Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is a member of

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

. He has appeared in several television drama series, including as Silvio Dante in '' The Sopranos'' (1999–2007) and as Frank Tagliano in '' Lilyhammer'' (2012–2014). Van Zandt has his own solo band called Little Steven and The Disciples of Soul, intermittently active since the 1980s. In 2014, he was inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...

as a member of the E Street Band. Van Zandt has produced music, written songs, and had his own songs covered by

, Meat Loaf, Nancy Sinatra,

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guita ...

, Artists United Against Apartheid, and the

Iron City Houserockers The Iron City Houserockers were an American rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, led by the singer and guitarist Joe Grushecky, from 1976 to 1984. History Started in 1976 as the Brick Alley Band by Grushecky, a high school special education ...

, among others.

Early life

Van Zandt was born Steven Lento on November 22, 1950 to Mary Henrietta (née Lento) Van Zandt and Vince Borello, in

Winthrop, Massachusetts Winthrop is a town in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 19,316 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Winthrop is an ocean-side suburban community in Greater Boston situated at ...

. He is of partial Italian descent; his grandfather was from

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and his grandmother's parents were from Naples. His mother, Mary, remarried in 1957 and he took the last name of his stepfather, William Brewster Van Zandt. The family moved to Middletown Township, New Jersey, when he was seven. Van Zandt found his love for music at an early age, when he learned how to play the guitar. He watched the performances of the Beatles on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' and the Rolling Stones on ''

Hollywood Palace ''The Hollywood Palace'' was an hour-long American television variety show that was broadcast weekly Saturday nights (except September 1967 to January 1968, when it was seen Monday nights) on ABC from January 4, 1964, to February 7, 1970. Titl ...

'' in 1964, and referred to the former as "The Big Bang of Rock n' Roll".1964-06-03
. ''Brucebase''. Brucebase, 16 March 2017. Web. 25 March 2017. He said that when he was 13,

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

was his favorite Beatle, and he later became friends with Paul McCartney and

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...

.Steven Van Zandt: 25 Things You Don't Know About Me
". '' Us Weekly''. Us Weekly, 15 December 2013. Web. 25 March 2017. Around August 1964, he formed his first band, the Whirlwinds, which was short-lived. He later formed the Mates in 1965 and joined the Shadows in May 1966. Van Zandt has cited British Invasion bands such as the Dave Clark Five, as well as Ravi Shankar and the culture of India, as early influences. Van Zandt attended Middletown High School, where he got kicked out for having long hair. He went back to school to appease his mother and graduated in 1968. As a teenager, he was involved in a car accident that caused him to smash his head through the windshield, leaving several scars on his head. To cover this up, he began wearing hats, and later, large bandanas, which has become his characteristic look. Actor Billy Van Zandt is Van Zandt's half-brother and actress Adrienne Barbeau is his ex-sister-in-law. He also has a half-sister named Kathi, who is a writer.

Career

Band member

Van Zandt grew up in the

Jersey Shore The Jersey Shore (known by locals simply as the Shore) is the coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Geographically, the term encompasses about of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May Po ...

music scene, and was an early friend and pre-E Street bandmate of

. Springsteen met Van Zandt for the first time in 1965 when Springsteen went to the Hullabaloo club in Middletown. Van Zandt was performing a cover of the Turtles' " Happy Together" with the Shadows. Springsteen, Bruce. '' Born to Run''. Simon & Schuster, 2016. They performed together in bands such as

Steel Mill A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel. It may be an integrated steel works carrying out all steps of steelmaking from smelting iron ore to rolled product, but may also be a plant where steel semi-finish ...

and the Bruce Springsteen Band.Steve Van Zandt
''Brucebase'' Brucebase, 4 February 2017. Web. 25 March 2017. During the early 1970s, Van Zandt worked in road construction for two years, before returning to show business.Little Steven Visits the Howard Stern Show to Promote Lilyhammer 1/31/12
". '' YouTube''. YouTube, 24 February 2017. Web. 25 March 2017. In 1973, he toured with The Dovells. The tour ended in Miami on December 31, 1974 with Dick Clark's Good Old Rock 'n' Roll Show at the Deauville Star Theater. After going back to Jersey, Van Zandt continued wearing Hawaiian shirts because he did not particularly like winter, which was how he got the nickname "Miami Steve". He co-founded Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, in addition to The Miami Horns, who got their name from Van Zandt's nickname. Van Zandt helped establish the rhythm and blues oriented style of music that the band performed. He also produced Southside Johnny's first three albums. Overall, Van Zandt wrote a significant bulk of Southside Johnny's music which helped provide them with the success that they achieved. Van Zandt then started to switch between writing for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes and touring with the E Street Band. He confirmed in an interview on '' The Howard Stern Show'' that he arranged the horns on "

Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" is the second song on Bruce Springsteen's breakthrough album ''Born to Run'', released in 1975. Content The song tells the story of the formation of the E Street Band. The meaning of the title is unclear. Even Springst ...

