Part of what makes the E Street Band so special is the relationship between the backing musicians and their bandleader, Bruce Springsteen. The Boss has lived up to his name as the frontman of a road crew that’s been around for decades, and he does so by prioritizing music above all else. While countless musicians have succumbed to the hedonistic “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle,” Springsteen has always been adamant about staying in good health with a clear mind to produce the best possible show.
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But sometimes, a musician’s body takes a turn for the worse through no fault of their own. And indeed, these issues rarely wait for a busy tour season to end before they start causing problems. Such was the case for Danny Federici, founding member of the E Street Band. Federici, who played organ, accordion, and the glockenspiel in the E Street Band, knew Springsteen since they were kids in New Jersey.
The keyboardist performed with Springsteen for decades before taking a leave of absence to treat a recent melanoma diagnosis in November 2007. “Danny is one of the pillars of our sound,” Springsteen said in a statement at the time. “[He] has played beside me as a great friend for more than 40 years. We eagerly await his healthy and speedy return.”
Danny Federici and Bruce Springsteen Performed Together for the Last Time in March 2008
Keyboardist Charles Giordano took Danny Federici’s place following his November 2007 departure, but that wasn’t the last time the latter musician took the stage with his long-time friend and colleague, Bruce Springsteen. That night would come months later, in March 2008, during a show at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Music journalist Kieran Lane reviewed the show, describing the electric energy that filled the venue when Federici made his surprise appearance an hour into the show.
Per Lane’s reporting, Federici walked out on stage to “The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze,” which seemed like an appropriate theme for someone who was braving a harrowing medical illness but still finding time for rock ‘n’ roll. The E Street Band played “like an incredibly well-oiled machine” that night, no doubt bolstered by the excitement of having their founding bandmate back on stage with them.
Tragically, this was the final time they were ever afforded the opportunity. Federici died at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City on April 17, 2008, after a three-year-long battle with melanoma. “He was the most wonderfully fluid keyboard player and a pure natural musician,” Springsteen said in a statement following Federici’s passing. “I loved him very much. We grew up together.”
Photo by Joey Foley/FilmMagic
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