Victoria Clemons talks about Lady Gaga

The new issue of Rolling Stone, on stands and available through Rolling Stone All Access on July 22nd, contains an in-depth tribute to Clarence Clemons, who died on June 18th. In the piece, Clemons' widow Victoria shares her memories of life with the Big Man. Here is the complete e-mail interview with Victoria Clemons.

Remembering Clarence Clemons: His Life and Career in Photos

How did you meet Clarence?
We met in Mill Valley, California at the Piazza D’ Angelo restaurant. He walked in, saw me and said: "Thank you for bringing beauty into my day," and handed me a flower. He never left. Clarence was old school. He sent white roses to me every day. Even after he left town, the roses never stopped coming in. He came back in about a month later. That is when our love story became reality. He brought beauty and meaning into my life.

What initially drew you to him?
I saw his soul and his spirit deep inside his eyes. I knew then he came for me. He was real, he was humble and as sweet as any person can be and I was very attracted to that.

 I spoke to him in February and he told me that the last Springsteen tour was "pure hell" because of his many ailments. What drove him to stay on the tour despite the pain?
He would always say: "My purpose in life is to bring joy to people all over the world through my music."  He was music. To him, life without the ability to play his sax was similar to death. His spirituality also helped him enjoy his life, despite his multiple ailments. He pushed himself every step of the way, every day out of the four years we were together. He was a compilation of love, strength, wisdom, willpower and spirituality. 

He also seemed overjoyed to be on the Lady Gaga record. Is that accurate?
I saw it coming. The phone rings on a Friday afternoon: "Lady Gaga wants you in Manhattan tonight at her studio." We started packing right after he hung up the phone. We barely made the last flight out of Ft. Lauderdale that night. We arrived in New York at midnight. By 3:00 a.m. they recorded three songs together. I remember Gaga saying, "Oh, my God, I might need to move to another planet . . ." Everybody was absolutely ecstatic. To me, Clarence’s sound brought so much soul and power to the songs they recorded. He was so honored to be part of it. 

Bruce Springsteen on Clarence Clemons: 'His Loss is Immeasurable'

What were his experiences like on American Idol and filming the video with Gaga?
Clarence thought his collaboration with Lady Gaga was a new highlight of his professional life. She took him to "The Edge of Glory." On the set, Gaga grabbed Clarence’s hands, looked into his eyes and said: "I believe in you seven days of the week, not just five." I will never forget that. He needed to hear those words to get through the night. He loved Gaga dearly.

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