" in 1975 when Springsteen was at a loss, earning him a spot in the E Street Band shortly thereafter.Prince, Patrick.
When Steven Van Zandt joined Springsteen's E Street Band
". '' Goldmine''. F+W Media, 30 July 2010. Web. 26 March 2017. In the '' Wings For Wheels'' documentary, Springsteen revealed that Van Zandt was partially responsible for the signature guitar line in " Born to Run"; "Arguably Steve's greatest contribution to my music."Stevie Van Zandt
". ''

''. Sony Music Entertainment, 2017. Web. 26 March 2017. Ultimately, Van Zandt officially joined the E Street Band on July 20, 1975 during the first show of the Born to Run Tour. In those early years, Van Zandt supplied a great deal of the lead guitar work for the band in concert, as can be seen on the 1975 concert DVD within ''

Born to Run 30th Anniversary Edition ''Born to Run'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. As his effort to break into the mainstream, the album was a commercial success, peaking at number three ...

'' (later released as the CD '' Hammersmith Odeon London '75''). In 1984, Van Zandt left the E Street Band.Levy, Piet.
Years by Springsteen's side a gift for guitarist Nils Lofgren
". ''

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currently o ...

''. Gannett Company, Inc., 29 February 2016. Web. 26 March 2017. He originally joined to see Bruce Springsteen rise in success, and once the band rose to that success he left.Russell, Lisa.
Little Steven (van Zandt) Says Goodbye to the Boss
". '' People''. Time Inc., 10 September 1984. Web. 36 March 2017. Despite leaving the band, he appeared as a special guest at certain concerts on the

Born in the U.S.A. Tour The Born in the U.S.A. Tour was the supporting concert tour of Bruce Springsteen's ''Born in the U.S.A.'' album. It was his longest and most successful tour to date. It featured a physically transformed Springsteen; after two years of bodybuildi ...

and appeared in a couple of videos, including the one for " Glory Days". Little Steven Van Zandt and Bruce Springsteen

Later in life, Van Zandt returned to the E Street Band when it was reformed (briefly in 1995, and on an ongoing basis since 1999) and remains a member. By this time, his guitar playing had mostly been reduced to a background rhythm role, due to

Nils Lofgren Nils Hilmer Lofgren (born June 21, 1951) is an American rock musician, recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has been a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band since 1984, a membe ...

's position in the band and his capability as a lead guitarist. In addition, Springsteen had begun taking many more guitar solos as his music became more guitar-centered. Van Zandt said on the ''Howard Stern Show'' that he is okay with being second in command, especially since he has been in charge before with his solo music and his role in ''Lilyhammer''. Notwithstanding this, among E Street Band members he often had the second-most "face time" in concert after Clarence Clemons, frequently mugging and posing for the audience and sometimes delivering his unpolished, nasal backing vocals while sharing a microphone with Springsteen. His playing or singing is most prominently featured on the songs " Glory Days", "Two Hearts", "Long Walk Home" (which featured a Van Zandt outro vocal solo during live performances) " Land of Hope and Dreams", "

Badlands Badlands are a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded."Badlands" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 47. They are characterized by steep slopes, m ...

", "Ramrod", and "Murder Incorporated", among others like the live versions of " Rosalita". He often trades vocals with Springsteen in live versions of "Prove It All Night". He features prominently in the video for "Glory Days", sharing the spotlight with Springsteen during the choruses, while swapping lines with him during the (non)fade, and in live versions he does the same. During the E Street Band's performance at the

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...

in 2009, Van Zandt was the most prominently featured member of the band, playing a guitar solo on the final number of the set, "Glory Days," as well as sharing lead vocals and exchanging humorous banter with Springsteen.Greene, Andy.
Van Zandt on Springsteen Tour, Super Bowl Rumors and How Garage Bands Can Blow Up
". '' Rolling Stone''. 3 March 2009. Accessed 26 March 2017.

Songwriter, arranger, producer

Van Zandt became a songwriter and producer for fellow Jersey shore act Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes in 1974, penning their

signature song A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a Handwriting, handwritten (and often Stylization, stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and ...

" I Don't Want to Go Home", co-writing other songs for them with Springsteen, and producing their most-acclaimed record, '' Hearts of Stone''.Career Timeline 1970s
. ''Little Steven Online''. Wayback Machine. Archived on October 14, 2000. Web. 1 April 2017. As such, Van Zandt became a key contributor to the Jersey Shore sound. He also produced two

Gary U.S. Bonds Gary U.S. Bonds (born Gary Levone Anderson, June 6, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, known for his classic hits "New Orleans" and " Quarter to Three". Career Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Bonds lived in Norfolk, ...

albums. Van Zandt then went on to share production credits on the classic Springsteen albums '' The River'' and ''

Born in the U.S.A. ''Born in the U.S.A.'' is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Bruce Springsteen, released by Columbia Records on June 4, 1984. It topped the charts in nine countries, including the US and UK, becoming his most commercially su ...

