Steven Van Zandt biography

Synopsis

Early Career

Musician, producer, songwriter, actor and activist Steven Van Zandt was born on November 22, 1950, in Massachusetts. Growing up in New Jersey, Van Zandt learned to play the guitar and started playing in a band in the mid-1960s. Around 1975, he helped form Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes and joined Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. With both groups, he helped out behind the scenes acting as a producer for three Southside Johnny albums and co-produced Springsteen's The River (1980) and Born in the U.S.A. (1984). Van Zandt also formed his own group Little Steven and the Disciplines of Soul in the early 1980s.

Activism

Around 1984, Van Zandt left the E Street Band to pursue other musical interests. He used his clout as a musician to help fight apartheid, the government policy of racial segregation, in South Africa. Van Zandt got performers, such as Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Bono, and Bruce Springsteen, to join together to establish an organization called Artists United Against Apartheid, which recorded an album Sun City (1985). The single bearing the album's title called for musicians to boycott the South African resort, Sun City. This organization was only the beginning of Van Zandt's activism. He later worked to raise awareness about U.S. military interference in the governments of Central America and other issues.

Solo Work

Over the years, Van Zandt has released several solo albums, which explored a wealth of musical styles and social and political themes. On his latest album, Born Again Savage (1999), many of his tracks had religious overtones, such as "Saint Francis" and "Face of God." On previous recordings he ruminated on such topics as economics, the Solidarity movement in Poland, and South American politics. Along with his own work, he has helped others, acting as a producer for numerous recording artists, including Lone Justice and Lords of the New Church. Van Zandt has also written songs that have been recorded by reggae great Jimmy Cliff and Brian Seltzer among others.

The Sopranos

In 1999, Van Zandt took his career into a new direction: acting. With no previous experience, he was a natural in the role of Silvio Dante on the award-winning HBO series The Sopranos. He was barely recognizable, having traded in his headscarf and colorful rocker clothing for slick, styled hair and suits. His character serves as a consigliere, or trusted advisor, to the often troubled mob boss Tony Soprano.