Good-bye Clarence

In September of 1975 the Guilderland High School newspaper, The Journal, issued the first edition of the school year. There under the heading of music review, was the new album by a relatively unknown band, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The album was Born to Run. I went out, after reading a glowing review, and bought the album ( yes album, LP, 12 inch vinyl. Ten years later when I bought my first cd player, Born to Run was one of the first cd's I got.) before side one was over I was a fan. A lot is said about Bruce Springsteen, he is the "voice of a generation" and he was the next Bob Dylan, and although he is deserving of all these accolades, he alone was not what captured my attention. It was the band. The E Street Band had a sound that took us out of the disco era and back to rock and roll. In a year that featured number one hits by, Captain and Tennille, Love Will Keep Us Together, Glen Cambell, Rhinestone Cowboy, K.C. and The Sunshine Band, That's The Way (Get Down Tonight), and C.W. McCall, Convoy, the best the song Born to Run could do is 23 on the Billboard Charts. The 70's was a somewhat ugly decade for music ("see this scar right here on my wrist, that's from when I heard that the BeeGees were getting back together" Denis Leary) but the E Street Band continued to roll.

The band was made up of many different musicians the ones that have stayed the course and were at least part of the Born to Run album are, Bruce Springsteen, Vocals, guitar, harmonica, Gary Tallent, bass guitar, Max Weinberg, drums, Steven Van Zandt, backround vocals, and Clarence Clemons, saxaphone. Over the years others have joined and left the group. Weinberg was the bandleader on the Conan O'Brian Show, Steve Van Zandt was on the HBO series , The Saprano's, Clarence Clemons played with several other musicians and released a few solo albums. The band never reached the heights alone as they did together.

On this past Saturday, Clarence Clemons passed away from complications from a stroke he suffered on June 12, 2011. To say part of my childhood went with him isn't totally true. I was 17 when I first heard the band and for the next thirty five years they have held a spot very close to the top in my list of favorite music. I don't put together many playlist for my mp3 without at least one tune from the E Street Band. Born to Run is still my favorite followed by Thunder Road, I still smile and think of Sara when I hear Jersey Girl (only the line, "I'm in love with a Jersey girl" ) and I get to see a young Courtney Cox in the video of Dancing in the Dark.

I read the news Sunday morning of Clarence's death and felt like I had lost an old friend. Bruce on stage always did the intros right from referring to Clemons as "The Master of the Universe" to "I have seen the future of the whole f---ing thing and it's Big Man, Clarence Clemons".

I'm sure on the next tour the E Street Band will have a new sax player but the band will have a hole in their soul with out the Big Man. Thank you Clarence for all the fond memories.