Springsteen sax icon Clarence Clemons dies

Clarence Clemons, the charismatic saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band and one of rock's best-known sidemen, died at 7 p.m. Saturday at a hospital in Palm Beach, Fla., due to complications from a stroke suffered last week, according to a Springsteen spokeswoman. He was 69.

Known to fans as "The Big Man" and immortalized in Springsteen songs like "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out," Clemons wasn't just essential to the band's sound, he was essential to the band's legendary live shows with his inspired soul-influenced, rock-oriented playing.

"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," Springsteen said in a statement. "His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band."

Perhaps the secret to their long-lasting partnership is their mutual respect. "I've been playing this music most of my life and I swear to you every time is like the first time," Clemons wrote in his 2009 book "Big Man: Real Life & Tall Tales." "When we're not on the road and I'm home in Florida, I listen to Bruce Springsteen music . . . It's an essential part of my life."

Clemons was born Jan. 11, 1942, in Norfolk, Va., and played saxophone in high school where he was also a promising football player at 6-foot-4 and nearly 250 pounds. A car crash ended his professional sporting dreams, and he went on to become a social worker, family man and barroom rocker.

His first meeting with Springsteen was the stuff of legend. He went to an Asbury Park, N.J., club to check Springsteen out on a bitterly windy night. A gust of wind ripped the door from his hand, and it flew down the street. All eyes turned to Clemons, and Springsteen readily agreed when he asked to sit in with him.

"When I first walked on that stage and hit the first note, I saw things that are happening today, then," Clemons told Reuters in 2009. "I knew that he [Springsteen] was what I was looking for and I was what he was looking for to take that next step to the big time. It was just love, man, at first sight."

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During sessions for Springsteen's 1975 breakthrough "Born to Run," Clemons spent 16 hours recording his solo on "Jungleland," the nine-minute track that closes the album and has become a signature track for both men. "I've had people say to me, 'That sax solo saved my life,' " Clemons said of the song. "So I did my job."

In addition to his E Street Band duties, Clemons was also a well-respected studio musician, collaborating with everyone from Janis Ian to Aretha Franklin, from Gary U.S. Bonds to Twisted Sister.

His recent collaboration with Lady Gaga on her song "The Edge of Glory" landed him on "American Idol" last month. The video for the song, which features him sitting on the steps playing his sax while Gaga dances around him, debuted on Thursday.

"Clarence lived a wonderful life," Springsteen said in a statement. "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 40 years." With Reuters