Steven Van Zandt Almost Destroyed His Career After Quitting The E-Street Band Because He Was 'Jealou
When people talk about icons from the music business, there are certain names that virtually everyone brings up including Frank Sintra, Elvis Presley, Madonna, Prince, and Michael Jackson. Another person who definitely belongs on that list is Bruce Springsteen.
Often viewed as the voice of the people, Springsteen had an amazing ability to depict the struggles of the working class while making millions for himself. Given everything that Springsteen has accomplished, it isn't overly shocking that Bruce's richest fans are now willing to pay lots of money to see The Boss perform.
If you asked Springsteen to explain how he remains a star after five decades, Bruce almost certainly wouldn't take long to bring up the E Street Band. After all, the members of the legendary E Street Band have played a huge role in Springsteen being named one of the best live performers of all time.
Since he probably is the most famous member of the E Street Band, Steven Van Zandt will always be linked to Springsteen in fans' minds. With that in mind, it is mind-blowing to know that Van Zandt once threw all that away over feelings of jealousy he felt that related to Springsteen.
What Happened Between Bruce Springsteen And Steven Van Zandt?
Since Bruce Springsteen is widely considered to be one of the biggest rock stars of all time, it is safe to assume that there have long been people in his life that want things from him. With that in mind, the true relationships that Springsteen has are all the more important.
From all accounts, one of the most important relationships that Bruce Springsteen has had in his life has been with Steven Van Zandt. On more than one occasion, Springsteen has made it clear that Van Zandt contributed a lot to his music. On top of that, according to what Van Zandt told The Times in 2021, he held an important role in Springsteen's life.
“Part of the obligation of being a best friend is that sometimes you have to bring the bad news, to express an opinion that they’re not going to like."
"With success like Bruce had in the ‘80s, you cannot help but lose perspective." Van Zandt continued, "You start thinking you’re a genius, the greatest thing in the world, and who’s gonna argue with you? The mindset is: ‘Did you just sell 20 million albums?’ I was the only guy who wasn’t scared of Bruce, so I could tell him what I thought.”
From the moment Bruce Springsteen became a superstar, he has been known for his ability to tell amazingly compelling stories with his music.
During the aforementioned 2021 Times interview, Steven Van Zandt described what makes Springsteen so special as a lyricist. "Bruce’s talent is explaining to people their lives, and giving insight and perspective to the listener."
Given that Springsteen can write such beautiful lyrics, it shouldn't surprise anyone that he once described his friendship with Van Zandt amazingly.
When Springsteen and Van Zandt took part in a joint fan Q&A in 2022, Bruce described his relationship with Steven in a way that could bring a tear to your eye.
"It just goes back to our friendship ultimately. It's the realization of a certain type of love, and friendship, and the fruits that can bring of spending you life near and with someone. And I wish that type of friendship on all of you and that kind of blessing on all of your lives."
Given the way Van Zandt and Springsteen have described their friendship, it is amazing to think the two men ever went their separate ways.
Why Steven Van Zandt Left The E Street Band
During the '70s and early-'80s, Steven Van Zandt was right there by Bruce Springsteen's side as The Boss took the music world by storm. As a result, when fans learned that Van Zandt was leaving The E Street Band in 1984, it was truly shocking.
When Van Zandt left the band, things were just about to go to another level since Springsteen was just about to release his incredibly popular album "Born in the U.S.A."
According to some reports, Van Zandt decided to leave the E Street Band because he was only there to make sure Springsteen became a star. To this day, that is the explanation that appears on Wikipedia. "He originally joined to see Bruce Springsteen rise in success, and once the band rose to that success he left."
In 2021, Van Zandt released a memoir titled "Unrequited Infatuations". At the time his memoir was released, Van Zandt was interviewed by the New York Post. During that interview, Van Zandt revealed that the real reason he left the E Street Band is because of jealousy.
According to Van Zandt, he had a very tight bond with Springsteen and served as Bruce's main advisor during the early days of their careers. However, once Springsteen's career became incredibly successful, he got a manager he started listening to more. Jealous of Springsteen's relationship with that manager, Van Zandt decided to walk away.
“I just felt I was not being appreciated anymore ’cause I was always his main adviser in a way just from being his best friend, and then a new manager had come in and become his main adviser.”
“I thought he’s not really paying as much attention to my advice as much as he used to." Van Zandt continued, "I felt like I should be part of the official management team, and he just disagreed with that ’cause I was his little brother in his eyes. So I thought, to preserve the friendship, I think the best thing to do is to leave, so that’s when I split,”
Even after Van Zandt left the E Street Band, it was still very obvious that he and Springsteen continued to care about each other. After all, after Van Zandt left the E Street Band, he would still pop up to perform with Springsteen and his pals at some of his concerts. On top of that, Van Zandt was still featured in some of Springsteen's music videos during that era.
On top of talking about why he left the E Street Band during his New York Post interview, Van Zandt revealed how he realized the true gravity of what he'd done.
“It was more than just changing jobs — it was the end of my life. I mean, my life ended at that moment, and I had to start all over again. So it was heavy, it got very intense. It slowly dawned on me what I had done acting out of passion… We just made it, we just had our first success, and I walk away. I really felt like I’d blown my life.”
Fortunately for Van Zandt, he gained a new chapter in his life after he became famous as an actor who starred in one of the best shows of all time, The Sopranos.
Years after Van Zandt left the E Street Band, the group completely broke up and Springsteen went on to perform with other people. Then, the E Street Band reformed in 1999 and Van Zandt decided to rejoin the group at that time.
In the years since 1999, Van Zandt has remained a stalwart member of the E Street Band and he has performed with the group and Springsteen on a slew of different tours.
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