Top 5 Clarence Clemons Moments

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“Do I need to say his name?”

For decades, Bruce Springsteen has posed this question to crowds ranging from a few hundred at a dingy seaside dive to nearly a hundred thousand at a sold-out stadium. The answer was always the same: an emphatic “No.”

No introduction was ever necessary for Clarence “Big Man” Clemons. The iconic saxophone player for the E Street Band stood 6 feet 4 inches and weighed 250 pounds and was among the most recognizable and cherished musicians of his—or any—generation. Sadly, Clemons passed away earlier this month at age 69 in his home in Florida due to complications from a recent stroke.

For the die-hard E Streeters leaving handmaid tributes outside the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, N.J. or commiserating on the message boards over at Backstreets.com there is no need to explain the enormity—literal and metaphorical—of the loss of Clemens. But for those less familiar with his life and tunes, here are some of his most memorable performances.

July 8, 1978

Phoenix, Arizona

“Born to Run”

This roiling, rambunctious escapist anthem may have lifted Springsteen, Clemons and their mates from the ramshackle days of their youth to superstardom but it was the Big Man’s soaring saxophone that gave the song it’s emotional exuberance.

Sept. 30, 2009

East Rutherford, N.J.

“Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”

The origin myth of the E Street Band, often narrated by Springsteen during marathon concerts, involved thunder, lightening and the mysterious and miraculous arrival of the Big Man out the squall. He blew doors off hinges, weakened knees and captured the imaginations of everyone who saw him. And then he blew on that horn with a joyful ferocity that would have impressed sax legend King Curtis. An abridged version of this tall tale was committed to vinyl in the form of “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.” For decades, few thing in rock consistently elicit the euphoria of the moment “when the change was made uptown and the Big Man joined the band.”

Sept. 19, 1978

Passaic, NJ

“Jungleland”

Closing out the seminal Born to Run album, this expansive narrative traversed the highs and lows of Springsteen’s entire oeuvre in just under 10 minutes. Hope and ambition mingles with desperation and impotence while romance death-waltzes with fatalism. Helping set the emotional tone for this sprawling, elegiac epic is one of Clemons’ signature solos, which nearly destroys the camera equipment around the 4:00 minute mark.

Sept. 3, 1999

Washington, D.C.

“If I Should Fall Behind”

Few songs embodied the familial commitment that permeated everything that the E Street Band did quite like this mournful tune. When organist Danny Federici passed away in April 2008, the band soldiered on. But will they be able to do the same without Clarence?

“From Small Things”

While Clemens was best known for his work as Springsteen’s onstage foil, the former pro football prospect had an incredibly successful and diverse solo career. He recorded hit singles with Jackson Browne and Aretha Franklin, toured extensively with Ringo Starr and recently contributed his signature saxophone sound to the track “Edge of Glory” on Lady Gaga’s Born This Way.

Here, he’s a guest on Letterman’s defunct NBC show. Once you get over your amazement at CC’s chip-n-dale get-up please take a moment to marvel at his presence and power. He radiates positivity. The combination of expertise and enthusiasm that he has for his craft shines through when he sits down with Dave after his performance.

Chris Greenberg is a freelance writer covering sports and culture from Jersey City, NJ.