Steven Van Zandt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Steven Van Zandt
|
|
|---|---|
Van Zandt in 2018
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Steven Lento |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | November 22, 1950 Winthrop, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Origin | Middletown Township, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres |
|
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1968–present |
| Labels | |
Steven Van Zandt (born Steven Lento on 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, where he plays guitar. He has also acted in TV shows like The Sopranos (1999–2007) and Lilyhammer (2012–2014). Van Zandt also has his own band, Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul.
In 2014, Van Zandt was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the E Street Band. He has produced music and written songs for many artists, including Bruce Springsteen and Meat Loaf.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Steven Lento was born in Winthrop, Massachusetts, on November 22, 1950. His family moved to Middletown Township, New Jersey, when he was seven. He later took the last name of his stepfather, William Brewster Van Zandt.
Steven loved music from a young age and learned to play the guitar. He was inspired by bands like The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. He called the Beatles' performance on The Ed Sullivan Show "The Big Bang of Rock n' Roll." When he was 13, George Harrison was his favorite Beatle.
He formed his first band, the Whirlwinds, around 1964. Later, he joined other bands like the Mates and the Shadows. He was influenced by British Invasion bands and even Ravi Shankar.
Steven went to Middletown High School. He had a car accident as a teenager, which left scars on his head. To cover them, he started wearing hats and bandanas, which became his famous look.
Music Career Highlights
Van Zandt grew up in the Jersey Shore music scene. He became good friends with Bruce Springsteen early on. They played together in bands like Steel Mill before the E Street Band was formed.
In the early 1970s, Van Zandt worked in road construction. He later returned to music. He toured with The Dovells and got the nickname "Miami Steve" because he kept wearing Hawaiian shirts after a tour ended in Miami.
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes
Van Zandt helped start Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. He also co-founded The Miami Horns, named after his nickname. He helped create the band's rhythm and blues style. He produced their first three albums and wrote many of their songs.
Joining the E Street Band
Van Zandt started splitting his time between writing for Southside Johnny and touring with the E Street Band. He helped arrange the horns for Springsteen's song "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" in 1975. This led him to officially join the E Street Band on July 20, 1975.
He also helped create the famous guitar part in "Born to Run." In the early years, he played a lot of the lead guitar for the band in concerts.
In 1984, Van Zandt left the E Street Band. He had joined to see Springsteen become successful, and once that happened, he decided to leave. However, he returned to the E Street Band when it reformed in 1999 and is still a member today.
When he returned, his guitar role changed to more rhythm playing. He often shares the microphone with Springsteen and sings backing vocals. He is featured in songs like "Glory Days" and "Badlands."
Songwriter and Producer
Van Zandt became a songwriter and producer for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes in 1974. He wrote their hit song "I Don't Want to Go Home." He also helped produce Bruce Springsteen's albums The River and Born in the U.S.A.
He has produced many other records for different artists. In 1992, he wrote and produced "All Alone on Christmas" for the movie Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. He also helped Meat Loaf with a song in 1995.
Solo Music Career
.jpg)
In 1981, Van Zandt got a record deal and started his solo band, Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. Their first album, Men Without Women, was released in 1982 and received good reviews.
He released four more solo albums, which he said were part of a series about different parts of society. These albums included various music styles, from soul music to hard rock. His second album, Voice of America, was his most successful on the charts.
After touring in 1980–81, he became interested in politics. His music became more political with Voice of America. One song, "Solidarity," talked about people around the world working together.
.jpg)
In 2013, Van Zandt performed a cover of "My Kind of Town" for his TV show Lilyhammer. He also created all the music for the show from season 2 onwards.
He reformed the Disciples of Soul in 2016 for live shows. He also announced plans to re-release his old albums and put out new music. In 2017, he released a new album called Soulfire.
In 2018, Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul released a live album called Soulfire Live!. They also recorded a cover of Elvis Presley's "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" for the movie The Christmas Chronicles.
His latest album of original songs, Summer of Sorcery, came out in 2019.
Acting Career
Before 1999, Van Zandt had no acting experience. He was mainly focused on music. But then he was asked to be in The Sopranos, and acting became a big part of his life.
