RIP Clarence Clemons

Being a native born resident of New Jersey, I have had Bruce Springsteen shoved down my throat since the early to mid 1970s, whether I like it or not. I do like Bruce, mostly early Bruce and recent folksy Bruce, but the rest of it is painful to hear as I heard it all a million times per song on Philadelphia radio for decades. But however one might feel about The Boss, everybody loves Clarence Clemons.

The Big Man played sax for Bruce in the E Street Band forever, and when I say forever, I mean it as a compliment. Possibly one of the greatest rock and rock blues saxophone players ever, the man is legend, his smile infectious, and his talent unparalleled. He performed for decades, appeared in film, television and on dozens and dozens of records - and most recently in the video for "The Edge of Glory" by Lady GaGa. Sadly, after a massive stroke last week, Clarence Clemons finally passed away today at the age of 69. He will be missed.

When most folks think of Clemons solo, they think of the Jackson Browne duet, "You're a Friend of Mine," but I go back earlier than that by almost two years, to one of my favorite unsung rock and roll albums - "Rescue" by Clarence Clemons and the Red Bank Rockers. I have it on cassette tape and am still waiting for this baby to come out on CD. Good old fashioned rock and roll, and one song that spoke to me directly about the way I passionately listened to the radio in my younger days - "Rock 'N' Roll DJ." There's not a bad track on the album. I'm gonna miss you, Big Man.