Clarence Clemons of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band Dies: Who's the Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Sidekick?
SLIDESHOW: Who's the Best Rock 'n' Roll Sidekick?
Clarence Clemons
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Clarence Clemons
Clemons was a longtime saxophone player for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, but he also worked with Aretha Franklin, Ringo Starr and Lady Gaga.
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Steven Van Zandt
"Little Steven" is best known as a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandolin -- but we also feared him as Silvio on "The Sopranos."
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Keith Richards
In his recent memoir, Rolling Stones guitarist Richards said of lead singer Mick Jagger, "We're not really friends anymore but we'll always be brothers."
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Joe Perry
Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry and lead singer Steven Tyler are more like frenemies than friends. Last summer, Perry was accused of hip-checking Tyler off the stage.
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Slash
Slash is best known as the former guitarist for Guns N' Roses and sidekick to Axl Rose, but at this year's Super Bowl, he played sidekick to Fergie.
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Jimmy Page
A music legend in his own right, the Led Zeppelin guitarist can also be described as a sidekick to the band's vocalist, Robert Plant.
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Richie Sambora
The longtime Bon Jovi guitarist also does most of the songwriting with Jon Bon Jovi.
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319 votes
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51% | |||
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34 votes
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5% | |||
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50 votes
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8% | |||
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25 votes
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4% | |||
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82 votes
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13% | |||
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51 votes
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8% | |||
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61 votes
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10% | |||
Clemons died Saturday from complications from a stroke at age 69, leading Springsteen to write a poignant tribute on his website:
"Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. ...He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage. His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly forty years."
And Clemons was clearly more than just a colleague to Springsteen.
"He was my great friend, my partner, and 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," Springsteen added.
Clemons, also known as the "Big Man" for his considerable height and weight (he was about 6 feet, 5 inches tall and 270 pounds), also collaborated with many other artists including Aretha Franklin, Ringo Starr and, most recently, Lady Gaga on her current single "The Edge of Glory."
From Clemons to Slash to Keith Richards, click through our slideshow and let us know: Who's the greatest rock 'n' roll sidekick of all time?
Read More: http://omg.yahoo.com/news/clarence-clemons-sax-pla...
Top Opinion
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PeterHenderson 2011/06/20 18:56:39Clarence Clemons
+7When I think of a 'sidekick' I think of some colorful guy that makes a band more distinctive. In the Beatles, Ringo was the most sidekickey. Keith Richards is too close to the center to be a sidekick. Jimmy Page IS the center of Led Zeppelin. No sidekick he. So the BIG MAN wins, the person you always think of affectionately even though he's not co-equal with the leader.
One of my personal shots
And obviously, Slash' guitar > than Keith drum.
Simple math.
Not to take away from any of those guys, but to me, Clarence Clemons really helped to stamp a bit of a different sound for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
Awesome talent....RIP Clarence....RIP. Check out Clarence at 3:10.