E Street's Federici Passes

Federici Pictured With Springsteen

DANNY FEDERICI, the longtime organist and keyboard player for BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN's E STREET BAND, died THURSDAY afternoon of melanoma at NEW YORK's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. E ONLINE reports that FEDERICI, who had battled the disease for three years, was 58.

"DANNY and I worked together for 40 years -- he was the most wonderfully fluid keyboard player and a pure natural musician. I loved him very much ... we grew up together," SPRINGSTEEN said in a statement posted on his official website.

After taking a leave of absence from the band in NOVEMBER to focus on his treatment, FEDERICI last performed with SPRINGSTEEN and the others MARCH 20th in INDIANAPOLIS. Concerts scheduled for FRIDAY in FT. LAUDERDALE and SATURDAY in ORLANDO have been postponed.

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