144-562: Steven Van Zandt (né Lento ; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve , is an American musician and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen 's E Street Band , in which he plays guitar and mandolin . 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
288-778: A Special Tony Award . He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2009, was named MusiCares person of the year in 2013, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 and the National Medal of Arts in 2023. In 2010, Rolling Stone ranked Springsteen 23rd on its list of the " 100 Greatest Artists of All Time ", describing him as "the embodiment of rock and roll". Springsteen
432-807: A patriot in the American Revolution , which evolved into the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War . The Springsteen surname originates in Groningen , a province in the Netherlands , and is topographic , translating to "jump stone" and meaning a stepping stone used on unpaved streets or between two houses. Springsteen's Italian maternal grandfather was born in Vico Equense and emigrated through Ellis Island . He arrived in
576-497: A "very active spiritual life" but joked that this "made it very difficult sexually" and added "once a Catholic, always a Catholic". He grew up hearing fellow New Jersey singer Frank Sinatra on the radio, and became interested in being a musician by the age of seven after seeing Elvis Presley 's performances on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1956 and 1957. Soon after, his mother rented him a guitar from Mike Diehl's Music in Freehold for $ 6
720-499: A Dream (2009). The next albums, Wrecking Ball (2012) and High Hopes (2014), topped album charts worldwide. In 2017, 2018 and 2021, Springsteen performed the critically acclaimed show Springsteen on Broadway , in which he performed songs and told stories from his 2016 autobiography ; an album version from the Broadway performances was released in 2018. He released the solo Western Stars (2019), Letter to You (2020) with
864-807: A Party ". In 1979, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes performed a homecoming concert in Asbury Park which was the subject of a documentary film directed and produced by Neal Marshad called Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes at the Asbury Park Convention Center . The film was first shown in January 1980 on Warner Cable's QUBE in Columbus, Ohio. In August 1979, the band played at Knebworth Festival in England. The headline act at both their appearances at
1008-517: A U.S. No. 1 pop hit with a heavily rearranged version of Greetings ' "Blinded by the Light" in early 1977. Patti Smith reached No. 13 with her version of Springsteen's unreleased " Because the Night " with revised lyrics by Smith in 1978. The Pointer Sisters hit No. 2 in 1979 with Springsteen's then unreleased " Fire ". Between 1976 and 1978, Springsteen provided four compositions to Southside Johnny and
1152-498: 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), and ran for three seasons before being cancelled in 2015. Van Zandt appears in the Martin Scorsese -produced gangster epic The Irishman as singer Jerry Vale , lip-syncing Vale's Al Di La. Since 2002, Van Zandt has hosted Little Steven's Underground Garage ,
1296-408: A cover of Etta James ' " 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,"
1440-703: A cover of Frank Sinatra 's " My Kind of Town " 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
1584-645: 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 song called "The City Weeps Tonight," that
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#17331216077021728-464: A cult following. In his January 1970 review of Steel Mill's show at The Matrix , music critic Philip Elwood wrote in the San Francisco Examiner that he had "never been so overwhelmed by a totally unknown talent" and called Steel Mill "the first big thing that's happened to Asbury Park since the good ship Morro Castle burned to the waterline of that Jersey beach in '34". Elwood praised
1872-589: A duo, Southside Johnny & The Kid, together with Kavanaugh, they also played in bands such as Albee & The Hired Hands and the Bank Street Blues Band. By 1974, Van Zandt was playing with Al Berger in The Dovells backing band and Southside Johnny began to play with the Blackberry Booze Band which Kenny Pentifallo had already been drumming for. It was this band that eventually evolved into
2016-416: A five-record box set (also on three cassettes or three CDs), was released near the end of 1986 and became the first box set to debut at No. 1 on the U.S. album charts. It is one of the most commercially successful live albums of all time, ultimately selling 13 million units in the U.S. During the 1980s, several Springsteen fanzines were launched, including Backstreets magazine. Springsteen released
2160-549: 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 (later released as the CD Hammersmith Odeon London '75 ). In 1984, Van Zandt left the E Street Band. He originally joined to see Springsteen rise in success, and once the band rose to that success he left. Despite leaving the band, he appeared as a special guest at some concerts on
2304-507: A legal secretary and was the family's main breadwinner. He is of Dutch, Irish, and Italian descent, and grew up Catholic in Freehold, New Jersey . Springsteen's paternal ancestors were among the early Dutch families who, in the 17th century, settled in colonial-era America , then part of the Dutch Republic known as New Netherland . Springsteen's paternal ancestor, John Springsteen, was
2448-651: A loan to buy him a $ 60 Kent guitar, an act he later memorialized in his song "The Wish". In 1965, he went to the house of Tex and Marion Vinyard, who sponsored young bands in town. They helped him become the lead guitarist and subsequently one of the lead singers of the Castiles , a band that recorded two original songs at a public recording studio in Brick Township and played a variety of venues, including Cafe Wha? in Greenwich Village . Marion Vinyard said she believed
2592-539: A media backlash, as critics began wondering if Springsteen was for real or the product of record company promotion. Springsteen was hurt by the backlash and disliked his newfound attention. When the E Street Band arrived in London for their first concerts outside North America, Springsteen personally tore down promotional posters in the lobby of the Hammersmith Odeon . A legal battle with Appel kept Springsteen out of
2736-454: 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 ", "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
