"The Big Man" Clarence Clemons has passed away: 1942 - 2011

Bruce Springsteen was fond of the story of how he met Clarence Clemons, and its retelling, usually during "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," was a ritual part of the band's live shows.

In most tellings, a lightning storm was rolling through Asbury Park one night in 1971 while Springsteen was playing a gig there. As Clemons entered the bar, the wind blew the door off its hinges, and Springsteen was startled by the towering shadow at the door. Then Clemons invited himself onstage to play along, and they clicked.

It was a beautiful relationship that sadly is over.