[Deathwatch] Danny Federici, E Street Band keyboard player, 58

[Deathwatch Central]

E Street Band's Danny Federici dies
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/04/17/obit.federici.ap/index.html


 NEW YORK (AP) -- Danny Federici, the longtime keyboard player for
Bruce Springsteen whose stylish work helped define the E Street Band's
sound on hits from "Hungry Heart" through "The Rising," died Thursday.
He was 58.

Federici, who battled melanoma for three years, died at Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. News of his death was posted
late Thursday on Springsteen's official Web site.

According to published reports, Federici last performed with
Springsteen and the band March 20, appearing during portions of a show
in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Springsteen concerts scheduled for Friday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida,
and Saturday in Orlando, Florida, were postponed after news of
Federici's death.

He was born in Flemington, New Jersey, a long car ride from the Jersey
shore haunts where he first met kindred musical spirit Springsteen in
the late 1960s. The pair often jammed at the Upstage Club in Asbury
Park, New Jersey, a now-defunct after-hours club that hosted the best
musicians in the state.

It was Federici, along with original E Street Band drummer Vini Lopez,
who first invited Springsteen to join their band.

By 1969, the self-effacing Federici -- often introduced in concert by
Springsteen as "Phantom Dan" -- was playing with the Boss in a band
called Child. Over the years, Federici joined his friend in acclaimed
shore bands Steel Mill, Dr. Zoom and the Sonic Boom and the Bruce
Springsteen Band.

Federici became a stalwart in the E Street Band as Springsteen rocketed
from the boardwalk to international stardom. Springsteen split from the
E Streeters in the late '80s, but they reunited for a hugely successful
tour in 1999.

"Bruce has been supportive throughout my life," Federici said in a
recent interview with Backstreets magazine. "I've had my ups and downs,
and I've certainly given him a run for his money, and he's always been
there for me."

Federici played accordion on the wistful "4th Of July, Asbury Park
(Sandy)" from Springsteen's second album, and his organ solo was a
highlight of Springsteen's first top 10 hit, "Hungry Heart." His organ
coda on the 9/11-inspired Springsteen song "You're Missing" provided
one of the more heart-wrenching moments on "The Rising" in 2002.

In a band with larger-than-life characters such as saxophonist Clarence
Clemons and bandana-wrapped guitarist "Little" Steven Van Zandt,
Federici was content to play in his familiar position to the side of
the stage. But his playing was as vital to Springsteen's live show as
any instrument in the band.

Federici released a pair of solo albums that veered from the E Street
sound and into soft jazz. Bandmates Nils Lofgren on guitar and Garry
Tallent on bass joined Federici on his 1997 debut, "Flemington." In
2005, Federici released its follow-up, "Out of a Dream."

Federici took a leave of absence during the band's tour in November
2007 to pursue treatment for melanoma, and was temporarily replaced by
veteran musician Charles Giordano.

At the time, Springsteen described Federici as "one of the pillars of
our sound and has played beside me as a great friend for more than 40
years. We all eagerly await his healthy and speedy return."

Besides his work with Springsteen, Federici played on albums by an
impressive roster of other artists: Van Zandt, Joan Armatrading, Graham
Parker, Gary U.S. Bonds and Garland Jeffreys.

Many thanks to TheLenGuy for posting this obituary