Behind the Death of Clarence Clemons

Clarence Clemons added anthemic saxophone lines to Bruce Springsteen’s music for 40 some years before his death in 2011.

“He always lifted me up,” Springsteen said of Clemons after his death. “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.”

You can hear Clemons’ integral contributions to The Boss’ music in some of his biggest hits like, “Dancing in the Dark” and “Thunder Road.” Though Clemons’ death left a hole in the E Street Band, his nephew, Jake, picked up where his uncle left off so that no fan who comes to a Springsteen show will be without those iconic sax riffs.

We’re remembering Clemons and his legacy with the E Street Band. Revisit “The Big Man’s” story below.

Behind the Death of Clarence Clemons

Clemons died at the age of 69. His death was first reported by a New Jersey-based news outlet. They confirmed his cause of death was a stroke he suffered the weekend prior to his passing on June 18, 2011.

Though the stroke was the underlining cause of his death, he previously had a slew of health issues, including suffering a heart attack, spinal fusion surgery, and more. At the time, Springsteen issued a statement on his death saying, “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,” he continued. “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.”

Meeting The Boss

Clemons started playing saxophone at a young age. Right from the start, he quickly excelled at the instrument. Despite his talent, Clemons’ first career path saw him playing professional football after college, but a car accident left him unable to try-out for the Cleveland Browns.

Nevertheless, Clemons would become world-renowned as the result of a chance meeting with Springsteen in 1971. “I had my saxophone with me, and when I walked in this club—no lie—a gust of wind just blew the door down the street. Boof!,” Clemons once explained. “I say, ‘I want to play. Can I sit in?’ Bruce says, ‘Hey, you can do anything you want. Take a couple of background singers, anything.’

“I sat in with him that night,” Clemons continued. “It was phenomenal. We’d never even laid eyes on each other, but after that first song, he looked at me, I looked at him, and we said, ‘This is it.’ After that I was stoked.”

Other Credits

Though Clemons will always be known for his time with Springsteen, he had a storied music career outside of the E Street Band and even dabbled as an actor. He appeared in TV shows like Diff’rent Strokes, My Wife and Kids and The Wire, and films like Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.

Elsewhere he earned solo success with “You’re A Friend Of Mine”—a duet with Jackson Browne—and even played as part of Ringo Starr’s All Star Band. He spent the latter years of his life touring with Springsteen and the E Street Band after their reunion in 1999. His declining health and joint issues caused the tours to take more of a toll on him as the years went on.

One thing that never waned though was his incomparable skill on the sax. Check out the clip below as evidence to that claim.

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Photo by Steve Rapport/Getty Images