A documentary on the life and work of Clarence Clemons was already in the works when the E Street Band saxophonist passed away unexpectedly in 2011. Now the film, titled Clarence Clemons: Who Do I Think I Am?, is nearing the finish line.
A press release says this about the doc: “The world knew Clarence Clemons as The Big Man. The Minister of Soul. The Secretary of the Brotherhood. Musician, singer, songwriter and a lifetime member of the E Street Band, his powerful sax became a vital part of Bruce Springsteen’s signature sound. But there was also a deeply spiritual side to Clarence that took him to China in 2005. Filmmaker and friend Nick Mead documented what became a spiritual quest and search for meaning that began on the Great Wall and continued until Clemons’ death in 2011.”
Related: An appreciation of Born to Run
“Clarence, who played alongside Springsteen for 40 years, had something beyond music that he wanted to share with the world. And he had planned to do it through this documentary film, which he was working on up until his death” said Joel Amodei, president of Virgin Films, who is producing the documentary.
“The film shows us his soulful mission and how it changed him, while it pays tribute to The Big Man, through recollections with his closest friends and family members,” the release further states.
Clarence Clemons: Who Do I Think I Am? features interviews with President Bill Clinton; current and former E Street Band members Jake Clemons (Clarence’s nephew), Nils Lofgren and Vini Lopez; photographer Danny Clinch, rock greats Joe Walsh, Willie Nile, Michael Narada Walden, Norman Selden; and many others, including family and friends who knew Clarence best,” according to the press release.
Related: Our Q-and-A with Jake Clemons
The producers of the film have launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to help complete and distribute the film.
Watch Clarence Clemons play a classic solo
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