2880-457: A mix of party songs and introspective ballads. Released in October 1980, The River became Springsteen's biggest and fastest-selling album yet, topping the U.S. Billboard chart. The single " Hungry Heart " became his first top ten single as a performer, reaching number five, while " Fade Away " reached No. 20. Several songs on The River foreshadowed the direction of Springsteen's next record,
3024-484: A prerecorded instrumental track. This technique was developed on the " Brilliant Disguise " video. In 1995, after temporarily re-organizing the E Street Band for a few new songs recorded for his first Greatest Hits album (a recording session that was chronicled in the documentary Blood Brothers ), and also one show at Tramps in New York City, he released his second folk album, The Ghost of Tom Joad . The album
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#17331216077023168-584: A rawer hard rock sound. Its lyrics focus on ill-fortuned people who fight back against overwhelming odds. Released in June 1978, Darkness on the Edge of Town sold fewer copies than its predecessor, but remained on the Billboard chart for 167 weeks, selling three million copies in the U.S. Its three singles—" Prove It All Night ", " Badlands ", and " The Promised Land "—performed modestly. The supporting Darkness Tour
3312-624: A reflection on the September 11 attacks , was a critical and popular success. The title track gained airplay in several radio formats, and the record became Springsteen's best-selling album of new material in 15 years. Kicked off by an early-morning Asbury Park appearance on The Today Show , The Rising Tour commenced; the band barnstormed through a series of single-night arena stands in the U.S. and Europe. Springsteen played an unprecedented 10 nights at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. The Rising won
3456-515: A regular venue for Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi , Southside Johnny , and other local national acts, The Stone Pony has since been described as "an integral part of music history for decades." After seeing Springsteen's performance at the Harvard Square Theater, music critic Jon Landau wrote in the May 22, 1974, issue of Boston 's The Real Paper that, "I saw rock and roll future, and its name
3600-674: A short-lived 1970 band including Garry Tallent and Bobby Williams (drums), was among the first of these bands. The same quartet also acted as backing band for a local folksinger Jeannie Clark. Van Zandt was also a member of Steel Mill at the time, and Southside had just left one of his formative bands, Maelstrom. Following this, Steve Van Zandt & Friends was formed in January 1971, including Springsteen, Tallent, Williams, and Danny Federici . By February 1971, Van Zandt and Southside, together with Tallent and David Sancious , were playing as Steve Van Zandt & The Big Bad Bobby Williams Band. In March 1971, Van Zandt and Southside also featured in
3744-428: A short-lived Springsteen band, The Friendly Enemies. The highlight of their brief existence was opening for The Allman Brothers . Other members of this band included Tallent, Sancious, Williams, and Vini Lopez . In April 1971, Van Zandt and Southside also began co-leading The Sundance Blues Band, a group whose line-up would also feature Springsteen, Lopez, Tallent, and Sancious. In May 1971, Springsteen also recruited all
3888-504: A songwriter and producer for fellow Jersey shore act Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes in 1974, penning their signature song " I Don't Want to Go Home ", co-writing other songs for them with Springsteen, and producing their most-acclaimed record, Hearts of Stone . As such, Van Zandt became a key contributor to the Jersey Shore sound . He also produced two Gary U.S. Bonds albums. Van Zandt then went on to share production credits on
4032-519: A stripped down format. In February 2013, Southside Johnny and The Poor Fools released their debut studio album entitled Songs From the Barn , which was recorded in Jon Bon Jovi 's converted horse barn studio in New Jersey. The album features twelve tracks, including six original songs written by John Lyon and Jeff Kazee, and includes covers the band had been playing live. In August 2015, Southside Johnny and
4176-520: 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 " for the soundtrack of the Chris Columbus 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
4320-464: A thousand dreams inside your hearts. It rests in the message of hope in the songs of a man so many young Americans admire—New Jersey's own, Bruce Springsteen." Two nights later, at a concert in Pittsburgh , Springsteen told the crowd, "Well, the president was mentioning my name in his speech the other day and I kind of got to wondering what his favorite album of mine must've been, you know? I don't think it
4464-532: 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
Steven Van Zandt - Misplaced Pages Continue
4608-585: A trio of backing singers, Patti Scialfa , Soozie Kirschner , and Lisa Lowell. In 1983, Trash It Up was released by Mirage Records and produced by Nile Rodgers while 1984's In the Heat saw Asbury dropped from the band's name. It also marked the end of Billy Rush’s association with the Jukes. After leaving the band, Rush went on produce for Taka Boom , Serge Gainsbourg , and Kacy Crowley . In 1985, guitarist Bobby Bandiera replaced Rush. The following year, in 1986,
4752-525: A voice to immigrants and others who rarely have one in American culture. The lengthy, worldwide, small-venue solo acoustic Ghost of Tom Joad Tour that followed presented many of his older songs in drastically reshaped acoustic form, although Springsteen had to explicitly remind his audiences to "shut the fuck up" and not to clap during the performances. Following that tour, Springsteen moved from California back to New Jersey with his family. In 1998, he released
4896-465: A week, but it failed to provide him with the instant gratification he desired. In ninth grade, Springsteen entered Freehold High School , a public high school, but did not fit in there either. A former teacher said Springsteen was a "loner who wanted nothing more than to play his guitar". He graduated in 1967, but felt so alienated that he skipped his graduation ceremony. He briefly attended Ocean County College , but dropped out. At age 19, Springsteen
5040-591: A weekly syndicated radio show that celebrates garage rock 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 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,
5184-534: A whole world of possibilities. From 1969 through early 1971, Springsteen performed with the band Child, which later changed its name to Steel Mill and included Danny Federici , Vini Lopez , Vinnie Roslin , and later Steven Van Zandt and Robbin Thompson . Steel Mill performed at various Jersey Shore venues and also outside of New Jersey, in Richmond, Virginia , Nashville, Tennessee , and California , and gathered