''Career Timeline 1980s
. ''Little Steven Online''. Wayback Machine. Archived on July 18, 2006. Web. 1 April 2016. The first Springsteen song he co-produced was " Hungry Heart." In 1989,

Jackson Browne Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States. Emerging as a precocious teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he h ...

covered the 1983 Van Zandt composition "I Am A Patriot" on his '' World in Motion'' album. Van Zandt has produced a number of other records, including an uncredited effort on the

' ''Have A Good Time (But Get Out Alive)''. Less successful was his work on Lone Justice's second album '' Shelter'', which was a career-ending flop for the Los Angeles

cowpunk Cowpunk (or country punk) is a subgenre of punk rock that began in the United Kingdom and Southern California in the late 1970s - early 1980s. It combines punk rock or New wave music, new wave with country music, country, folk music, folk, and b ...

band. In 1989, Van Zandt wrote "While You Were Looking at Me" for Michael Monroe's album ''

Not Fakin' It ''Not Fakin' It'' is the second studio album by Hanoi Rocks singer Michael Monroe, released in September 1989 through PolyGram;Ginsberg, Geoff"Not Fakin' It - Michael Monroe" ''AllMusic''. RhythmOne. Retrieved 12 April 2020. a remastered edition ...

'' and co-wrote videohits "Dead, Jail or Rock'n Roll" and "Smoke Screen". He was an arranger and backing vocalist for a few songs on the album. In 1992, he produced Austin TX-based Arc Angels' debut album. In 1991 Van Zandt produced a successful album, ''Spirit of Love'', for Nigerian superstar and reggae icon, Majek Fashek. In 1992, Van Zandt wrote and produced "

All Alone on Christmas "All Alone on Christmas" is a song written and arranged by Steve Van Zandt, and recorded by Darlene Love with members of both The E Street Band and The Miami Horns. It was originally featured on the soundtrack of '' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York' ...

" for the soundtrack of the

Chris Columbus Christopher Columbus was an explorer born in Genoa, Italy. Christopher Columbus or Chris Columbus may also refer to: People * Chris Columbus (musician) (1902–2002), American jazz drummer * Chris Columbus (filmmaker) (born 1958), American dire ...

film '' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'', which yielded singer Darlene Love her first hit since "A Fine, Fine Boy" from 1963, thirty-one years earlier. In 1994, Van Zandt produced the eponymous debut album of the punk rock band

Demolition 23 Demolition 23 (stylized Demolition 23.) was a rock band formed in 1993 in New York by former Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe and ex-Star Star guitarist Jay Hening following the ending of Monroe's Jerusalem Slim project with Steve Stevens. ...

which featured ex- Hanoi Rocks members Michael Monroe and Sami Yaffa. Van Zandt also co-wrote six songs for the album with Monroe and Jude Wilder. In 1995, Van Zandt aided Meat Loaf with the song "Amnesty Is Granted" off of his '' Welcome to the Neighborhood'' album. In 2004, he contributed the song "Baby Please Don't Go" to Nancy Sinatra's self-titled album.

Solo artist

During the summer of 1981, EMI-America approached Van Zandt with a record deal due to his success with the E Street Band, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, and Gary U.S. Bonds. He began fronting an on-and-off group known as Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul, while Springsteen was working on '' Nebraska''. The band included Dino Danelli on drums, Jean Beauvoir on bass, and the Miami Horns. They made their live debut at the

Peppermint Lounge The Peppermint Lounge was a popular discotheque located at 128 West 45th Street in New York City that was open from 1958 to 1965, although a new one was opened in 1980. It was the launchpad for the global Twist craze in the early 1960s. Many claim ...

on July 18, 1982. In October 1982, Van Zandt's debut album, '' Men Without Women'', was released. This album earned the most critical praise and

Jay Cocks John C. "Jay" Cocks Jr. (born January 12, 1944) is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is a graduate of Kenyon College.''TIME'' magazine dubbed it one of the ten best albums of the year. Van Zandt released four more solo albums, and has written that these albums are each elements in a five-part political concept cycle: the individual, the family, the state, the economy, and religion. These albums range from soul music to

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...

to world music. Van Zandt's second album, '' Voice of America'', did the best on the U.S. albums chart, although none of his albums were much of a commercial success. After touring with the E Street Band during

The River Tour The River Tour was a concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band that took place in 1980 and 1981, beginning concurrently with the release of Springsteen's album '' The River''. Itinerary The first leg of the tour took place ...

