Steven Van Zandt  [1950]

Stage and Screen Performer

Steven Van Zandt is an American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey. He is also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve and clearly is a man of many professions. He is best known as a member of the Bruce Springsteen E Street Band, in which he plays the guitar and the mandolin.

As an actor he has performed in television dramas such as the Sopranos [1999-2007] and in Lilyhammer [2012-present]. Because of his accomplishments he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band.

Earlier in his career, in the 1980’s Steven had his own solo band named “Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul”.

Van Zandt was born as Steven Lento on November 22, 1950 in Boston, MA. His mother was Marie Lento and his grandparents were Neopolitans from Calabria in Southern Italy. His mother was a widow or divorced and married William B. Van Zandt. When he was young Steven took the last name of his stepfather. When he was seven, the family moved to New Jersey. Steven learned how to play the guitar in the mid-sixties when he was a teenager. He fell in love with music and it determined his future career.

Van Zandt grew up in the Jersey Shore music environment and was an early friend of Bruce Springsteen, another product of the Jersey Shore area. In the early seventies he was a journeyman guitarist and played in some of Springsteen’s early bands.

Van Zandt is married to actress Maureen Van Zandt who also performed in the Sopranos. They were married in 1982. Bruce Springsteen was the best man at the ceremony.

Van Zandt has worked with Bruce Springsteen during their respective developments as musicians. He has been part of many of the E Street Band tours, but in 1999 joined it and has remained with it since. During that time he has been involved in other projects in acting writing and performing.

The E Street tours he has participated in are:

Born to Run Tours from 1975 to 1977

Darkness Tours from 1978 to 1979

The River Tour from 1980 to 1981

Reunion Tour from 1999-2000

The Rising Tour from 2002 to 2004

Vote for Change Tour in 2004

Magic Tour from 2007 to 2008

Working on a Dream Tour in 2009

Wrecking Ball Tour from 1012 to 2014, and

High Hopes Tour in 2014

Below follow his discographs during the past ten years. This list may not be complete but it does give a picture of his more recent works.

Hammersmith Odeon London ’75—2006

Magic---2007

Magic Tour Highlands---2008

Working on a Dream---2009

The Promise---2010

Wrecking Ball---2012

High Hopes---2014

Jukebox---2007

At the time of this writing in 2014, Steven had reached the age of 64 and clearly was slowing down in his entertainment activities, and deservedly so. He has been a prolific entertainer during his life, and has placed a stamp on the entertainment industry. He will be remembered by all his fans, and we wish him success during the latter part of his musical career.

REFERENCES

Coles, Robert, “Bruce Springsteen’s America: The People Listening, The Poet Singing”, New York: Random House, 2005.

Various web sites such as wikipedia.org and others

 

E-BOOKS AVAILABLE FROM AMAZON; GOOGLE: Kindle Store Pegels

 

PROMINENT DUTCH AMERICANS, CURRENT AND HISTORIC

EIGHT PROMINENT DUTCH AMERICAN FAMILIES: THE ROOSEVELTS, VANDERBILTS AND OTHERS, 2015

FIFTEEN PROMINENT DUTCH AMERICAN FAMILIES: THE VAN BURENS, KOCH BROTHERS, VOORHEES AND OTHERS, 2015

PROMINENT DUTCH AMERICANS IN U.S. GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP POSITIONS, 2015

 

DUTCH PEGELS INVOLVED IN WARS

ALLIED EUROPE CAMPAIGN—1944/1945: TACTICAL MISTAKES, 2017

THE SECOND WORLD WAR IN THE NETHERLANDS: MEMOIRS, 2017

FRENCH REVOLUTION, NAPOLEON AND RUSSIAN WAR OF 1812, 2015