Steve Van Zandt on bands, bandanas and Bruce Springsteen

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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, coming into contact with the man he would call The Boss - Bruce Springsteen. Steve tells Anu Anand about his many years as a guitarist for the E Street Band and how he became the man behind The Boss. He also talks about his extraordinary decision to leave the band in 1984 and how it led to him being "reborn" on a different path - that of political activist. After visiting South Africa in 1984 when the country was still living under apartheid, Steve created the movement Artists United Against Apartheid and they released a protest song called Sun City. In the late 1990s Steve's life took yet another turn when he took on the role of Silvio Dante in the hit TV show The Sopranos - a role in which, once again, he was the man behind the boss. Steve's memoir is called "Unrequited Infatuations". 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: [email protected] Presenter: Anu Anand Producer: June Christie Picture: Steve Van Zandt performs on stage with The Disciples of Soul in 2019 Credit: Sergione Infuso/Corbis via Getty Images