Steven Van Zandt

Steven Van ZandtSteven 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, member of the New Jersey Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 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, and went 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 2017 he released his first new album in over 15 years returning to his Rhythm and Blues roots entitled “Soulfire” which Rolling Stone named one of its “Best Albums of 2017.” In 2018 he released the “Soulfire” LIVE CD / Vinyl box sets, and 2 disc Blu-Ray recorded live during the “Soulfire Tour.”

This year Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul have released “Summer of Sorcery”, his first album of all original material in 20 years.

His songs have been performed by artists such as Jackson Browne, Pearl Jam, Jimmy Cliff, Damian Marley, Margo Price, Gary U.S. Bonds, Darlene Love, Nancy Sinatra, Brian Setzer, Black Uhuru, and more.

Steven Co-Produced the seminal Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band albums “The River” and “Born in the U.S.A.” He has also Produced albums for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Gary U.S. Bonds, Ronnie Spector, Demolition 23, Majek Fashek, and more. He Arranged and Produced “Introducing Darlene Love,” the critically acclaimed album for the legendary Darlene Love, star of the Oscar winning documentary “Twenty Feet From Stardom”.

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 and considered by many political experts to be one of the fatal blows to Apartheid, leading to Nelson Mandela being freed only a few years later. He has twice been honored by the United Nations for his political activism, including the “Sun City” project and film, and his involvement in “International Peace Day” along with Peter Gabriel. He also established the Solidarity Foundation to promote the sovereignty of indigenous peoples and to foster economic development in harmony with the earth.

Steven Co-Starred in all seven seasons of the Sopranos, playing the principal character “Silvio Dante,” a character that he created. He 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 and the most successful syndicated Rock music radio show in the past 40 years. Steven also created and continues to produce 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.

In 2018 Little Steven and the Disciples of Tour went back on the road with their “Soulfire Teacher Solidarity Tour.” The landmark live tour benefited The Rock and Roll Forever Foundation’s TeachRock program and reached the incredible goal of registering over 18,000 teachers (and counting) to use the TeachRock Music History Curriculum.

Established by Dr. Van Zandt (he gave the commencement speech to the Class of 2017 and received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Rutgers University), the Foundation creates education 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.

It marked the first-ever Rock tour specifically geared towards addressing this crucial societal need. At each stop of the tour, The Rock and Roll Forever Foundation hosted FREE TeachRock Professional Development Workshops, with educators and a guest who attend also receiving a complimentary ticket to that evening’s concert.

“Music will forever be humanity’s most effective and consistent source of inspiration and motivation, and, we have learned, music turns out to be our most solid common ground for establishing communication between teachers and students which is where education begins.” – Stevie Van Zandt

 

LITTLE STEVEN: ACTIVISM

  • In 1985, forms Artists United Against Apartheid and wrote “Sun City,” an anthemic Rock/Hip Hop/R&B song protesting the Apartheid system symbolized by the South African resort, Sun City. Over 50 artists including Gil Scott-Heron, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Bono, Keith Richards, Run DMC, and Miles Davis, performed on the track which spawned a conscious raising album of the same name. It was described by rock critic Dave Marsh as “the most diverse line up of popular musicians ever assembled for a single session.”
    As one of the first collaborations among major recording stars to support a political, rather than a social cause, it is considered by most political experts to be a fatal blow to Apartheid, leading to Nelson Mandela being freed only a few years later.
  • Produces “Sun City: The Making of Sun City” which won the prestigious International Documentary Association award for “Distinguished Documentary Achievement”.
  • Twice honored by the United Nations for the “Sun City” project and film, and his involvement with “International Peace Day” along with Peter Gabriel.
  • In 1983 establishes the Solidarity Foundation to promote the sovereignty of indigenous peoples and to foster economic development in harmony with the earth.
  • Releases the single and video “Leonard Peltier” to raise awareness and try to free Native American activist Leonard Peltier 1989
  • Releases the single “Trail of Broken Treaties” to raise awareness about the U.S governments continuing breaking of treaties made with Native Americans
  • Releases “Native American” the subject of which was living in harmony with the earth and the universality of Native American philosophy
  • Solidarity Foundation pressures the Quebec government to cancel the Grande-Baleine hydroelectric project due to its environmental impact and social impact on First Nations communities 1994
  • Solidarity Foundation publishes magazine “Native Nations” that deals exclusively with Native American rights 1997
  • Solidarity Foundation creates “The Language Project” documenting Native American languages 1997
  • Solidarity Foundation creates the “Encyclopedia of the American Indian in the Twentieth Century” a comprehensive overview of Native American culture through profiles of key individuals, organizations, government policies, and events that have defined Native history since 1900. 2015
  • Performs at the “No Nukes” concert in New York City
  • Performs at the “Vietnam Veterans of America” concert
  • Produces and performs at “LaBamba’s Christmas Show for the Benefit of Missing Children”
  • Performs at the “Anti-Apartheid” concert in Central Park
  • Performs in New Jersey for Passaic Fire Victims
  • Performs at the “Amnesty International A Conspiracy of Hope” concert
  • Performs at Hurricane Irene concert; a benefit in Tokyo for the University for Peace
  • Performs at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert at Wembley Stadium.
  • Co-writes “Maria” a song about Mexican migrant workers in Texas for Brian Setzer
  • Co-writes “You Don’t Have to Cry”, about the gasoline riots in Jamaica, for Jimmy Cliff for the soundtrack of the Jonathan Demme film, “Something Wild”
  • Releases “Solidarity” single for the union movement in Poland
  • Releases “Vote!”, a thematic 12″ single for the 1984 Presidential Election

