If you've ever seen Bruce Springsteen live you've probably been struck by the size of the band backing him up. Since the days of "Born to Run," the band's mass created a wall-of-sound that became so much a Springsteen signature that his songs could be easily picked out and sometimes copied and even parodied by far lesser talents.

No part of that sound was more important than the keyboardist Danny Federici. He was the beach, the Jersey Shore, the carnival rides in the midst of the urban decay of electric guitars. Just listen to his signature song "Sandy (Fourth of July, Asbury Park) where his lilting accordion carries the song to a place of wistful regret and hopeful defiance it could not have reached any other way.

As a long time fan, I always knew the pieces would be there, no matter how screwy Bruce's vision grew - he only took one step away from the E Street Band in the early '90s and he quickly realized his mistake.

And, now, we consider the death of Danny at 58 to cancer.  The beauty of the E Street Band was the continuity that gave Bruce the ability to play nearly any song in the catalog and made each night something special, even as the modern electrified show has become more Broadway than jam. In the brotherhood of a band that has been together for 40 years, it is unimaginable to go forward without a crucial piece. But, it must, and it will go forward a little emptier.

So, the E Street Band will go on. Some will say it is what Danny would want. But, like memories of the big waves rolling onto the Jersey Shore, I will remember the band with Danny and know it was something special. You should have been there.

RIP, Danny.