Sad news in my inbox this morning, as I read of the passing of “Phantom Dan” Danny Federici, who for 40 years, was keyboard player in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. Federici took a leave of absence in November from the E Street Band to pursue treatment for the melanoma which he had been battling for three years.

I had no idea that the November 4th Quicken Loans Arena date would be the last time that I would see Federici on stage with the E Street Band. None of us did, and we were shocked as Springsteen fans when we heard the announcement of Danny’s late November departure. The situation had been kept under wraps, and word circulated quietly that things weren’t good. Which is why it was good to see Federici reappear March 20th for a guest appearance at the Indianapolis show playing on several songs, including 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy,) which is definitely one of the more notable songs in the Springsteen output featuring Federici.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (with Danny) – 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) – Indianapolis, March 2008.

Springsteen posted a note regarding Federici’s passing on his website on Thursday night:

“Danny and I worked together for 40 years – he was the most wonderfully fluid keyboard player and a pure natural musician. I loved him very much…we grew up together.”
– Bruce Springsteen

Federici, along with original E Street Band drummer Vini Lopez, first invited Springsteen to play in their band Child. Federici and Springsteen would go on to play together in several other local bands, most notably Steel Mill, before Springsteen formed the band that everyone would soon hear a few things about, The E Street Band. And for 40 years, that’s where you could find Danny Federici. An amazing run for a good person who battled a few demons, and sent them all packing years later, wrapping up his life story back on stage with the E Street Band.

“Bruce has been supportive throughout my life,” Federici said recently to Springsteen fan magazine Backstreets. “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.”

The Federici and E Street Family request that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Danny Federici Melanoma Fund. A website for the fund is in the works, and a link will be posted on Springsteen’s website when ready.

Here in Cleveland, we shared many classic concert memories featuring Federici and the E Street Band over the years, and most famous among those memories is the classic WMMS-FM national live broadcast of the band’s fiery date at the Cleveland Agora on August 9th, 1978, celebrating the 10th anniversary of WMMS. The band had performed in Cleveland with Federici many times since the initial reunion, including a great pair of shows in 1999 on that reunion tour, with the second night featuring a total of 11 songs that weren’t performed on the previous night. I was at both of those shows, and rarely played songs like Trapped and Point Blank took me straight back, to my early beginnings as a fan.

Speaking of that Agora show, I’ll share the complete show later today. For now, here’s Danny and crew with 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy).

Heather Browne shares another classic Bruce show via her I Am Fuel, You Are Friends blog. You can grab the classic Main Point show from 1975, which features the first known performance of Thunder Road, and also as Heather shares, what many consider to be one of the definitive performances of Incident on 57th Street. It’s a good one – check it out right here.

By the way, if you’re curious to know the origins of of Danny’s “Phantom” nickname, check this out:

“Phantom Dan…Now you see him, Now you don’t!”
(a line often used by Springsteen as part of his on-stage introductions of Danny Federici.)

It was in these early, pre-E-Street days that Danny would earn his nickname Phantom Dan. When a riot broke out during one of the Steel Mill shows sound equipment fell on the local chief of police. Danny fled the scene like a ghost.

source: The Soul Shack

R.I.P. Danny – thanks for all of the music that you shared, and continue to share with us. The music indeed, will always live on, and we’re grateful for that, and the time that we got to spend with you!