Steve Van Zandt on bands, bandanas and Bruce Springsteen
Steve Van Zandt on his remarkable life as a musician, political activist, Sopranos actor and lifelong friend of Bruce Spingsteen.
Rock guitarist and actor Steve Van Zandt has had a remarkable life by any measure. After seeing The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show at the age of 13, he immediately knew what he wanted to do with his life. He learned guitar and formed a band. Steve tells Anu Anand about his many years as a guitarist for the E Street Band, how he became the man behind 'The Boss' - Bruce Springsteeen and his extraordinary decision to leave the band in 1984. The move led to him be "reborn" on a different path - that of political activist. In the 1990s his career took yet another direction, he became an actor, taking on the role of Silvio Dante in the hit TV show The Sopranos. Steve's memoir is called "Unrequited Infatuations". A longer version of this interview was first broadcast on 2nd November 2021.
The clip you heard came from The Ed Sullivan Show, broadcast on 9th February 1964, and produced by CBS, Ed Sullivan, Bob Precht and directors Tim Kiley and John Moffitt.
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com
Presenter: Anu Anand
Producer: June Christie
(Photo: Steve Van Zandt performs on stage with The Disciples of Soul in 2019, Credit: Sergione Infuso/Corbis via Getty Images)
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Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary
Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected