Danny Federici Dies at 58
Musician was longtime organist in E Street Band

April 17
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Danny Federici, the longest-serving member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, died Thursday afternoon at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York after a three-year battle with melanoma. He was 58.

Keyboardist Federici, a Flemington native, played his last full show with the band in Boston in November before beginning treatment. Veteran session musician Charles Giordano replaced him at subsequent shows.

Federici made a poignant final appearance with the band last month in Indianapolis, playing on eight songs, including "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)," which spotlighted his atmospheric accordion playing.

When Springsteen made his induction speech as a new member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, he acknowledged every member of his E Street Band individually, with a few warm, well-chosen words. He described Federici as "the most instinctive and natural musician I ever met" and told him, "Your organ and accordion playing brought the boardwalks of Central and South Jersey alive in my music."

Federici, who played mostly organ as well as some accordion and glockenspiel, was a selfless virtuoso, adding his riffs to the rich E Street sound, but never trying too hard to draw attention to himself. He played with Springsteen before there even was an E Street Band - in the groups Child and Steel Mill - and was one of only three musicians to be in every E Street incarnation.



(Bruce Springsteen with Danny Federici)


His organ playing could be soulful, as on "My City of Ruins," or bright and cheerful, as on "Hungry Heart," or cool and jazzy, as on "Kitty's Back."

When Federici took a leave of absence in November to undergo treatment for his disease, Springsteen released a statement saying "Danny is one of the pillars of our sound and has played beside me as a great friend for more than 40 years."

Federici learned his first keyboard instrument, the accordion, by watching "The Lawrence Welk Show."

'I started playing accordion at 7 years old," he said in 2005. "I had quite a little accordion career going on, before I even got involved in rock 'n' roll. I actually have one photo of me sitting at the Flemington Fair with a lousy smirk on my face, in front of like 50 people in the grandstand."

He earned his nickname, "The Phantom," in 1970. At a Steel Mill show at the Clearwater Swim Club in Atlantic Highlands, local residents complained about the noise, and police ended the show early, with a minor riot ensuing. Federici slipped away into the crowd, avoiding possible arrest.

In addition to recording and touring with the E Street Band, Federici released two albums of his own jazz-pop instrumentals: 1997's "Flemington" (re-released in 2001, with one new track, as "Danny Federici" ), and 2005's "Out of a Dream."

The former was named after the town where he grew up. "It took me a long time to come home, to think about who I am and where I came from," he said at the time.

Shows by Springsteen and the band scheduled for two nights in Florida have been postponed.

My thoughts and prayers are with Danny's family, and all those who loved him.

No damn way!!!!! That's so sad!!!

I'm going to see Bruce and the band for the first time next month. It will be so sad not to see Dan the Man at the keys! My Tthoughts and prays are with his family and friends

Damn. He added so much to Bruce's music. He will be missed.

Rest in Peace, Mr.Federici

my question is if this is the beginning of the end of the E Street Band
[Edited 4/19/08 8:01am]