Danny Federici
You all know, no doubt, that I am a big fan of Bruce Springsteen. But I am especially a fan of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. That band makes it happen, and a member of the band that made it happen from the very beginning was Danny Federici, the organist, who died yesterday. He had taken a break from the current tour to seek treatment for his cancer, and when he showed up for a performance of “Fourth of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)” in Indianapolis, everyone was hopeful that he’d soon rejoin the band. Alas, that wasn’t to be.
So, next time you hear any great Springsteen song, like “Kitty’s Back” or “Streets of Fire”, listen for the accordion or the Hammond organ. My favorite moment comes in “Jungleland”, at the line “From the churches to the jails, tonight all is silence in the world…” and the huge organ comes in on the word “churches”. It makes the moment. That’s Danny Federici.
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Addendum: Ben Lazar has posted a wonderful tribute over at his page, A Deeper Shade of Soul.
Filed under: Popular Music on April 18th, 2008
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