Every Member Who Left Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band & Why (& Who The Current Members Are)

Grammy profitable Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame member Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band lately documented their return to reside performing post-COVID in Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. While a number of present members of the E Street Band have been part of the group’s authentic lineup, there have been a number of members who departed. The documentary launched on Hulu gives a window into Springsteen’s songwriting, creative process, and rehearsal model, whereas moreover shedding mild on the wealthy historical past of the musician’s rise to fame.

Several present members of the E Street Band stay integral in 75-year-old Springsteen’s personal and professional life. Patti Scialifa, who presently lends concord vocals, rhythm guitar, keys, and synthesizer to the group, can be married to Springsteen. The couple share three kids collectively and have become first-time grandparents in 2022. On the opposite hand, a number of of the departed members of the E Street Band went on to have profitable music careers, whereas others have handed away.

5 Clarence Clemons

Joined In 1972, Died In 2011

Clarence Clemons was a famend saxophonist who performed with the E Street band from 1972 to his premature dying in 2011. Clemons and Springsteen have been lifelong shut private buddies and bandmates, and former footage of Clemons is included in Road Diary. Clemons’ nephew, Jake Clemons, now a touring member of the band, can be interviewed concerning the late musician’s legacy in blues and rock music within the documentary. Springsteen remarked that “That relationship is forever irreplaceable” in Road Diary.

Clemons and Springsteen first met in 1971 in Asbury Park, New Jersey, the place Springsteen started to achieve notoriety for enjoying at storied venues such because the Stone Pony. At the time, Clemons was taking part in with a gaggle known as Normal Seldin and the Joyful Noize, and was inspired to take a look at Springsteen’s set on the close by Student Prince, now Porta (by way of Asbury Park Press). Clemons said in posthumous interviews featured in Road Diary that he at all times noticed Springsteen’s imaginative and prescient.

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A Baptist-born man from the South, Clemons made his method to New Jersey by likelihood after a career-ending harm upended his plans of going skilled with the NFL (by way of ESPN). Clemons had performed the saxophone since he was 9 years outdated, and opted to pursue music professionally as an alternative of soccer after surviving a life-altering automobile accident. Clemons was posthumously inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame as part of the E Street Band in 2014.

4 Danny Federici

Joined In 1972, Died In 2008

Danny Federici, like Springsteen, was raised in a small working-class group in New Jersey. Federici was the E Street Band’s organist for 40 years, and moreover performed the accordion and the electrical glockenspiel. His various instrumentation was an integral aspect within the band’s evolving sound, which ranged from blues to folks and rock. Federici first picked up the accordion when he was seven years outdated (by way of Chorus & Verse).

Federici’s organ taking part in was notably essential in Springsteen’s Eighties music, on hits like “Hungry Heart” and extra. He was typically nicknamed the Phantom for evading a police crackdown in 1970 at a reside efficiency (by way of Vermillion County First). Federici attended Hunterdon Central High School, the place he first took an curiosity in pursuing music professionally. (by way of TAPinto Flemington/Raritan). Outside his work with the band, Federici additionally launched a solo jazz album titled Flemington in homage to his hometown.

The multi-instrumentalist took a depart from the band in 2007 to bear remedy for melanoma, and later made a quick ultimate return in 2008 for his final efficiency with the band. Federici in the end died after battling the type of pores and skin most cancers for 3 years, the place he was handled at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City (by way of Rolling Stone).

3 David Sancious

Joined In 1972, Left In 1974, Returned Solely For 2014

David Sancious, an organist, pianist, and backing vocalist, briefly carried out with the E Street Band for 2 years following their 1972 inception, and made a quick look with them in 2014. Sancious left the band to develop into a profitable touring and session musician for a lot of acclaimed acts, together with Peter Gabriel, Sting, Eric Clapton, and extra. An Asbury Park, New Jersey native, Sancious turned concerned with a number of bands within the native music scene as a youngster.

The E Street Band takes its title after the highway Sancious’ mom lived on. The group practiced in her storage at 1107 E Street in Belmar, New Jersey, on the Jersey Shore (by way of Asbury Park Press). While Sancious was an essential a part of the group discovering their early sound, he didn’t be part of the band full-time till the next yr in 1973. The musician departed the band in 1974 alongside drummer Ernest Carter to kind their very own band, Tone. The group went on to work with future members of Santana, and Patti Scialfa, Springsteen’s later collaborator and spouse.

Springsteen inspired Sancious to go solo, and assisted him in networking at any time when attainable in his early profession. Sancious landed a recording contract with Epic Records, and later spoke about how a lot he at all times admired Springsteen’s authenticity (by way of Rolling Stone). Due to his position as a founding member, Sancious was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of fame in 2014 as part of the E Street Band.

2 Vini Lopez

Joined 1972, Left 1974, Returned Solely In 2014

Lopez is one other New Jersey native as soon as part of the E Street Band. Lopez attended Neptune High School alongside fellow E Street member Garry Tallent, a fellow founding member who remains to be energetic because the band’s bass participant (by way of New Jersey Monthly). The drummer is nicknamed “Mad Dog,” and he performed drums on Springsteen’s first two information, Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle.

Lopez lent his drumming to a lot of bands on the Jersey shore. His abrupt 1974 departure from the band was born from a battle he claimed to have with the group’s highway supervisor, Steve Appel (by way of The New York Times). Appel’s brother went on to develop into the band’s supervisor. He reunited together with his former bandmates when the E Street Band was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

1 Ernest Carter

Joined And Left In 1974

Ernest “Boom” Carter was an Asbury Park native and childhood pal of Sancious. Carter is heralded as one of the dynamic rock n’ roll drummers of all time, for his capacity to create a novel mix of rhythm, blues, and rock. The drummer changed Lopez upon his departure. Carter and Sancious left E Street collectively to kind their very own jazz fusion group, Tone, which was later signed to Epic Records in 1975 (by way of Jazzwise). The group’s debut album Forest of Feelings was dropped in 1975.

Prior to his departure from the E Street Band, Carter gained notoriety for his position in crafting the sound of Springsteen’s hit music “Born To Run.” Carter’s substitute within the band was present E Street member Max Weinberg. Weinberg went on to function E Street’s longtime drummer, and is featured prominently in Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Sources: Asbury Park Press, ESPN, Chorus & Verse, Vermillion County First, TAPinto Flemington/Raritan, Rolling Stone, New Jersey Monthly, The New York Times, Jazzwise

Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band gives an insider’s glimpse into Springsteen’s inventive course of, that includes behind-the-scenes footage of band rehearsals and backstage moments. The documentary supplies followers with direct insights from Springsteen, enhancing their understanding of his musical journey.

Director

Thom Zimny

Release Date

September 8, 2024

Cast

Bruce Springsteen , Garry Tallent , Roy Bittan , Max Weinberg , Steven Van Zandt , Nils Lofgren , Patti Scialfa

Runtime

99 minutes

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