in 1980–81, he started to realize and understand the perceptions of Americans made by people in other countries. He started to become interested in politics and, with ''Voice of America'', his music became explicitly political. One of the album's leading singles, "Solidarity", is a general statement of international common ground. In April 1984, shortly before the release of ''Born in the U.S.A.'' and ''Voice of America'', Van Zandt left the E Street Band, but rejoined in 1999.Ruhlmann, William and John Floyd.
Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul Biography
". ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

''., 2017. Web. 1 April 2017. Continuing his involvement in issues of the day, in 1985 he created the music-industry activist group Artists United Against Apartheid as an action against the Sun City resort in South Africa. Forty-nine recording artists, including Springsteen, U2, Bob Dylan, Pete Townshend, Joey Ramone, Tom Petty,

Afrika Bambaataa Lance Taylor (born on April 17, 1957), also known as Afrika Bambaataa (), is an American DJ, rapper, and producer from the South Bronx, New York. He is notable for releasing a series of genre-defining electro tracks in the 1980s that influenc ...

and Run DMC, collaborated on a song called " Sun City" in which they pledged to never perform at the resort. The song was modestly successful, and played a part in the broad international effort to overthrow apartheid. Van Zandt also produced the award-winning documentary ''The Making of Sun City'' and oversaw the production of the book, ''Sun City by Artists United Against Apartheid, the Struggle for Freedom in South Africa: The Making of the Record'', as well as the teaching guide. In 1987, he released the album ''

Freedom - No Compromise Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...

'', which continued the political messaging. Some U.S. appearances in that year as opening act for U2's arena-and-stadium Joshua Tree Tour continued in the same vein, but were not well received by some audiences. Both the record and his concerts were popular in Europe. He also performed at the "

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

70th Birthday Tribute" concert at Wembley Stadium in 1988. His fourth album, 1989's '' Revolution'', attracted little attention. Later in 1989, Van Zandt recorded another album, ''Nobody Loves and Leaves Alive'' with his garage band The Lost Boys. Although the album remains unreleased, several tracks from it were heard on the ''Sopranos'' and ''Lilyhammer'' television shows: including "Nobody Loves and Leaves Alive", "Affection", and "Come for Me". "Affection" appeared on '' The Sopranos: Peppers & Eggs (Music From the HBO Original Series)''. Due to a loss of recording contract, his next album, ''

Born Again Savage ''Born Again Savage'' is the fifth solo studio album by American musician Little Steven (stage name of Steven Van Zandt), released in September 1999 by Renegade Nation. It was his first album since 1989's ''Revolution''. ''Born Again Savage'' w ...

'', which was recorded in 1994, was not released until 1999. In 1995, Van Zandt wrote, produced, and sang "The Time of Your Life" for the soundtrack to the film '' Nine Months''. He also toured with

Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald (American musician), Hugh McD ...

during the first European leg of their

These Days Tour These Days Tour was Bon Jovi's concert tour during 1995-96. Van Halen opened as a special guest for Bon Jovi on twenty of the European stadium dates during the second leg promoting their album ''Balance''. The last of the three Wembley Stadium gi ...

.Career Timeline 1990s
. ''Little Steven Online''. Wayback Machine. Archived on December 2, 2000. Web. 1 April 2017. Van Zandt's song "Under The Gun" was covered by Carla Olson & The Textones on their ''Detroit '85 Live & Unreleased'' album which was released in 2008. Another of his songs, "All I Needed Was You", appeared on the 2013 Carla Olson album ''Have Harmony, Will Travel''. On April 29, 2013, Van Zandt performed a cover of

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

's "

My Kind of Town "My Kind of Town" or "My Kind of Town (Chicago Is)" is a popular song composed by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Sammy Cahn. The song was originally part of the musical score for '' Robin and the 7 Hoods'', a 1964 musical film starring sev ...

" at a Springsteen concert in Oslo, Norway, during the Wrecking Ball Tour. Although the song was featured in the ''Lilyhammer'' season one episode "My Kind of Town," it was not released as a single until September 23, 2014, when it was "the Coolest Song in the World" on ''Underground Garage'' to help promote the show. It was released under the title "Frank Tagliano Sings! My Kind of Town" and the lyrics were changed to be about Lillehammer, Norway, instead of Chicago. Van Zandt performed the song on '' The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' on December 9, 2014, to help promote the series. Van Zandt performed all the music for ''Lilyhammer'' from season 2 on and released ''Lilyhammer: The Score'' on December 16, 2014. Van Zandt reformed his band, the Disciples of Soul, for the first time since 1990 to play their only European show of 2016 at the O2 Indigo Lounge in London for BluesFest on October 29, 2016. The new Disciples included

Richie Sambora Richard Stephen Sambora (born July 11, 1959) is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Bon Jovi from 1983 to 2013. He and lead singer Jon Bon Jovi formed the main songwri ...