5328-552: 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
5472-546: A year. Highlights included a record sold-out, 15-show run at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey and a ten-night, sold-out engagement at New York City's Madison Square Garden. A new song played at these shows, " American Skin (41 Shots) " (about the police shooting of Amadou Diallo ), proved controversial. In 2002, Springsteen released his first studio effort with the full band in 18 years, The Rising , produced by Brendan O'Brien . The album, mostly
5616-536: Is Bruce Springsteen." Springsteen met Landau in Boston a month prior and the two became close friends; Landau subsequently became the co-producer of Springsteen's next album, Born to Run , in February 1975. As Springsteen's last-ditch effort at a commercially viable record, Springsteen became bogged down in the recording process while striving for a " Wall of Sound " production. When his manager, Mike Appel , orchestrated
5760-453: 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. When he was seven, the family moved from Massachusetts to Middletown Township, New Jersey . 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
5904-573: 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 ", featuring actor Kurt Russell 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 via Wicked Cool/UME. It
Steven Van Zandt - Misplaced Pages Continue
6048-622: Is an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", he has released 21 studio albums over six decades, most featuring the E Street Band , his backing band since 1972. Springsteen is a pioneer of heartland rock , combining commercially successful rock with poetic, socially conscious lyrics reflecting the issues of working class American life. He is known for his descriptive lyrics and energetic concerts, which sometimes last over four hours. Springsteen released his first two albums, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild,
6192-632: Is the ninth-most played song in Springsteen's concert catalog; as of June 2020, he has played it live 809 times. In February 1974, The Stone Pony , a music venue and bar, opened on Ocean Avenue in Asbury Park , and Springsteen played there regularly. Several years later, in the early 1980s, prior to the start of the Born in the U.S.A. Tour in June 1984, Springsteen also met his second and current wife Patti Scialfa at The Stone Pony during her performance there. As
6336-454: The 1984 presidential campaign became the subject of considerable folklore . In 1984, conservative columnist George Will attended a Springsteen concert and then wrote a column praising Springsteen's work ethic. Six days after the column's publication, then President Ronald Reagan , in a campaign rally in Hammonton, New Jersey , made brief mention of the song, saying, "America's future rests in
6480-591: The Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart. The Born in the U.S.A. period represented the height of Springsteen's visibility in popular culture and the broadest audience he would ever reach (aided by the release of Arthur Baker 's dance mixes of three of the singles). From June 15 to August 10, 1985, all seven of his albums appeared on the UK Albums Chart : the first time an artist had charted their entire back catalogue simultaneously. Live/1975–85 ,
6624-435: The Billboard chart. Nevertheless, it surprised critics, who praised it as a brave artistic statement. In 1984, Springsteen released Born in the U.S.A. , which sold 30 million worldwide, and became one of the best-selling albums of all time , with seven singles hitting the top ten. The title track was a bitter commentary on the treatment of Vietnam veterans , some of whom were Springsteen's friends. The lyrics in
6768-532: The Born in the U.S.A. Tour and appeared in a couple of videos, including " Glory Days ". Van Zandt later 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 '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
6912-472: The E Street Band , although the name was not used until September 1974. Springsteen acquired the nickname "the Boss" during this period, since he took on the task of collecting his band's nightly pay and distributing it among his bandmates. The nickname also reportedly sprang from games of Monopoly , which Springsteen played with other Jersey Shore musicians. Springsteen was signed to Columbia Records in 1972 by John Hammond, who had signed Bob Dylan to
7056-464: 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 . Among E Street Band members, Van Zandt 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
7200-899: The Jersey Shore music scene, and was an early friend of Bruce Springsteen , before the formation of the E Street Band . The two first met when Springsteen was at the Hullabaloo club in Middletown, New Jersey , and heard Van Zandt was performing " Happy Together " with the Shadows. They performed together in bands such as Steel Mill and the Bruce Springsteen Band. During the early 1970s, Van Zandt worked in road construction for two years before returning to show business. 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
7344-648: 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 . In December 2004, Van Zandt launched his own record label, Wicked Cool Records . 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
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#17331216077027488-459: The Peppermint Lounge 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 of 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,
7632-519: The Sun City resort in South Africa . Forty-nine recording artists, including Springsteen, U2 , Bob Dylan , Pete Townshend , Joey Ramone , Tom Petty , Afrika Bambaataa , 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 bring attention to apartheid, which
7776-653: The minimalist , folk-inspired solo effort Nebraska , released in September 1982. Springsteen recorded the songs on the album as demo recordings at his home in Colts Neck, New Jersey , intending to re-record them with the E Street Band, but after poor test sessions he decided to release the recordings as is. The album chronicled dark hardships felt by everyday blue-collar workers, as well as bleak tales of criminals, cops, and gang wars. Nebraska sold minimally compared to Springsteen's three previous albums, but reached No. 3 on
7920-692: The "Coolest Song in the World This Week". In 2007, the label signed The Launderettes . 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. In 2007, Van Zandt launched the non-profit Rock and Roll Forever Foundation and its TeachRock project, which creates K-12 national curriculum. TeachRock includes interdisciplinary, arts-driven materials. The initiative features lesson plans covering topics in social studies, general music, language arts and media studies. Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949)
