Clarence Clemons, a member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, has been released from the hospital following eye surgery to repair a detached retina, according to his publicist. The 60-year-old saxophonist underwent surgery at Houston’s Memorial Hermann Hospital following a Nov. 4 show. Due to the surgery, Springsteen postponed concerts in Austin, Texas, Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis.
The band is scheduled to resume the second leg of its U.S. tour tonight (Nov. 12) at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati. The show will mark the return of general floor admission, also called festival seating, at a rock concert in the city since the practice was banned after a fatal stampede decades ago.
Eleven people were killed on Dec. 3, 1979, during a crush to get the best seats for a concert by the Who. Police agreed to a one-time variance for the Springsteen concert that will include security and safety measures.
The final U.S. leg of Springsteen’s “barnstorming” tour — where he and the E Street Band are performing only one night in each city, rather than their usual multi-night stands — was set to last through a Dec. 13 show in Albany, N.Y. The run has been extended to accommodate a Dec. 16 concert in Columbus, Ohio, and a Dec. 17 show in Indianapolis to make up for the shows postponed for Clemons’ surgery.
The Austin show, originally scheduled for Nov. 6, will be made up with a March 2 performance at the city’s Frank Erwin Center. That date opens up the doors on the rumor mill as fans are anticipating another swing across the country in 2003.
As previously reported, tickets for spring shows in Europe are already on sale. So far, dates on that continent range from a pair of concerts in Rotterdam on May 6 and 8, through a June 28 show in Milan. An Australian visit is also said to be in the offing for the group in 2003.
While hospitalized, Clemons’ latest solo album, “Live in Asbury Park” (Valley), was released. The set was recorded last year during a four-night string of shows at the New Jersey shore town’s famed Stone Pony nightclub, one of which was stopped for about 90 minutes thanks to a bomb scare at the venue. Another of the shows featured an appearance by Springsteen, who joined Clemons for performances of “Pink Cadillac,” “Raise Your Hand,” “Mustang Sally,” and “Glory Days,” none of which appear on the set.
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— AP & Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y.
Copyright 2002 Billboard.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. AP contributed to this report.