The Sopranos
The creator of The Sopranos, David Chase, asked Van Zandt to audition after seeing him at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Even though Van Zandt had never acted, he tried out for the main role, Tony Soprano. HBO wanted an experienced actor for that part, so Chase wrote a new role just for Van Zandt: Silvio Dante. Steven's real-life wife, Maureen, also played his on-screen wife, Gabriella.
Lilyhammer
In 2011, Van Zandt starred in, co-wrote, and helped produce a TV series called Lilyhammer. This was the first original show for Netflix. In the show, Van Zandt plays an ex-mafia member who goes into a witness protection program and moves to Norway. The show ran for three seasons.
The Irishman
Van Zandt also appeared in the movie The Irishman (2019). He played singer Jerry Vale.
Radio Host and Entrepreneur
Radio Host
Since 2002, Van Zandt has hosted Little Steven's Underground Garage. This is a weekly radio show that plays garage rock and similar music from the 1950s to today. The show is heard on many radio stations around the world.
Program Director
Van Zandt is also in charge of two radio channels for Sirius Satellite Radio. One channel, Underground Garage, plays music similar to his radio show. The other channel, Outlaw Country, plays a different style of country music.
Record Label
In 2004, Van Zandt started his own record label called Wicked Cool Records. The label releases music from new garage rock bands and compilations of "Coolest Songs in the World" from his radio show.
Rock and Roll Forever Foundation
In 2007, Van Zandt started the non-profit Rock and Roll Forever Foundation. Its project, TeachRock, creates free lesson plans for schools (kindergarten to 12th grade). These lessons use music to teach subjects like social studies, language arts, and media studies.
Activism for Change
After leaving the E Street Band in 1984, Van Zandt used his fame to fight against apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a system of racial separation and discrimination.
In 1985, Van Zandt and producer Arthur Baker created a group called Artists United Against Apartheid. They brought together 49 famous musicians, including Bruce Springsteen, U2, and Bob Dylan, to record a song called "Sun City." They pledged not to perform at the Sun City resort in South Africa, which supported apartheid.
The "Sun City" song and album helped raise awareness about apartheid. It also raised over $1 million to support anti-apartheid efforts. This project helped bring attention to the unfair policies in South Africa, which eventually ended.
Personal Life
Van Zandt married actress Maureen Santoro in New York City on December 31, 1982. She later played his wife on The Sopranos. Bruce Springsteen was the best man at their wedding, and Little Richard led the ceremony.
On April 26, 2024, the street where his family lived in Middletown, New Jersey, was named 'Van Zandt Way' in their honor.
Giving Back to the Community
Van Zandt is an honorary board member of Little Kids Rock, an organization that helps bring music education to children. He also supports the Count Basie Theatre's Board of Directors.
He hosts an annual "Policeman's Ball" to raise money for the Detectives Endowment Association Widows and Children's Fund. This fund helps families of police officers. He also supports NYPD With Arms Wide Open, which helps police officers with children who have special needs.
Discography
- Men Without Women (1982)
- Voice of America (1984)
- Freedom – No Compromise (1987)
- Revolution (1989)
- Born Again Savage (1999)
- Soulfire (2017)
- Summer of Sorcery (2019)
Filmography
- American Flyers (1985)
- The Sopranos as Silvio Dante (1999–2007)
- Lilyhammer as Frank Tagliano (2012–2014)
- American Dad! as Diner Owner (2016)
- The Christmas Chronicles as Wolfie (2018)
- The Irishman as Jerry Vale (2019)
- Under the Boardwalk as Bruno (2023)
- The Trainer (2024)
Tours with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
- Born to Run tours, 1975–1977
- Darkness Tour, 1978–1979
- The River Tour, 1980–1981
- Reunion Tour, 1999–2000
- The Rising Tour, 2002–2003
- Vote for Change Tour, 2004
- Magic Tour, 2007–2008
- Working on a Dream Tour, 2009
- Wrecking Ball Tour, 2012–2013
- High Hopes Tour, 2014
- River Tour 2016/Oceania '17, 2016–2017
- Springsteen and E Street Band 2023 Tour, 2023
- Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple as himself (2024)
See also
In Spanish: Steven Van Zandt para niños