8064-436: The 1990s and 2000s and they changed membership several times. As of 2015 their lineup includes keyboardist Jeff Kazee and bassist John Conte. In 1987, the band was in the film Adventures in Babysitting . They were featured in the college frat party scene singing two songs. In 2010, the band released Pills and Ammo with songs written by Southside Johnny and Jeff Kazee. The Jukes continue to perform extensively throughout
8208-414: The 1997 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 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)
8352-411: The Asbury Jukes Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes are an American musical group from the Jersey Shore led by Southside Johnny . They have been recording albums since 1976 and are closely associated with Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band . They have recorded or performed several Springsteen songs, including " The Fever " (1973) and " Fade Away " (1980). Springsteen has also performed with
8496-465: The Asbury Jukes , including " The Fever " and "Hearts of Stone", and collaborated on four more with Steven Van Zandt , producer of their first three albums. In September 1979, Springsteen and the E Street Band joined the Musicians United for Safe Energy anti-nuclear power collective at Madison Square Garden for two nights, playing an abbreviated set while premiering two songs from his upcoming album. The subsequent No Nukes live album, as well as
8640-444: The Asbury Jukes released their first new album in five years, called Soultime! The album is described as a "collection of vintage-sounding contemporary soul", garnered positive reviews and the band began an extensive tour in fall 2015 in support of the album. On February 16 and 17, 2024, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes played two sold out shows at The Stone Pony to celebrate the venue's 50th anniversary. About an hour into
8784-413: The Asbury Jukes. The original Jukes line-up was then completed with the addition of Mexican American Carlo Novi (tenor sax) and Billy Rush (guitar) In July 1975, Steven Van Zandt joined Bruce Springsteen 's E Street Band and subsequently accompanied him on the Born to Run tour . Meanwhile back in Asbury Park , the Jukes became Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes and continued to play as
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#17331216077028928-425: The Asbury Jukes. The original BBB had been playing together since 1968 and by 1974 featured a line-up of Paul Green (harmonica, vocals), Paul Dickler (guitar), David Meyers (bass) and Kenny Pentifallo (drums). They established themselves as the house band at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey . Green was the band's lead singer but he preferred to play harmonica. Southside Johnny was playing harmonica with
9072-417: The Bank Street Blues Band but had few opportunities to sing lead. Green and Southside Johnny effectively swapped bands and Southside Johnny soon emerged as the leader of BBB, firing Dickler and Meyers but keeping Pentifallo on the drums. He subsequently recruited Kevin Kavanaugh and Van Zandt, who in turn recruited Al Berger, and in June 1975, inspired by Little Walter & The Jukes they changed their name to
9216-441: The Charms , the Chesterfield Kings and the Cocktail Slippers ; and CBGB Forever , 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,
9360-580: The Dave Clark Five , as well as Ravi Shankar and the culture of India, as early influences. Van Zandt attended Middletown High School in Middletown Township, New Jersey , where he was expelled after refusing to cut his long hair. He later returned to school in 1968, largely to appease his mother. 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. Van Zandt grew up in
9504-413: The Deauville Star Theater. After returning to New 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
9648-530: The Disciples of Soul during their 2017 tour of the same name, on April 27, 2018, via iTunes . 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,
9792-418: The Disciples of Soul, intermittently active since the 1980s. In 2014, Van Zandt was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band. Van Zandt has produced music, written songs, and had his own songs covered by Springsteen, Meat Loaf , Nancy Sinatra , Pearl Jam , Southside Johnny , Artists United Against Apartheid , and the Iron City Houserockers , among others. Van Zandt
9936-451: The E Street Band for Greatest Hits (1995), and recorded the acoustic album The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995) and the EP Blood Brothers (1996) solo. Springsteen dedicated The Rising (2002) to the victims of the September 11 attacks . He released two more folk albums, Devils & Dust (2005) and We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006), followed by two more albums with the E Street Band, Magic (2007) and Working on
10080-400: The E Street Band participated in the Vote for Change tour, with John Mellencamp , John Fogerty , the Dixie Chicks , Pearl Jam , R.E.M. , Bright Eyes , the Dave Matthews Band , Jackson Browne , and other musicians. The solo record Devils & Dust was released in April 2005. It is a low-key, mostly acoustic album, in the same vein as Nebraska and The Ghost of Tom Joad . Some of
10224-528: The E Street Band, and a solo covers album Only the Strong Survive (2022). Letter to You reached No. 2 in the US, making Springsteen the first artist to release a top-five album across six consecutive decades. One of the album era 's most prominent musicians, Springsteen has sold more than 71 million albums in the U.S. and over 140 million worldwide, making him the 27th best-selling music artist of all time as of 2024. His accolades include 20 Grammy Awards , two Golden Globes , an Academy Award , and
10368-654: The Grammy for Best Rock Album and was nominated for Album of the Year at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards in 2003. In addition, "The Rising" won the Grammy for Best Rock Song and for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance , and nominated for Song of the Year. At the ceremony, Springsteen performed the Clash 's " London Calling " with Elvis Costello , Dave Grohl , and E Street Band member Steven Van Zandt and No Doubt 's bassist, Tony Kanal , in tribute to Joe Strummer . In 2004, Springsteen and
10512-523: The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle , in 1973. Although both were well received by critics, neither earned him a large audience. He changed his style and achieved worldwide popularity with Born to Run (1975), followed by Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978) and The River (1980), Springsteen's first album to top the Billboard 200 chart. After the solo effort Nebraska (1982), he recorded Born in
