Search This Blog

Sunday, June 19, 2011

He was 69. Clarence Clemons...DOTC PowerPlayer of the Last 40 years...

"...Barefoot girl sitting on the hood of a Dodge
Drinking warm beer in the soft summer rain
The rat pulls into town rolls up his pants
Together they take a stab at romance and disappear down Flamingo Lane...

...And in the quick of the night they reach for their moment
And try to make an honest stand but they wind up wounded, not even dead
Tonight in Jungleland..."



I first saw Clarence October of 1980, during The River tour.  My back was against the wall of Cobo Arena, Detroit, - I was in the very last seat.

I did not matter.

What seemed miles away, the Big Man in a white tuxedo atop two stories of speakers blaring out from what appeared to be an impossibly big golden saxophone, the sax solo to end all others was, dare I say, religious. If you've seen, you know.

Hundreds of concerts later, I still remember that Michigan autumn night. The band started just after 8PM and rocked to just before 1AM. For the last set, which I believe was the 3rd or 4th encore, all the house lights remained on. It seemed everybody in the joint was up, dancing in the isles and sweating.

That night, those few hours together, was about as human as you could get.

Fucking Glorious.

Bruce's music is a good friend of DOTC, a good friend of mine. I've played him here many times.

I will miss The Big Man. Tears were shed.



Bruce -

"Clarence lived a wonderful life," states Springsteen. "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.

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.

He was my great friend, my partner, and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band."


The Autumn of Managed Print Services: Out with the Old, In with the "new"









Click to email me. 


1 comment:

  1. Thanks for posting this. 1000memories created a tribute site for Clarence today - http://1000memories.com/clarence-clemons - thought you'd appreciate it.

    ReplyDelete

Contact Me

Greg Walters, Incorporated
greg@grwalters.com
262.370.4193