- Biography
Stevie Van Zandt is a musician, performer, songwriter, arranger, music producer, music supervisor, TV producer, actor, director, Broadway producer, TV and film composer, live event producer, international DJ, activist, historian, teacher, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, and is recognized internationally as one of the world’s foremost authorities on both contemporary and traditional Rock and Roll. After helping create the “Jersey Shore” sound with the Asbury Jukes he became a founding member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. He would go on to become a successful solo artist in his own right recording and performing solo with his band Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. In 1985, Van Zandt formed Artists United Against Apartheid and wrote “Sun City,” a song featuring over 50 major recording artists protesting the Apartheid system. He has twice been honored by the United Nations for his political activism.
As an actor Van Zandt co-starred in all seven seasons of the iconic HBO show “The Sopranos,” playing “Silvio Dante.” He also starred in, co-wrote, executive produced, provided the music supervision and scoring, and directed (the final episode) for the award-winning series “Lilyhammer,” which was the FIRST original programming for Netflix. In 2001, he launched “Little Steven’s Underground Garage,” his internationally syndicated radio show. He also created and still produces the first two channels of original content on SiriusXM Satellite Radio, the Underground Garage (Channel 21) and Outlaw Country (Channel 60). In 2006, he launched his record label, Wicked Cool Records, to further support new Rock and Roll. Van Zandt has also established the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation and its TeachRock program, a non-profit that creates educational materials that use the history of popular music to create engaging, multicultural lesson plans for history, social studies, language arts, music, and science classrooms, all of which are available to educators at NO COST.
In 2017, he released Soulfire, his first new album in nearly two decades, which saw him return to his rhythm and blues roots and caused Rolling Stone to hail it as one of the “Best Albums of 2017.” In May 2019, he released the highly acclaimed follow up album Summer Of Sorcery, marking his first collection of all original material in 20 years. His electrifying Soulfire tour was expertly chronicled with the aptly titled Soulfire LIVE! album and concert film.
Photo Credit: Bjorn Olsson
