By M&C News Apr 18, 2008, 11:43 GMT
E Street Band keyboardist Danny Federici died Thursday at the age of 58. The musician had battled melanoma for three years, and died at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
11/16/2004 - Danny Federici - Alexander World Premiere in Los Angeles - Grauman's Chinese Theatre - Hollywood, CA, USA © Lee Roth / RothStock / PR Photos
The news of Federici’s death was posted late Thursday on Springsteen's official website, and concerts planned for today in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Saturday in Orlando have been postponed. Federici last took the stage with Springsteen and his iconic band last month at a March 20th show in Indianapolis.
Federici was born in Flemington, N.J., and met Springsteen (who often introduced the musician as "Phantom Dan") in the late 1960s. The two were in many bands together before forming Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
Although he was a quieter presence in a band full of rockers (such as saxophonist Clarence Clemons and guitarist "Little" Steven Van Zandt), he helped define the sound of many of the group’s hit singles – including his accordion contribution on "4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)," his organ solo on "Hungry Heart," and his organ piece on "You're Missing."
In addition to his work with the E Street Band, Federici released two solo albums (‘Flemington’ and ‘Out of a Dream’) featuring a soft jazz sound.
Federici took a leave of absence during the band's November 2007 tour to undergo treatment for melanoma, and was temporarily replaced by Charles Giordano.
During Federici’s absence from the tour, Springsteen described the keyboardist as "one of the pillars of our sound.”
Your Talkback on this Story