‘Clarence Clemons: Who Do I Think I Am?’ Follows Late Springsteen Sideman On Spiritual Quest 

There’s few sidekicks in rock n’ roll more famous than Clarence Clemons, original saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. The term “sidekick,” however, doesn’t quite do him justice. At well over 6 feet tall and pushing 300 pounds, Clemons was “The Big Man”; not only was he large, he was larger than life. People may have been coming to see Bruce Springsteen in concert but at various points during his marathon performances, Clemons was the star of the show. 

The new documentary Clarence Clemons: Who Do I Think I Am?, which is currently streaming on Netflix, is an affectionate tribute to the musician, who died in 2011 at the age of 69. Directed by Nick Mead, it features historical information and tributes from friends and colleagues, including rocker Joe Walsh and President Bill Clinton. The film repurposes much of the footage from Mead and Clemons’ 2011 film Who Do I Think I Am?, which chronicled the saxophonist’s spiritual pilgrimage to China in the years before his death. 

“Life on the road is loneliness,” Clemons says in a voiceover at the film’s start. He is looking into a mirror and fussing with his long dreadlocks. “I’m not just a saxophone player,” he tells us. Soon his friends will tell us that he was “gracious,” “a matador,” “a nice guy,” and numerous other compliments which speak not just of adoration but admiration as well. 

We learn about Clemons “life before Bruce.” He was raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia. His mother and aunt recall the little boy before the big man. His father was a fishmonger while his mother was a school teacher. Clemons was good at sports and according to friends would have played professionally if not for a car accident, a subject and story which should have been explored more. 

Born in 1942, Clemons grew up as a black man in the “Jim Crow” South and experienced racism first-hand but never let it limit him, socially or professionally. Childhood friend Dave Starkey, who is white, discusses how he and Clemons “couldn’t go many places together” in their hometown and as a young musician Clemons played with both white and black musicians. Shawn Poole, a writer for the Bruce Springsteen fanzine Backstreets, notes Clemons’ importance as one of the few prominent African-Americans in rock n’ roll during the ‘70s and ‘80s when the music industry was becoming increasingly segregated.   

In 1972, Clemons joined Bruce Springsteen’s backing group The E Street Band. As Clemons says, “I got the right job.” The fraternal bond between “The Boss” and “The Big Man” was immortalized on the album artwork for 1975’s Born To Run and the song “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.” Clemons became Springsteen’s on-stage foil and his honking sax lines evoked the early rock n’ roll and R&B at the heart of Springsteen’s sound. As Backstreets editor Chris Phillips says, “when Bruce’s words run out, Clarence’s horn picks up the story.” 

Clemons grew accustomed to the good life but when Springsteen shelved The E Street Band in the early ‘90s he was rudderless. He soon found work with Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band and formed his own group, Clarence Clemons Temple of Soul. Friends say he suffered privately from physical ailments. Three months before actually getting the call, Clemons sensed Springsteen would reunite the E Street Band and began training for the long tours ahead. Starting in 1999, he would spend substantial parts of the next 10 years on the road. 

During a break in touring in 2005, Clemons traveled to China looking for spiritual rebirth. He was struck by his anonymity, most people having never heard of Bruce Springsteen, though he also attracted attention as the first black man most of them had ever seen. At the Great Wall he pulled out his saxophone and began to play, before someone asked him “Who do you think you are?,” inspiring both personal reflection and the film’s title. Clemons visited various sacred destinations and religious sites and felt he had “lived this life before.” His spiritual rebirth reveals few practical insights but the scenery is beautiful to look at. 

While I’m sure Springsteen fanatics will enjoy Clarence Clemons: Who Do I Think I Am?, it’s a bit muddled and seems like an unfinished movie that was re-edited after its subject’s death, which, I’m pretty sure, is exactly what happened. At the same time, Clemons’ boundless spirit and lust for life is apparent, creating a fleshed out portrait of a man who touched many during his life. Though Springsteen doesn’t appear in the film, it ends with his famous quote, from the concert film Springsteen on Broadway, “Losing him was like losing the rain.”

Benjamin H. Smith is a New York based writer, producer and musician. Follow him on Twitter:@BHSmithNYC. 

Where to stream Clarence Clemons: Who Do I Think I Am?