Joan Jett, Steve Van Zandt and Duran Duran are among the artists paying tribute to Blondie drummer Clem Burke, who died following a private battle with cancer. He was 70.
“So sad to hear of Clem’s passing. He was an awesome musician who was such a part of my early musical life,” Jett wrote on Instagram, next to a picture of the two of them together. “Rest in peace my friend.”
E Street Band guitarist Van Zandt shared that Burke was a “great friend to me and everybody,” noting that he “Brought his great drumming and enthusiasm to a dozen bands beginning with the amazing Blondie.” He added, “Why is it the best of us leave too soon.”
Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes and John Taylor both shared tributes to Burke, with Rhodes calling him “one of the greatest drummers in one of the greatest band’s [sic] of his generation.”
“A drum roll rarely sounded better, his beats were solid as a rock and he always played with great panache,” he wrote. “A truly special person, bursting with positive energy.”
Taylor called Burke a “phenomenal” drummer. “Really everything he played had tight dynamic energy,” he said, adding that Burke was “the loveliest of guys.”
Others paying tribute to Burke include The Kinks’ Dave Davies, Nancy Sinatra, Bryan Adams and Devo’s Jerry Casale.
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