and Marc Ribler on guitar, Eddie Manion on saxophone, Hook Herrara on harmonica, Leo Green on tenor sax, Richard Mecurio on drums, Jack Daley on bass, Andy Burton on B3 organ, Clifford Carter on piano, Danny Sadownick on percussion, Tommy Walsh and Matt Holland on trumpet, Neil Sidwell on trombone, George Millard on flute, and a women's section called the Divas of Soul (Julie Maguire, Sarah Carpenter and Jess Greenfield) on backing vocals. They played a series of Van Zandt's own solo songs, songs he wrote for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, a song he co-wrote for the Breakers, cover songs, and "Goodbye", a song that he performed with the Lost Boys. His plans included a European tour during the summer of 2017 and a tour of the United States in the fall. Van Zandt insists that he is not leaving the E Street Band and he is only touring because the band is not on the road. Van Zandt announced in November 2016 that he was in the process of remastering and reissuing his albums for a 2017 release, including the unreleased Lost Boys album. Additionally, Van Zandt has stated that he was planning on releasing a new cover album, including a cover of

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, sh ...

' " The Blues Is My Business", as well as new recordings of songs Van Zandt wrote for others, including Southside Johnny, that he describes as "me covering me." The album is a soul record, composed of a 15 piece band including 5 horns and 3 singers. Van Zandt revealed that Richie Mercurio plays drums on the album. On February 9, 2017, Van Zandt released "Saint Valentine's Day," a cover of the song, "Saint Valentine's Day Massacre," that he originally wrote for the Cocktail Slippers, as a single. The song was repeatedly played on the ''Underground Garage'' radio show. He debuted his new album at the annual Rock and Roll for Children event at the Fillmore Theater in Silver Spring, Maryland, on March 18, 2017. Van Zandt debuted a

doo-wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...

song called "The City Weeps Tonight," that was an outtake from ''Men Without Women''. At the end of the show, he covered " Bye Bye Johnny" as a tribute to the late Chuck Berry. According to ''

Backstreets "Backstreets" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from the album ''Born to Run'', which was released in 1975. In the original vinyl release, it concludes side one of the record. Structure "Backstreets" begins with a minute-long instrumental introduc ...

'', Van Zandt's new album was going to be called ''Soulfire'', titled after the song he co-wrote for the Breakers. The album was officially released on May 19, 2017. Van Zandt released his first official live album, ''

Soulfire Live! ''Soulfire Live!'' is the first live album released by Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul in 2018. The album was recorded during various live performances on the Soulfire tour in 2017. While the initial April 2018 release of the album was d ...

'', recorded with the Disciples of Soul during their 2017 tour of the same name, on April 27, 2018 via

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

. A 7 LP vinyl box set, CD, and two-disc Blu-ray video were released on February 15, 2019 via Wicked Cool Records/UMe. Consisting of the best performances from their North American and European concerts, the collection feature Little Steven and his 15-strong band taking you on a musical history lesson as they blast through an arsenal of songs spanning rock, pop, soul, blues, funk, doo-wop, reggae and everything in between. Of note, is a performance of " I Saw Her Standing There" recorded at The Roundhouse in London with a special appearance by Paul McCartney. Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul recorded a cover of Elvis Presley's "

Santa Claus Is Back in Town "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" is a Christmas song written in 1957 by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, and first recorded that year by Elvis Presley as the opening track on ''Elvis' Christmas Album'', the best-selling Christmas/holiday album of a ...

", featuring actor

Kurt Russell Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. He began acting on television at the age of 12 in the Westerns on television, western series ''The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (TV series), The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'' (19 ...

on lead vocals, for the 2018 film '' The Christmas Chronicles''. On March 8, 2019 Van Zandt announced the May 3, 2019 CD, digital and vinyl release of ''

Summer of Sorcery ''Summer of Sorcery'' is the seventh solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Little Steven, released under the name Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. It was released on May 3, 2019 under Universal Music Enterprises. It is Little St ...

'' via Wicked Cool/UME. It was written, arranged, and produced by him at his Renegade Studios in New York City and marks his first new album of original material in 20 years. A tour for the album began in May 2019, but was cancelled in September 2019 due to illness. Van Zandt finally reissued his albums in the 7 LP and 4-CD box set, '' Rock N Roll Rebel: The Early Work'', released on December 6, 2019. Limited to 1,000 copies, it includes the first United States pressing of 1989's ''Revolution'', as well as the first vinyl release of ''Born Again Savage'', originally released in 1999. The box set also includes rare outtakes and live performances. The Lost Boys album, however, remains unreleased. Van Zandt stated that the album contains his favorite songs that he recorded and wants to wait until the album can be "properly promoted."

Actor

Until 1999, Van Zandt had no professional acting experience. His main focus had been music, whether it was the multiple bands he participated in, groups he composed pieces for, or music he wrote on his own. Then, he was asked to play a part in '' The Sopranos,'' and from there on, acting became part of Van Zandt's career.

