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Steven Van Zandt

  • Musician, Songwriter, Music and TV Producer, and Actor
  • Famed Founding Member of the E Street Band
  • Member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
  • Author of 'Unrequited Infatuations', a Memoir

Musician, producer, actor, activist, and historian Steven Van Zandt is internationally recognized as one of the world’s foremost authorities on rock and roll. He is a Radio Hall of Fame nominee, member of the New Jersey Hall of Fame and 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 creating the “Jersey Shore” sound with the Asbury Jukes, he became a founding member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. He is the founder of Renegade Nation, Renegade TV, and Wicked Cool Records, and launched the internationally syndicated radio show Little Steven’s Underground Garage and its “country cousin” Outlaw Country. As an actor, Van Zandt co-starred in The Sopranos – the single most critically acclaimed TV drama in history. Van Zandt has been called “the ultimate rock and roll rebel” (Real Time with Bill Maher), “the coolest DJ in the country” (MTV), and “the planet’s most charismatic, dedicated, and visible crusader scrapping to preserve the dirty purity of Rock ‘n Roll” (BruceSpringsteen.net).

Van Zandt has organized and performed for political causes for four decades. He created the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation to support music education and help inspire kids to stay in school. Van Zandt became the first Ambassador for the Ronald McDonald House Charity, and has received countless awards and honors, including the We are Family Foundation’s Humanitarian Award for his continued fight against racism. An epic presence of insightful commentary and contagious humor, Van Zandt says:  I do believe Rock and Roll can change the world.  It’s about bands, and that for me suggests brotherhood, family, friendship, and community.”

 
Steven Van Zandt headshot
Past Hosts Include:
  • Cannes Lions Awards
  • SXSW
  • Commencement Address at Rutgers University
I absolutely adored him and I do not say that lightly. He was amazing—kind, gracious, insightful...Stevie was the BEST! I have gotten nothing but high remarks about him all day.

Late Show - Stevie Van Zandt: Unrequited Infatuations | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) [6:52] - Get Sharable Link
Talks & Conversations with Steven Van Zandt
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Staying Creative and Remaining Relevant

Musician, producer, actor, and founder STEVEN VAN ZANDT has been a part of globally successful projects that have stood the test of time – from the E Street Band to The Sopranos. Van Zandt has gained unique insight into how to stay creative while also staying relevant, no matter the industry. In entertaining talks, Van Zandt shares anecdotes from his storied career, illuminating how people from any industry can uphold their creative integrity while adapting to the ever-changing demands of the world around them.

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A Life of Activism: Collaborating for a Cause

For four decades, rock ‘n roll icon STEVEN VAN ZANDT has been leveraging his platform for causes that matter to him and impact the world. In 1985, he formed Artists United Against Apartheid and wrote Sun City, an anthemic protest song. Over 50 artists performed on the track, which was considered by political experts to be a fatal blow to Apartheid. Van Zandt produced a documentary about the experience and was honored by the United Nations for the project.

Van Zandt has also worked to promote Indigenous sovereignty, to foster economic development in harmony with the Earth, and performed on behalf of Vietnam veterans, missing children, and more. In uplifting and engaging talks, Van Zandt shares how he has focused on world issues through his music, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy.

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The Importance of Music Education

STEVEN VAN ZANDT knows firsthand how music changes lives. Van Zandt’s foundation, Rock and Roll Forever, was founded to provide solutions to two escalating problems – music classes being cut, and a growing high school drop-out epidemic. Van Zandt believes that student engagement is a significant facet of the crisis, and so he conceived a curriculum based around popular music that can be taught by any teacher or department.

Rock and Roll Forever has attracted powerful partners including Scholastic Inc., ABC News, the Grammy Museum, and more, and has launched an online educational resource – TeachRock.org – to support teachers and students everywhere, for free. In speaking engagements, Van Zandt explains the importance of creative curriculum for student growth and engagement, and the profound impact his foundation has achieved.

Books by Steven Van Zandt
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Biography
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