Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Radio
Sundays 8pm to 11pm on Radio 2
New Episodes at CBC Music
Need more Strombo Show? Head over to our page on CBC Music for new episodes, playlists and video extras.
Sure, a lot of us know Steven Van Zandt from 'The Sopranos': one of the greatest TV shows of all time. But for those who follow Steven's career, you know his story begins and ends with music.
Growing up in Jersey , Steven was 13 when he saw the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. It was baptism by rock & roll, and Steven instantly knew then what he wanted to be. In the late '60s, he hooked up with another young musician, Bruce Springsteen. Together, they played in bands up and down the Jersey Shore. Eventually, Steven would feature on Bruce's album 'Born to Run', the record that made The Boss a superstar.
Steven played with the E Street Band for nine years. Then in 1984, he went solo, and used music to address some of the big political issues of the day. He organized the top artists of the day to speak out against apartheid, culminating with the 1985 protest song 'Sun City'.
As for the acting thing? Total fluke. David Chase, the creator of 'The Sopranos', happened to see Steven on TV, and just like that, he became part of America's favourite Mob family: These days, Steven is back with the E Street Band, gearing up for a world tour. Plus he's got a new TV series, called 'Lilyhammer', about a New York gangster who enters the witness-protection program, and winds up, in of all places, Norway.
@TheStromboShow