Sunday, June 19, 2011 3:59am ET by  
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Clarence Clemons dies at 69

Legendary saxophone player Clarence Clemons, who has been a vital part of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band for decades, has passed away aged 69.

A spokesperson for Springsteen released a statement to MTV News last night saying: "It is with overwhelming sadness that we inform our friends and fans that at 7:00 tonight Saturday, June 18, our beloved friend and bandmate, Clarence Clemons passed away. The cause was complications from his stroke of last Sunday, June 12th."

Springsteen himself said in the statement of his friend and colleague: "Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. 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 oppurtunity to stand beside him for nearly forty years. 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."

Check below for Bruce giving Clarence a worthy intro at a London show below: