Me too! Very sad. For those who may not have heard, Clarence "Big Man" Clemons, best known as the saxophonist in Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, passed away over the weekend due to complications from a stroke. Recently he performed on Lady Gaga's hit "The Edge of Glory." But that's not all! You might also remember him as a member of the "Future Council" in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.

In addition to his years of great music with the E Street Band, Clarence played sax on Aretha Franklin's "Freeway of Love" and scored a hit with "You're a Friend of Mine," a duet with Jackson Browne off of his solo album Hero. The video for "You're a Friend of Mine" is pure '80s bliss.



Yes, that's Daryl Hannah filming Clarence and Jackson with a giant VHS camera. (Kids, there was a time when you couldn't carry around a video camera in your phone.) Hannah, who was dating Browne at the time, sings back-up and paints the two guys for some reason. I love the pure, unironic joy in this video. It's just two bros dancing around their apartment and singing really, really close.

I'm a huge fan of songs with saxophone solos. "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty. Pink Floyd's "Us and Them." "Your Love Is King" by Sade. Sax solos get a bad rep in pop music, but I think they're making a comeback. And Clemons was one of the best sax men around.  

It's sad when someone who was part of the pop culture of your youth passes away. (It took me a while to get over Michael Jackson's death.) But at least we'll always have the great music. (Check out Clarence's famous solo on the Springsteen song "Jungleland")