10656-489: The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle was met with critical acclaim but limited commercial success. Springsteen's songs became grander in form and scope with the E Street Band providing a less folksy, more rhythm and blues vibe, and lyrics that romanticized teenage street life. " 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) " and "Incident on 57th Street" became fan favorites, while " Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) " continues to rank among Springsteen's most beloved concert numbers. "Rosalita"
10800-501: The Jukes, leading Billy Rush to take over as the band's co-leader and principal songwriter. The next three Jukes albums were all released on Mercury Records . The Jukes was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and produced by Barry Beckett . This was then followed by Love is a Sacrifice and a double live album Reach Up and Touch the Sky . On the live album, Stephan Galfas helped out with engineering and production and also featured
10944-579: The Jukes. The band's horn section , known as the Miami Horns , has also toured and recorded with Springsteen. More than one hundred musicians can claim to have been members of the Asbury Jukes, including Jon Bon Jovi who toured with the band as a special guest during 1990. Bon Jovi has also cited the band as an influence and Jukes' Bobby Bandiera and Jeff Kazee have also toured with Bon Jovi . Other notable band members include Mark Pender and Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg who have played regularly with
11088-406: The Jukes. This Time It's For Real , released in 1977, saw Van Zandt write eight of the album's ten songs, including three co-written by Springsteen. It also featured guest appearances from The Drifters , The Coasters and The Five Satins . Their third album, Hearts Of Stone , released in 1978 was recorded without guest appearances and featured entirely original material. Van Zandt wrote seven of
11232-408: The Light " and " For You ", and because of his connection with Hammond and Columbia Records, critics initially compared Springsteen to Bob Dylan . "He sings with a freshness and urgency I haven't heard since I was rocked by ' Like a Rolling Stone '", Crawdaddy magazine editor Peter Knobler wrote in a March 1973 profile of Springsteen's that included photographs taken by Ed Gallucci . Crawdaddy
11376-577: The Max Weinberg 7 on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien . Southside Johnny and Steven Van Zandt , the two prime movers behind the formation of the Jukes, began playing together in various bands during the early 1970s. These bands, initially based out of The Upstage Club at 702 Cookman Avenue in Asbury Park, New Jersey , were usually short lived and often included Bruce Springsteen and various future members of The E Street Band . Funky Dusty & The Soul Broom,
11520-502: The O2 Indigo Lounge in London for BluesFest on October 29, 2016. The new Disciples included Richie Sambora 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
11664-624: The Rolling Stones on Hollywood Palace in 1964, and referred to the former as "The Big Bang of Rock n' Roll". He said that when he was 13, George Harrison was his favorite Beatle, and he later became friends with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr . 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
11808-605: The Seeger Sessions Band (and later shortened to the Sessions Band). The tour proved very popular in Europe, selling out everywhere and receiving some excellent reviews, but newspapers reported that a number of U.S. shows suffered from sparse attendance. Springsteen's next album, Magic , was released in October 2007. Recorded with the E Street Band, it had 10 new Springsteen songs plus " Long Walk Home ", performed once with
11952-673: The Sessions band, and a hidden track (the first included on a Springsteen studio release), " Terry's Song ", a tribute to Springsteen's long-time assistant Terry Magovern, who died in July 2007. Magic debuted at No. 1 in the U.S., Ireland and the UK. Springsteen supported the album on the Magic Tour , his first tour with the E Street Band since 2003. It was the final tour for longtime E Street member Danny Federici , who died in 2008. Southside Johnny and
12096-744: The South African government later ended. 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 , 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
12240-459: The St. Rose of Lima Catholic School in Freehold, where he was at odds with the nuns and rebelled against the strictures imposed upon him, though some of his later music reflected a Catholic ethos and included Irish Catholic hymns with a rock music twist. In 2012, Springsteen said that it was his Catholic upbringing rather than his political ideology that most influenced his music. He said his faith gave him
12384-555: The U.S.A. (1984) with the E Street Band, which became his most commercially successful album and the 23rd-best selling album of all time as of 2024. All seven singles from Born in the U.S.A. reached the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 , including the title track . Springsteen mostly hired session musicians for the recording of his next three albums, Tunnel of Love (1987), Human Touch (1992), and Lucky Town (1992). He reassembled
12528-559: The US. The album's two singles, "Born to Run" and "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" reached No. 23 and 83, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100. According to author Louis Masur, the album's success was tied to the fears of growing old held by a generation of late teenagers. In October 1975, Springsteen appeared on the covers of both Newsweek and Time in the same week, becoming the first artist to do so. The magazines' cover stories resulted in
12672-439: The United States unable to read or write English, but went on to become a lawyer and impressed the young Springsteen as being "larger than life". Springsteen has two younger sisters, Virginia and Pamela (born c. 1962). Pamela Springsteen worked briefly as an actress and later as a photographer; she took photos for three Springsteen albums, Human Touch , Lucky Town , and The Ghost of Tom Joad . Springsteen attended
12816-409: The acoustic MTV Unplugged television program (later released as In Concert/MTV Plugged ) was poorly received and cemented fan dissatisfaction. Springsteen won an Academy Award in 1994 for his song " Streets of Philadelphia ", which appeared on the soundtrack to the film Philadelphia . The video for the song shows Springsteen's actual vocal performance, recorded using a hidden microphone, to
