Multiple news outlets are confirming that 69-year-old Clarence Clemons has suffered a stroke.

The legendary saxophone player, a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, is "seriously ill" after having a stroke in his Florida home, Roger Friedman of showbizz411.com reports.  He has been in failing health for several years.

Clemons joined the E Street Band in 1972 and his meeting with Springsteen has become legend among fans, an evening that allegedly also inspired the events featured in the song "10th Avenue Freezeout."

"A rainy, windy night it was, and when I opened the door the whole thing flew off its hinges and blew away down the street," Clemons recalled in an interview. "The band were on-stage, but staring at me framed in the doorway. And maybe that did make Bruce a little nervous because I just said, 'I want to play with your band,' and he said, 'Sure, you do anything you want.'"

Quickly becoming a fan favorite, his large stature (6-foot-4) and larger than life persona earned him the nickname "The Big Man."

Clemons lent his signature saxophone sound to E Street Band hits such as "Spirit in the Night" and "Jungleland" and became a fixture at the band's electrifying live performances for decades.

In April, Patch.com was there when Clemons debuted an autobiographical documentary entitled "Who Do I Think I Am?" at the Garden State Film Festival in Asbury Park.