bruce springsteenAlso, Carolyn Gusoff of Fox 5 News has reported that Clemons is paralyzed on the left side of his body. It was first reported last night on the showbiz411.com that the saxophonist had suffered a stroke at his Florida home and was seriously ill. That news has since been confirmed by several sources. Showbiz411 added today that members of the E Street Band "were advised to get down to Florida as soon as possible." Clemons is an original member of the E Street Band, and the oldest member of the band, at 69. He is someone whose importance to the New Jersey rock 'n' roll scene can't be overstated, and who is utterly irreplaceable. His big, immediately recognizable saxophone wail is one of the cornerstones of the E Street sound.
Songs such as "Born to Run," "Badlands" and "Jungleland" wouldn't have sounded remotely the same without him, and his larger-than-life personality always has given him a central role in the theatrics of the band's stage shows. As a sign of respect, Bruce Springsteen, when introducing the band, always introduces him last. Springsteen also gave him a crucial role in the autobiographical song "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," singing, about the moment when the E Street Band started to become successful: "When the change was made uptown and the Big Man joined the band/From the coastline to the city all the little pretties raise their hands." Although the E Street Band is currently on hiatus, Clemons has continued to perform on his own, occasionally, and has been in the news lately after performing on Lady Gaga's new album, "Born This Way."
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