12960-517: The actress's career. The song " Cover Me " was written by Springsteen for Donna Summer , but his record company persuaded him to keep it for the new album. A big fan of Summer's work, Springsteen wrote another song for her, " Protection ". Videos for Born in the U.S.A. were directed by Brian De Palma and John Sayles . Springsteen played on the " We Are the World " song and album in 1985. His live track "Trapped" from that album received moderate airplay on US Top 40 stations as well as reaching No. 1 on
13104-659: 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 , which was recorded in 1994, was not released until 1999. In 1995, Van Zandt wrote, produced, and sang "The Time of Your Life" for
13248-406: 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. 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
13392-449: The attention of several people who went on to prove influential to his career development, including managers Mike Appel and Jim Cretecos, who in turn brought him to the attention of John Hammond , a talent scout at Columbia Records . In May 1972, Springsteen auditioned for Hammond. In October 1972, Springsteen formed a new band for the recording of his debut album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. The band eventually became known as
13536-450: The band on several occasions. In 1991, Springsteen and the E Street band appeared on Southside Johnny's Better Days album. During the band's formative years, Steven Van Zandt was the band's co-leader, guitarist, songwriter, arranger, and producer, and other members of the E Street Band, including Clarence Clemons , Max Weinberg , Garry Tallent , Ernest Carter , Patti Scialfa , and Soozie Tyrell performed, toured, or recorded with
13680-435: The band performed. He also produced Southside Johnny's first three albums. Van Zandt wrote the bulk of the group's music, contributing substantially to its success. 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 " in 1975 when Springsteen
13824-455: The band released At Least We Got Shoes as Southside Johnny & the Jukes before becoming Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes again. In 1991 they released Better Days which yielded minor hits with "It's Been a Long Time" and "I've Been Workin' Too Hard" and included vocal contributions from Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi . Bon Jovi even joined the band as a special guest on their 1990 tour. The band released several more albums in
13968-759: The band's "cohesive musicality" and called Springsteen "a most impressive composer". In San Mateo , Steel Mill recorded three original Springsteen songs at Pacific Recording. As Springsteen sought to shape a unique and genuine musical and lyrical style, he performed with the bands Dr. Zoom & the Sonic Boom from early-to-mid-1971, the Sundance Blues Band in mid-1971, and the Bruce Springsteen Band from mid-1971 to mid-1972. His songwriting ability included, as his future record label described it in early publicity campaigns, "more words in some individual songs than other artists had in whole albums". He brought his skills to
14112-534: The classic Springsteen albums The River and Born in the U.S.A. The first Springsteen song he co-produced was " Hungry Heart ." In 1989, Jackson Browne 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 Iron City Houserockers ' Have A Good Time (But Get Out Alive) . Less successful
14256-619: The concert "the most important rock concert ever, anywhere" in his 2013 book Rocking the Wall. Bruce Springsteen: The Berlin Concert That Changed the World . The concert had been conceived by the Socialist Unity Party 's youth wing in an attempt to placate the youth of East Germany , who were hungry for more freedom and the popular music of the West. However, it is Kirschbaum's opinion that
14400-568: The family, the state, the economy, and religion. These albums range from soul music to hard rock 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 in 1980–81, he started to realize and understand the perceptions of Americans held by people in other countries. He started to become interested in politics and, with Voice of America , his music became explicitly political. One of
14544-466: The festival, over two consecutive Saturdays on 4 and 11 August, were Led Zeppelin . In 1979, Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes underwent several important changes. Their first three studio albums had only been moderate commercial successes, Lyon was injured and could not tour to support Hearts of Stone, and they were subsequently dropped by Epic Records . His commitments to Bruce Springsteen occurred as Steven Van Zandt ended his affiliation with
14688-501: 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." Until 1999, Van Zandt had no professional acting experience. His main focus had been music, whether it
14832-431: The following summer's No Nukes documentary film, represented the first official recordings and footage of Springsteen's fabled live act and Springsteen's first tentative dip into political involvement. The recording sessions for Springsteen's fifth album, The River , lasted 18 months. The 20-track double album was an attempt at capturing the energy and feel of the E Street Band playing live on stage and featured
14976-581: The house band at the Stone Pony . However Van Zandt maintained his association with the Jukes and produced a four-song demo at the Record Plant Studios that attracted the attention of Steve Popovich of Epic Records . This then led to Van Zandt producing their debut album, I Don't Want to Go Home , at the same studio. Van Zandt also wrote three songs for the album including "How Come You Treat Me So Bad?", which featured guest vocals from Lee Dorsey and
15120-455: 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
15264-545: The material was written almost 10 years earlier, during or shortly after the Ghost of Tom Joad Tour; a few of the songs had been performed at that time but unreleased. The title track concerns an ordinary soldier's feelings and fears during the Iraq War . The album topped the charts in ten countries. Springsteen began the solo Devils & Dust Tour at the same time as the album's release, playing both small and large venues. Attendance
15408-811: The members of The Sundance Blues Band to play in his very short-lived band, Dr. Zoom & The Sonic Boom. Among the many musicians to play with this group was Kevin Kavanaugh, a future Juke. Kavanagh grew up in Middletown, New Jersey and was a childhood friend of Van Zandt. They had also played together in a band called The Shadows. Beginning in July 1971, Van Zandt, Lopez, Tallent, and Sancious also began backing Springsteen as The Bruce Springsteen Band and they would eventually evolve into The E Street Band . Southside Johnny would also occasionally play with this band. 1972 would prove to be another active year for Van Zandt and Southside Johnny. As well as playing with The Sundance Blues Band, backing Springsteen, and performing as