''The Sopranos''

In 1999, Van Zandt took one of the lead roles in '' The Sopranos'', playing level-headed but deadly mob '' consigliere'' and strip club owner Silvio Dante. The casting choice was made by series creator David Chase, who invited Van Zandt to audition after seeing him induct The Rascals at the 1997

and being impressed with his humorous appearance and presence. Though Van Zandt had never acted before, he auditioned for the role of Tony Soprano. HBO felt that the role should go to an experienced actor, however, so Chase wrote a part especially for Van Zandt. Van Zandt eventually agreed to star on the show as Silvio Dante, and his real-life spouse Maureen (née Santoro) was cast as his on-screen wife Gabriella.

''Tussles in Brussels''

Van Zandt recorded the narration for The Hives biography on their concert DVD ''

Tussles in Brussels ''Tussles in Brussels'' is a live DVD released by Swedish punk rock band The Hives. The live performance was recorded on 29 October 2004 at Ancienne Belgique while the band was on tour in Brussels, Belgium. The DVD also includes extras such as fo ...

'' (2004).

''Hotel Cæsar''

In 2010, Van Zandt appeared as himself in the Norwegian soap opera ''

Hotel Cæsar ''Hotel Cæsar'' is a Norwegian soap opera that aired on TV 2 from 24 October 1998 until 14 December 2017. From the start in 1998, the show was broadcast Monday to Friday, except during the autumn of 2006, where the show was broadcast Monday t ...

'', broadcast on Norway's biggest commercial channel

TV2 Norway TV 2 (''TV to'') is a Norwegian terrestrial television channel. Its headquarters are located in Bergen. TV 2 began test broadcasting on 13 November 1991, and a year later, it was officially launched on 5 September 1992, becoming Norway's first com ...

. He also appeared on Scandinavia's largest talkshow ''

Skavlan ''Skavlan'' was a Norwegian-Swedish television talk show hosted by Norwegian journalist Fredrik Skavlan. It premiered in Sweden on Sveriges Television (SVT) in January 2009, and the first guests to appear on the show were former Prime Minister o ...

''.

''Lilyhammer''

In 2011, he starred in, co-wrote, and was the executive producer for an English and Norwegian language series entitled '' Lilyhammer'', the first original Netflix series that was produced in collaboration with Norwegian broadcaster NRK. The name recalls the city of

Lillehammer Lillehammer () is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. Some of the more notable villages in the municip ...

, which hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics. On the show, Van Zandt portrays a ''Sopranos''-like role of an ex-mafioso who enters the witness protection program and flees to Norway to escape a colleague against whom he testified. The show premiered on NRK television on January 25, 2012 with an audience of 998,000 viewers (one fifth of Norway's population),Norway International Network 26 January 2012: ‘Lilyhammer’ sets new NRK record
Retrieved 2012-07-15Hollywood Reporter 27 January 2012: "Steven Van Zandt's‘Lilyhammer’ Breaks Ratings Records in Norway"
Retrieved 2012-07-15 and ran for three seasons before being cancelled in 2015.

''The Irishman''

Van Zandt appears in the Martin Scorsese-produced gangster epic '' The Irishman'' as singer Jerry Vale, lip-syncing Vale's ''Al Di La.''

Radio host and entrepreneur

;Radio host Since 2002, Van Zandt has hosted '' Little Steven's Underground Garage'', a weekly syndicated radio show that celebrates

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

and similar rock subgenres from the 1950s to the present day. As of December 2006, the show is heard on over 200 US radio stations and in some international markets. For example, in Spain it has beamed through

Rock & Gol Rock FM (previously Rock & Gol) is a Spanish radio station owned by Radio Popular S.A. (Cadena COPE). Rock & Gol programs are centered on rock music of all times and soccer. It was until recently well known among young people for its two lead ho ...

since 2007 and later on Rock FM Radio in Finland; Radio Helsinki started beaming ''Little Steven's Underground Garage'' in August 2008. On October 20, 2011, the program recorded its 500th show in front of a sold-out crowd at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York's Times Square. The guests included the band

Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...

;

Steve Buscemi Steven Vincent Buscemi ( ,As stated in interviews by Buscemi himself, some may insist that his pronunciation of his own name is "wrong" because it does not match the original Italian pronunciation as well. It is not uncommon for people to pronou ...

, star of ''The Sopranos'' and ''

Boardwalk Empire ''Boardwalk Empire'' is an American period crime drama television series created by Terence Winter and broadcast on the premium cable channel HBO. The series is set chiefly in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era of the 1920s and ...

