Key keywords: Ex E Street Band member, Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run album, 74-year-old rock musician death, classic rock history, heartland rock, Asbury Park music scene, E Street Band Hall of Fame induction. Representatives for the E Street Band’s former recording and touring member confirmed on Wednesday that the acclaimed musician, who contributed core instrumental work to Bruce Springsteen’s 1975 landmark album "Born to Run", passed away peacefully at his home in Monmouth County, New Jersey earlier this week at the age of 74, with his immediate family present by his side. No official cause of death has been released to the public as of press time, and his family has requested privacy as they finalize funeral arrangements, with a note that a public tribute concert will be announced in the coming months to celebrate his decades-long career. The late musician joined Springsteen’s backing collective in 1973, two years before the release of "Born to Run"—the record that catapulted Springsteen from a beloved regional New Jersey act to a global rock superstar. His performances on standout tracks including the album’s title track, "Thunder Road", and the 10-minute closing epic "Jungleland" have been repeatedly cited by music critics as foundational to the record’s raw, anthemic sound that defined 1970s heartland rock and earned cross-generational appeal for nearly 50 years. He departed the E Street Band in 1977 to pursue solo projects and collaborative work with other soul and rock acts, but maintained a close personal and professional relationship with Springsteen and the rest of the band for the rest of his life, making surprise guest appearances at E Street Band shows as recently as 2022, when he joined the group on stage during their first post-pandemic tour for a rousing rendition of "Born to Run" in front of 60,000 fans at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. Springsteen released an official statement on his social media channels on Thursday honoring his former bandmate: “We lost a beloved member of our E Street family today. His talent, his unmatchable energy in the studio and on stage, and his kindness off stage shaped every second of our early years playing together, and he was a huge part of what made "Born to Run" the record it is. We will carry his memory with us every time we step on stage to play those songs for the rest of our lives. Our love and prayers go out to his wife, his three children, and his many fans around the world.” Tributes have poured in from across the global rock community, with fellow E Street Band members, 1970s rock peers, and younger artists who cited "Born to Run" as a core career influence all sharing personal memories of the late performer. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which inducted the E Street Band alongside Springsteen in 2014, also released a statement noting that his contributions redefined the standard for backing band musicianship and left an indelible mark on rock history. Fans have already begun gathering at the Stone Pony, the iconic Asbury Park venue where Springsteen and the E Street Band played many of their early shows, to leave flowers, handwritten notes, and vinyl copies of "Born to Run" at a makeshift memorial for the late musician.