15552-530: The much more sedate and contemplative Tunnel of Love in October 1987. The album is a mature reflection on the many faces of love found, lost and squandered, and the full sound of the E Street Band is included only selectively. Although it sold less than Born in the U.S.A. , it was a commercial success, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200. On July 19, 1988, Springsteen's concert in East Germany attracted 300,000 spectators. Journalist Erik Kirschbaum called
15696-477: The nine songs including "Trapped Again", co-written with Southside Johnny and Springsteen. Springsteen also donated two further songs, the title track and "Talk to Me". The band was also featured in the 1977 film Between the Lines which starred then unknown actors Jeff Goldblum , John Heard , Lindsay Crouse , Jill Eikenberry , and Stephen Collins . The band is shown performing "Sweeter Than Honey" and " Having
15840-479: The northeast United States and annually in the UK and Europe. In 2011, looking to expand his artistic opportunities, Southside Johnny and The Poor Fools were formed. Composed of musicians Jeff Kazee , John Conte, Tommy Brynes, and Soozie Tyrell, the ensemble plays largely an acoustic range of music from Bob Dylan , Mose Allison , Muddy Waters , NRBQ , Richard Thompson , Emmylou Harris , The Band , George Jones , and others, including some Asbury Jukes material in
15984-631: 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 , punk rock singer Handsome Dick Manitoba and rock entrepreneur Kim Fowley . The second channel, named
16128-456: 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 ; Steve Buscemi , star of The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire ; Vincent Pastore , aka " Big Pussy Bonpensiero " from The Sopranos ; actor and director Tim Robbins ; and singer Debbie Harry of the group Blondie . Van Zandt is also
16272-470: The punk rock band Demolition 23 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 . During
16416-470: The release of an early mix of " Born to Run " to nearly a dozen radio stations, anticipation built toward the album's release. The album took over 14 months to record with six months spent recording "Born to Run" alone. E Street Band members David Sancious and Ernest Carter departed after "Born to Run" was completed, and were replaced by Roy Bittan and Max Weinberg on piano and drums, respectively. Springsteen battled with anger and frustration throughout
16560-558: The same label a decade earlier. Despite the expectations of Columbia Records' executives that Springsteen would record an acoustic album, he brought many of his New Jersey–based colleagues with him, who would later form the E Street Band, which the band formally named several months later. His debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. , was released in January 1973, and established him as a critical favorite, though sales were slow. Because of Springsteen's lyrical poeticism and folk rock -rooted music exemplified on tracks like " Blinded by
16704-418: 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 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
16848-420: The sessions, saying he heard "sounds in [his] head" that he could not explain to the others in the studio. He also dealt with two producers who had opposing views, which Springsteen had to meet in the middle of. During the recording of " Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out ", Steven Van Zandt conceived the horn parts for the horn players on the spot in the studio after Springsteen and Bittan had failed to write proper ones by
16992-449: The soundtrack to the film Nine Months . He also toured with Bon Jovi during the first European leg of their These Days Tour . 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
17136-519: The sprawling, four-disc box set of outtakes , Tracks . Later, he would acknowledge that the 1990s were musically a "lost period" for him: "I didn't do a lot of work. Some people would say I didn't do my best work." Springsteen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 by Bono (the lead singer of U2), a favor he returned in 2005. In 1999, Springsteen and the E Street Band reunited and began their extensive Reunion Tour , which lasted over
17280-437: The studio for nearly a year, during which time he kept the E Street Band together through extensive touring across the U.S. and continued writing new material. Reaching a settlement with Appel in May 1977, Springsteen returned to the studio, and the subsequent nine-month recording sessions with the E Street Band produced Darkness on the Edge of Town . The record stripped the "Wall of Sound" production of Born to Run for
17424-602: The success of the concert catalyzed opposition to the regime in East Germany, and helped contribute to the fall of the Berlin Wall the following year. Later in 1988, Springsteen headlined the worldwide Human Rights Now! tour for Amnesty International . In October 1989, he dissolved the E Street Band. In 1992, after risking fan accusations of "going Hollywood" by moving to Los Angeles and working with session musicians , Springsteen released two albums at once: Human Touch and Lucky Town . An electric band appearance on
17568-430: 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
17712-430: The time the players arrived to record. He joined the E Street Band shortly after. Mixing for Born to Run lasted until July 20, 1975, just before a concert tour began. Born to Run was mastered while the band was on the road. Springsteen was furious at the initial acetate, throwing it into the swimming pool of the hotel he was staying at. He contemplated scrapping the entire project and re-recording it live before he
17856-448: The title track, which effectively became the band's signature tune. Other highlights on the album are two songs donated by Springsteen, " The Fever " and "You Mean So Much To Me". Clarence Clemons provided bass vocal on the former but is credited under the pseudonym Selmon T. Sachs while the latter was performed as a duet by Southside Johnny and Ronnie Spector . During the 1970s, Van Zandt went on to produce two further albums with
18000-429: The verses were entirely unambiguous when listened to, but the anthemic music and the title of the song made it hard for many, from politicians to the common person, to get the lyrics—except those in the chorus, which could be read many ways. The song made a huge political impact, as he was advocating for the rights of the common working-class man. The song was widely misinterpreted as jingoistic , and in connection with
