clarence, three stand out.

September 3, 1999 My second ever Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concert. It was in Washington D.C., and I attended with my college roommate John Hyman (I had first become aware of John when we were freshmen and he was playing "Backstreets" on a piano outside our dining hall - it was an immediate bond).

After a quiet duet by Bruce and Patti on "Mansion on the Hill," the stage lights went down at the MCI Center. Soon we heard the most mournful and haunting notes that one could imagine coming from Clarence's tenor sax. It was the opening to a new arrangement of "The River" that I had never heard before, and it added a heartbreaking layer of mystery and dread to the song. It gave me chills. It still does.

October 4, 2003 The last show of "The Rising" tour at Shea Stadium. Aaron Cohen and I stood on the outfield of our beloved home stadium for an emotional night that ended Bruce and the band's 14-month tour.

Clarence's health had seemed to be deteriorating all year to the point that he was virtually immobile on stage - and he spent much of the shows seated on his Big Man stool. And when the band concluded the show and the tour with "Blood Brothers" - Bruce's tribute to his bandmates - the giant video screen showed us the indelible image of Clarence's face with tears streaming down his mighty cheeks.

I couldn't help but feel that it was a moment of finality, and I remember turning to Aaron with a lump in my throat, saying, "I think this is the last time we'll see Clarence on stage."

Thankfully, I was completely wrong. The Big Man made it through more studio albums and two more massive tours - including a performance at the Super Bowl that will allow my friend Brian Hyland to die a happy man.

April 1, 2011 My most unexpected Big Man sighting. My dad and I went to Opening Day of the baseball season at Sun Life Stadium in Miami to see the Mets play the Marlins. I had no advance warning that Clarence would be playing the national anthem, so I was thrilled when they announced his name over the PA system.

With the Marlins lined up to his left and the Mets lined up to his right, Clarence blew a beautiful rendition of the national anthem (though unfortunately for me, it inspired his hometown Marlins to victory).

But the elation I felt while Clarence played was soon tinged with sadness as I watched him leave the field - he could barely walk. The body that had been slowly betraying him for years seemed to be in worse shape than ever.

He wouldn't make it another three months. Six days ago he suffered a stroke. Today he died.

Clarence's passing is a huge loss to all of us who love Bruce's music. But mainly I just feel badly for Bruce right now. It's hard to imagine what it will be like for him the first time he takes the stage without his brother.