Jarod Clemons and The Late Nights backstage at The Saint, from left, Stephen, Alex, John, Jarod and Zach.
Photo by Chris Spiewak
By Chris Spiewak
The late, great Clarence Clemons was a music icon and bigger than life in many respects, and the next Clemons generation carries his legacy forward. Eldest son Clarence III – Nick to most everyone – and nephew Jake have been making music for years now. The newest family member to break out is Clarence’s youngest son Jarod Clemons. Jarod recently moved to Asbury Park to take advantage of the bustling Shore music scene.
Spending most of his younger years in Connecticut, Clemons had music in his blood, and discovered his love for the drum kit at age 3. Mom Jacqueline was a nurse; he recalls that “Mom was tough on me, but it was for the best.” Whenever the E Street Band would come to town, young Jarod would hang out with his famous dad backstage and run around Bruce’s dressing room. When he was 8 years old, mom packed everything up and they moved to Florida. Unfortunately life would soon take a dramatic turn for the worse for the young man.
Photo by Chris Spiewak
In June 2011, the music world lost a giant. Clarence died due to complications from a stroke and the Clemons family was devastated. Jarod was just 13 years old, and he took the news about his dad hard. His mom was there to comfort him, but then she tragically succumbed to cancer just one year later. Suddenly Jarod was 14 years old and homeless. His Uncle Bill and Aunt Pat took him in to provide a stable home life for him.
This situation too would turn tragic when his Uncle Bill passed in 2014. Jarod’s world was turned upside down three times in three years. He credits the strong love and support of his extended family with buoying his spirits and keeping this talented young man going in the face of adversity.
Music is a great healer, and he began writing songs as he progressed through his teen years. He also began to feel a bit of the pressure associated with the Clemons name. He would encounter fans asking him for concert tickets to a Bruce show, or wanting a photo with him thinking that he was his cousin Jake or brother Nick. This frustrated Jarod, but he took it all in stride and worked even harder to generate his own sound. He was not feeling the vibe in the Florida music scene, however, so he decided to travel back to where his dad got his start.
Arriving in Asbury Park in early 2019, Clemons met acclaimed local photographer Lee Silverstone. Silverstone recalls something admirable and authentic about his new friend and agreed to help promote him in the area. Darlene DeLano, the manager for his dad back in the day, agreed to manage Jarod as well. Lisa Magliano is assisting Silverstone with public relations and social media duties. Well connected with a talented team, it was time to go to work. In this case “work” means high-energy rock ’n’ roll, and Jarod Clemons and The Late Nights are all business.
A talented guitarist, Clemons leads the charge with the energy of two men. Constantly moving about the stage and engaging the crowd, it is “his” house when he is onstage, and every member of the audience is family to him. Lead guitarist and vocalist Zach Tyler is fantastic on the fretboard, shredding on his unique white Gibson Flying V for much of the show. Talented keyboardist Stephen Verdi almost gets lost on stage – physically, not sonically – sitting quite low next to drummer John DiNunzio, who is one of the best young drummers out there. Holding down the low end with DiNunzio is bassist Alex Fuhring, a skillful and solid “in-the-pocket” player. A word to the wise is to be careful if you’re up front during a Late Nights show; Clemons and Tyler love to run out into the audience and Clemons has been known to jump up on a bar every now and then. You’ve been warned.
Visit Jarod Clemons and The Late Nights on Facebook for upcoming shows and info. They will again rock the Stone Pony Nov. 23, so join them if you can. With new material in the works and a planned album in 2020, the future is bright for Jarod and his dad would certainly be proud. Let’s just call him “Little” Big Man.
Chris Spiewak is a 40-year veteran of the Shore music scene.