''; Vincent Pastore, aka " Big Pussy Bonpensiero" from ''The Sopranos''; actor and director Tim Robbins; and singer

Debbie Harry Deborah Ann Harry (born Angela Trimble; July 1, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Blondie. Four of her songs with the band reached on the US charts between 1979 and 1981. Born in ...

of the group Blondie. ;Program director Van Zandt is also the program director for two radio channels for the Sirius Satellite Radio network. The channels continuously broadcast on satellite radio in the US, and worldwide on Sirius Internet Radio. One channel, named ''Underground Garage'', has the same philosophy and musical mandate as his own radio show. On-air hosts on the channel include original Rolling Stones manager/producer Andrew Loog Oldham, singer/guitarist Joan Jett, former record executive

Kid Leo Lawrence James Travagliante—better known by his on-air moniker Kid Leo—serves as both General Manager and afternoon disc jockey on Little Steven's Underground Garage on Sirius XM Radio (channel 21). He first began in radio in 1973 at noted ...

, punk rock singer Handsome Dick Manitoba and rock entrepreneur

Kim Fowley Kim Vincent Fowley (July 21, 1939 – January 15, 2015) was the American record producer, songwriter and musician who was behind a string of novelty and cult pop rock singles in the 1960s, and managed The Runaways in the 1970s. He has been ...

. The second channel, named the ''Outlaw Country'', presents the edgier side of country music, both roots and contemporary. On-air hosts for this channel include pop-culture satirist

Mojo Nixon Mojo Nixon (born Neill Kirby McMillan, Jr.; August 2, 1957) is an American musician and actor best known for his humorous, irreverent Novelty song "Elvis Is Everywhere" which was an alternative staple on MTV. His style can generally be defined ...

Record label

In December 2004, Van Zandt launched his own record label,

Wicked Cool Records Renegade Nation is a music and entertainment company founded by Steven Van Zandt in 1999. The company focuses on artist management, production, live events, and distribution. It is also the parent company of Van Zandt's independent record label ...

. The first album released by Wicked Cool was ''Fuzz for the Holidays'' by Davie Allan and the Arrows, released on December 14, 2004. The first set of records released by Wicked Cool also included new albums from Underground Garage favorites the Charms, the Chesterfield Kings and the Cocktail Slippers; and ''

CBGB Forever ''CBGB Forever'' is a compilation album produced by Josh Abraham. It is named after the theater in New York, New York. It consists mainly of rare songs, hits, and covers. Artists include Green Day, Blondie, Foo Fighters, Ramones, U2, Talking Hea ...

'', a tribute to the famous, now-defunct venue. The label continues to release new albums from the next generation of garage rockers including the Cocktail Slippers as well as volumes of ''Little Steven's Underground Garage presents The Coolest Songs in the World,'' a compilation of selected songs from the ''Underground Garage'' radio show's popular feature, the "Coolest Song in the World This Week". In 2007, the label signed

The Launderettes The Launderettes is an all girl garage rock band from Oslo, Norway. The band has been around since 1996, and over the years they have toured both the US and Europe, and released several albums and singles. Since 2007, the band has been signed ...

. The label's first Halloween and Christmas themed compilations were released in 2008. Lost Cathedral is a subsidiary label of Wicked Cool Records and home to the band Crown of Thorns.

Rock and Roll Forever Foundation

Steven Van Zandt - Alan Freed memorial dedication - Lake View Cemetery - 2016-05-07

In 2007, Van Zandt launched the non-profit Rock and Roll Forever Foundation and its

TeachRock TeachRock is an education initiative created by the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by musician, actor and activist Steven Van Zandt. The initiative is based in New York City and aims to provide free standards-ali ...

project, which creates K-12 national curriculum. TeachRock includes interdisciplinary, arts-driven materials designed to keep students engaged and in school. The initiative features lesson plans covering topics in social studies, general music, language arts, media studies, and more while aligning with national and state education standards. The material is available at no cost to educators.

Musical director

In September 2006, Van Zandt assembled and directed an all-star band to back Hank Williams Jr. on a new version of "

All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight" is a song written and recorded by American musician Hank Williams Jr. It was released in October 1984 as the second single from his album ''Major Moves''. It peaked at number ten on the country music ...

" for the season premiere (and formal ESPN debut) of '' Monday Night Football''. The all-star lineup included

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...

, Rick Nielsen ( Cheap Trick), Joe Perry (

Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whi ...

Questlove Ahmir Khalib Thompson (born January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove (stylized as ), is an American musician, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thou ...

(

The Roots The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy F ...

), Charlie Daniels,

Bootsy Collins William Earl "Bootsy" Collins (born October 26, 1951) is an American bass guitarist and singer. Rising to prominence with James Brown in the early 1970s, and later with Parliament-Funkadelic, Collins established himself as one of the leading n ...

Chris Burney Bowling for Soup (abbreviated as BFS) is an American rock band formed in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1994. The band consists of Jaret Reddick (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Burney (guitar, backing vocals), Gary Wiseman (drums, percussion, backing voc ...

( Bowling for Soup), and Bernie Worrell. Since 2007, Van Zandt has been the director of a music selection committee for the video game ''

Rock Band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...