 

HISTORIAN/ TEACHER

  • Gave the commencement speech to the Class of 2017 and received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Rutgers University
  • Notodden Blues Festival has named their education project “Little Steven’s Blues School” where Teach Rock has contributed the curriculum.
  • Stevie taught two master classes on the “The 5 Crafts of Rock and Roll” and “Songwriting”. Two weeks before the festival begins teachers put kids from all over Europe into bands and educate them about the various elements of the music business.
  • Keynote speech at South by Southwest 2009.
  • Keynote speech at the annual Lions Awards for the Advertising world 2009.
  • Taught Master Class on “The Role of the Arranger” and “The 5 Crafts of Rock and Roll” for E Music 2010.
  • Taught Master Class at the University of Oslo, Music School 2012.
  • Taught Master Class on Acting at the Lilyhammer Film School 2013

 

WRITER

  • Editorials for The Huffington Post, Politico, and New York Times on subjects like South Africa, Campaign Finance, Disaster Relief, and Haiti.

 

CHARITY EVENTS/ NON PROFIT

  • Named first Ambassador for the Ronald McDonald House Charity. Along with being Ambassador Stevie has created the “Little Steven’s Magic Bandanas” program where he, along with friends like John Varvatos and Tommy Hilfiger, have designed bandanas to be given to all kids in the Ronald McDonald Houses and all proceeds from bandanas sold will go to the charity.
  • Stevie and his wife Maureen have recently been named to the Count Basie’s board of trustees and directors and it was announced that the Count Basie is being expanded to a world class Arts Center that includes music, theater, and dance education. The Underground Garage will also be presenting a series of concerts at Count Basie in 2017.
  • Produces The Little Kids Rock Fundraisers three years in a row, (2012,’13, ’14), taking them from $48,000 to netting over a million dollars to buy guitars and other musical instruments for kids.
  • The Rock and Roll Forever Foundation has also partnered with Little Kids Rock to get TeachRock into the same schools that Little Kids Rock is donating instruments.
  • In 2015 Stevie began Producing the annual “Little Steven’s Policeman’s Ball” raising over $300,000 this year, $150,000 each for two charities, NYPD Widows and Orphans Fund and Arms Wide Open for handicapped children.
  • With wife Maureen honored by the “Kristen Ann Carr Fund” for their continued support in the fight against cancer.
  • Awarded “Big Man of the Year” by Little Kids Rock, the ceremony included artists like Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, and Tom Morello performing songs Stevie had written over the course of his career and raised over $1 million dollars for the charity.
  • With wife Maureen honored at Rockit Kids inaugural Gala to benefit Rockit Live Foundation’s scholarship fund.
  • With wife Maureen honored by The Count Basie Theatre Vanguard Awards for a “lifetime devotion to the arts”
  • Receives Humanitarian Award by the “We Are Family Foundation” for his continued fight against racism.
  • Receives the “Harry Chapin Humanitarian” award from the Long Island Music Hall of Fame.
  • Inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
  • Inductee into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2018.
  • Serves on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominating committee.
  • Inducts The Rascals (Sopranos creator David Chase asked Stevie to join the series after seeing the induction ceremony on TV), Frank Barsalona, The Hollies, and Bert Berns to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
  • Inducts Gary U.S. Bonds into the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame.
  • Inducts Link Wray into the Native American Music Association’s Hall of Fame.