Credit: Far Out / Alamy
Thu 30 July 2026 3:00, UK
Though each member of The Beatles experienced enormous success as a solo artist, it’s notable that at various times in their later lives, each member of the Fab Four separately sought solace, protection and comfort in a new group or, in John Lennon’s case, musical partner, during their lives.
Paul McCartney grew Wings (with whom he made his best record, Band on the Run), whereas Lennon, of course, replaced his old songwriting partner with the other love of his life, Yoko Ono. George Harrison was reborn first as Nelson and then as Spike Wilbury when he started the Traveling Wilburys, and Ringo Starr was saved from an awful 1980s with a little help from an all-star cast of friends.
Arguably rivaling the fire-power in Harrison’s supergroup, Ringo’s managed to call on a murderer’s row level motley crew consisting of the legendary Dr John on piano, nearly-Beatle Billy Preston on the organ, Band alumni Rick Danko and Levon Helm on bass and drums, Traveling Sidebury Jim Keltner also on drums (what the hell? Sure), Eagle Joe Walsh on guitar, and two more musicians who were now feeling like a spare part after the dissolution of their long-term band.
Nils Lofgren and, especially, Clarence Clemons must have thought that their stars were forever going to be tied to Bruce Springsteen’s. Clemons was there from the start of Springsteen’s career, and was part of the group since before they were even known as the E Street Band, while Lofgren joined to replace the departing little Stevie Van Zandt, who had oversized eyes on a solo career of his own.
The sight of Clarence Clemons wielding his saxophone onstage next to ‘The Boss’ was as synonymous with the idea of seeing Bruce in blue jeans and holding a butterscotch Telecaster. Can you imagine what songs like ‘Blinded By the Light’, ‘Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)’, ‘Dancing in the Dark’, ‘The Fever’ or, especially, ‘Born to Run’ would have been like without Clemons’ saxophone? His playing pushed them all to the next level, and his joyous, exuberant energy onstage was infectious.
But, at the end of the Human Rights Now! tour in the late 1980s, Springsteen imagined just that, and disbanded his lifelong backing troupe.
“I was shocked, I was hurt,” Clemons told the Orange County Register in 1989 about the end of the band, before adding, “And then I was happy. Life goes on, and it’s tremendously freeing. Before, I always had to look over my shoulder and, if I wanted to do something, I had to see what was happening with Bruce. Now, I can go on with my life.”
Further reading: From The Vault
And that is exactly what he did when he joined Dr John, Preston, Danko, Helm, Keltner, Walsh, Lofgren and Starr in the All-Starr band.
Ringo has said that his new band saved him at the end of the 1980s, but it also saved all the stars in it who were reeling from the breakup of their own bands, as well. Clemons was allowed the space onstage to step out of the sidelines and into the spotlight, to take on the leading role in the group that he deserved.
ADD AS A PREFERRED SOURCE ON GOOGLE 
The Far Out Beatles Newsletter
All the latest stories about The Beatles from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.