''; he is in charge of selecting new music for the game.

Activist career

After leaving the E Street Band in 1984, Van Zandt used his celebrity as a musician to fight issues surrounding apartheid in South Africa by creating a group called the Artists United Against Apartheid. This activist group was created in 1985 by Van Zandt and record producer Arthur Baker. Van Zandt and Baker assembled over 54 different artists to record an album entitled '' Sun City'' in order to raise awareness about the apartheid policy in South Africa. The title referred to a resort in South Africa that catered to wealthy white tourists. The resort upheld racist apartheid policies, yet many famous entertainers chose to perform there. Artists that took part in the making of the album included

Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...

, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan and

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...

. The ''Sun City'' project was originally meant to only be one song, but other musicians contributed their own pieces which transformed it into a full-length album. ''Sun City'' was one of the first musical collaborations among major recording stars to support a political cause rather than a social cause. The album raised over $1 million in support of anti-apartheid efforts. The primary goal of the album and foundation was to draw attention to South Africa's racist policy of apartheid and to support a cultural boycott of the country. Van Zandt was a part of the 1989 charity single, "Spirit of the Forest", dedicated to saving rain forests. Later in his career, Van Zandt worked to raise awareness about the US military interference in governments of Central America and other issues.

Author

Van Zandt's memoir '' Unrequited Infatuations'' was published September 28, 2021 by Hachette Books.

Tours with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

* Born to Run tours, 1975–1977 * Darkness Tour, 1978–1979 *

, 1980–1981 *

Reunion Tour A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...

, 1999–2000 *

The Rising Tour The Rising Tour was a lengthy, worldwide, top-grossing concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band that took place in arenas and stadiums over 2002 and 2003. It followed the release of their 2002 album '' The Rising''. Itin ...

, 2002–2003 *

Vote for Change Tour The Vote for Change tour was a politically motivated American popular music concert tour that took place in October 2004. The tour was presented by MoveOn.org to benefit America Coming Together. The tour was held in swing states and was designed ...

, 2004 * Magic Tour, 2007–2008 *

Working on a Dream Tour The Working on a Dream Tour was a concert tour by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which began in April 2009 and ended in November 2009. It followed the late January 2009 release of the album ''Working on a Dream''. This was the first ful ...

, 2009 * Wrecking Ball Tour, 2012–2013 *

High Hopes Tour The High Hopes Tour was a concert tour by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band with special guest guitarist Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine. The tour was seen as a continuation of his previous tour and was in support of eighteenth st ...

, 2014 * River Tour 2016/Oceania '17, 2016–2017

Personal life

Van Zandt married actress Maureen Santoro in New York City on December 31, 1982. Later she portrayed his wife on '' The Sopranos''.

was the best man at their wedding,

presided over it, and it featured Percy Sledge singing " When a Man Loves a Woman".

Philanthropy

Van Zandt is an honorary board member of

Little Kids Rock Music Will, formerly known as Little Kids Rock (LKR), is a nonprofit charity based in Montclair, New Jersey, that encourages and enables children to play popular music. It provides free music instruction and instruments to public school districts ...

. He was awarded the fourth annual "Big Man of the Year" award at the organization's 2013 Right to Rock Benefit Event. He and his wife Maureen also serve on the Count Basie Theatre's Board of Directors, and were named as that organization's honorary capital campaign chairs in 2015. Van Zandt hosts the annual "Policeman's Ball," donating the funds raised to the Detectives Endowment Association Widows and Children's Fund and NYPD With Arms Wide Open, a foundation that supports NYPD officers with children who have special needs.

Discography

* '' Men Without Women'' (1982) * '' Voice of America'' (1984) * '' Freedom – No Compromise'' (1987) * '' Revolution'' (1989) * ''Nobody Loves and Leaves Alive'' (1989 - unreleased) * ''

'' (1999) * '' Soulfire'' (2017) * ''

'' (2019)

Filmography

* '' The Sopranos'' as Silvio Dante (1999–2007) * '' Lilyhammer'' as Frank Tagliano (2012–2014) * '' The Christmas Chronicles'' as Wolfie (2018) * '' The Irishman'' as Jerry Vale (2019)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Van Zandt, Steven 1950 births American radio DJs American rock guitarists American male singers American rock singers American mandolinists Lead guitarists Middletown High School North alumni Singer-songwriters from New Jersey Rhythm guitarists American male guitarists E Street Band members Living people Male actors from New Jersey Guitarists from New Jersey Guitarists from Massachusetts Record producers from New Jersey Record producers from Massachusetts American people of Italian descent People of Calabrian descent People of Campanian descent People from Winthrop, Massachusetts People from Middletown Township, New Jersey Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes members Jersey Shore musicians American male television actors 20th-century American guitarists Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul members Singer-songwriters from Massachusetts Steel Mill members Anti-apartheid activists