18144-529: 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 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. Van Zandt became
18288-566: The young Springsteen when he promised he would make it big. In the late 1960s, Springsteen performed briefly in a power trio known as Earth, who played in various clubs in New Jersey and at a major show at the Hotel Diplomat in New York City . This was different, shifted the lay of the land. Four guys, playing and singing, writing their own material. [...] Rock 'n' roll came to my house where there seemed to be no way out [...] and opened up
18432-535: Was drafted , but failed his physical examination because of a concussion he suffered in a motorcycle accident two years earlier combined with his behavior at induction, both of which reportedly made him unacceptable for military service . In failing his examination, Springsteen likely avoided conscripted service in the Vietnam War . In 1969, when he was 20 years old, Springsteen's parents and sister Pamela moved to San Mateo, California ; he and his sister Virginia, who
18576-427: Was Springsteen's largest up to that point and featured shows that lasted upwards of three hours in length. The staff of Ultimate Classic Rock said the tour solidified Springsteen and the E Street Band as "one of the most exciting live acts in rock 'n' roll". By the late 1970s, Springsteen earned a reputation as a songwriter whose material could provide hits for other bands. Manfred Mann's Earth Band had achieved
18720-502: Was an early champion of Springsteen; Knobler profiled him in the magazine three times, in 1973, 1975, and 1978. In June 1976, Springsteen and the E Street Band acknowledged the magazine's support by giving a private performance at the magazine's 10th Anniversary Party in New York City. Springsteen's second album, The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle , was released in November 1973, eleven months after Greetings from Asbury Park . Like Springsteen's inaugural album, The Wild,
18864-531: 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 , 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 was selected as the commencement speaker and received a honorary degree from Rutgers University in May 2017. Van Zandt released his first official live album, Soulfire Live! , recorded with
19008-521: Was at a loss, earning him a spot in the E Street Band shortly thereafter. In the Wings For Wheels documentary, Springsteen revealed that Van Zandt was partially responsible for the signature guitar line in " Born to Run ," described as "Arguably Steve's greatest contribution to my music." 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
19152-499: Was born Steven Lento on November 22, 1950, in Winthrop, Massachusetts , to Mary Henrietta Lento and Vince Borello, and raised in Watertown, Massachusetts . He has Italian ancestry; one grandfather was from Calabria and one grandmother's parents were from Naples . His mother remarried in 1957, and he took the last name of his stepfather, William Brewster Van Zandt. Actor Billy Van Zandt
19296-555: Was born at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, New Jersey , on September 23, 1949, to Douglas Frederick "Dutch" Springsteen (1924–1998) and his wife, Adele Ann (née Zerilli; 1925–2024). Springsteen's father worked as a bus driver and other jobs. His father had mental health issues throughout his life, which worsened in his later life. His mother, who was originally from the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York , worked as
19440-513: Was cast as his on-screen wife Gabriella . Van Zandt recorded the narration for The Hives biography on their concert DVD Tussles in Brussels (2004). In 2010, Van Zandt appeared as himself in the Norwegian soap opera Hotel Cæsar , broadcast on Norway's biggest commercial channel TV2 Norway . He also appeared on Scandinavia's largest talkshow Skavlan . In 2011, he starred in, co-wrote, and
19584-411: Was disappointing in a few regions, and except in Europe tickets were easier to get than in the past. In April 2006, Springsteen released We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions , an American roots music project focused around a big folk sound treatment of 15 songs popularized by the radical musical activism of Pete Seeger . A tour began the same month, with the 18-strong ensemble of musicians dubbed
19728-523: Was his work on Lone Justice 's second album Shelter , which was a career-ending flop for the Los Angeles cowpunk band. In 1989, Van Zandt wrote "While You Were Looking at Me" for Michael Monroe 's album Not Fakin' It and co-wrote video hits "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, Texas-based Arc Angels ' debut album . In 1991 Van Zandt produced
19872-479: Was inspired by John Steinbeck 's The Grapes of Wrath and by Journey to Nowhere: The Saga of the New Underclass , a book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dale Maharidge and photographer Michael Williamson . The album was generally less well-received than the thematically similar Nebraska due to the minimal melody , twangy vocals, and political nature of most of the songs; however, some praised it for giving
20016-514: Was married and pregnant at the time, remained in Freehold. In 1964, Springsteen saw the Beatles ' televised appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show . Inspired, he bought his first guitar for $ 18.95 at the Western Auto appliance store. Thereafter, he started playing for audiences with a band called the Rogues at local venues, including Elks Lodge in Freehold. Later that year, his mother took out
20160-458: Was stopped by Landau. Springsteen was sent multiple mixes as he was on the road and rejected all of them, approving the final one in early August. Born to Run was released in August 1975. It proved to be a breakthrough album that catapulted Springsteen to worldwide fame. The album peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart, eventually going seven times platinum in
20304-512: Was the Nebraska album. I don't think he's been listening to this one." He then began playing "Johnny 99", with its allusions to closing factories and criminals. " Dancing in the Dark " was the biggest of seven hit singles from Born in the U.S.A. , peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard singles chart. The video for the song showed a young Courteney Cox dancing on stage with Springsteen, which helped start
20448-430: 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 , 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
20592-513: 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. 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
20736-415: 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
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