Danny Federici, Pt. 2

A few blogs ago, I wrote about Danny Federici, Springsteen's long time friend and E Street Band organist. I checked the Springsteen website yesterday to follow up. Bruce spoke at the funeral and delivered the eulogy. It is both funny and heartwarming. I didn't cry, but I could have. I finally found out why Bruce always called him "Phantom Dan" when introducing him. The love that Bruce spoke of Danny and the E Street Band in general moved me. I've always been a guy who cherishes friends and the time spent together. For 15 years I rode alone. I had goofy hours as a baker. The only guy that rode with me was John, a friend I grew up with in Perham and lives here in town. 90% of the time I was a solo rider. Then I met Bob and Matt at a spin class. I found two people who loved to ride as much as I did. We called ourselves the 3 Amigos (nobody ever said we were original)! We entered some MTB races in WI, citizen class. The bonding from riding those races runs deep. It's amazing how 3 guys can talk about clothing and nutrition for 3 hours before a race! From there, I worked at Trailhead and got to know Jay and Neil and the whole Loon gang. We're not rock stars, but we share the common bond of doing something a little out of the ordinary. The big difference is that we do it for ourselves, and, just as important, for each other. At the Ironman ride last Sunday, it was Bob, Eric, and Tom, along with Joe, a guy I had never met. Joe pulled, he got tired, we pulled him, he recovered, he pulled some more. Good guy. There it was, we were helping each other. The bond that the cyclists I know and ride with is secure. I can't write as eloquent as Springsteen, but my heart is there for all of you. I'm posting the link to Springsteens website, where the eulogy is printed in full. It's far too long to copy and paste here. It will take you 5 minutes to read it. Look for "Farewell to Danny" on the left side of the page. The reviews of their first concert after the funeral are good, too.



http://www.brucespringsteen.net/news/index.html





The 3 Amigos at Afton, MN. I still hate that course!