Two Bruce Springsteen points to make today. First, Clarence Clemons, saxophone player in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, died a couple of days ago.
Known as the “Big Man” for his 6ft 5in frame and stage presence, Clemons was an original member of Springsteen’s E Street Band and has been called its “soul”. In a statement, the singer said his loss was “immeasurable” and that he and his bandmates were honoured to have stood beside Clemons for nearly four decades.
Describing him as “my great friend, my partner”, Springsteen added: “With Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music.
“His life, his memory and his love will live on in that story and in our band”.
There was a man who could belt out a saxophone solo (at 4:00 in).
Secondly, last year I wrote a short story for Darkness on the Edge, which was a Springsteen-inspired anthology, and which today I discovered is now available as an ebook from PS Publishing for a very reasonable £3.99. It originally came out as a limited edition, so this is good news.
So many of Springsteen’s songs bring you close to the edge of a darkness where uncertainty reigns – a darkness not just on the edge of town but of our hearts and minds . . . the darkness between child and adulthood, perhaps; or between courage and fear; marriage and divorce; even confidence and self-doubt. These nineteen authors nudge us closer to an answer . . . and let us see what really is stirring out there in the shadows.
I don’t often write short stories but, being a fan of the Boss, it was one of those opportunities not to be missed.
