Tuesday, April 22, 2008

REST IN PEACE, PHANTOM DAN


I have been a life-long Bruce Springsteen fan. I was in the 6th grade when my brother bought The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle. I'd listen to it for hours on end. I remember when Born to Run came out and the hype of the Time and Newsweek covers. I saw him play at small clubs, I saw him play huge stadiums.

The sound, to me, was perfect. The perfect blend of instruments and voices. The sound pierced my soul and has been my home.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band had a very long run without a tragedy. The band remained intact from the mid-70s through 2008. So it's with great sadness that I write
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band keyboardist Danny Federici passed away last Thursday at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York after a long bout with melanoma. He was 58, and is survived by his wife, Maya, his son, Jason, and his daughters, Harley and Madison.
Rest in Peace, Phantom Dan.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

At the risk of making enemies in high places, you might want to note the following a in blog post referencing the Gregory Hotel "suicide."

Apparently, it is becoming common practice for law enforcement agencies to rule as "suicide" deaths that occur when people somehow tie themselves up.

See here:

"Austin police said Thursday that they are leaning toward a ruling of suicide in the death of a middle school teacher and activist whose body was found Wednesday in Lady Bird Lake with his hands and legs bound and tape over his eyes."