Unrequited Infatuations: A Memoir

Unrequited Infatuations: A Memoir

by Stevie Van Zandt
Unrequited Infatuations: A Memoir

Unrequited Infatuations: A Memoir

by Stevie Van Zandt

Hardcover

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Overview

Uncover never-before-told stories in this epic tale of self-discovery by a Rock n Roll disciple and member of the E Street Band.

What story begins in a bedroom in suburban New Jersey in the early '60s, unfolds on some of the country's largest stages, and then ranges across the globe, demonstrating over and over again how Rock and Roll has the power to change the world for the better? This story. 

The first true heartbeat of Unrequited Infatuations is the moment when Stevie Van Zandt trades in his devotion to the Baptist religion for an obsession with Rock and Roll. Groups like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones created new ideas of community, creative risk, and principled rebellion. They changed him forever. While still a teenager, he met Bruce Springsteen, a like-minded outcast/true believer who became one of his most important friends and bandmates. As Miami Steve, Van Zandt anchored the E Street Band as they conquered the Rock and Roll world. 

And then, in the early '80s, Van Zandt stepped away from E Street to embark on his own odyssey. He refashioned himself as Little Steven, a political songwriter and performer, fell in love with Maureen Santoro who greatly expanded his artistic palette, and visited the world's hot spots as an artist/journalist to not just better understand them, but to help change them. Most famously, he masterminded the recording of "Sun City," an anti-apartheid anthem that sped the demise of South Africa's institutionalized racism and helped get Nelson Mandela out of prison. 

By the '90s, Van Zandt had lived at least two lives—one as a mainstream rocker, one as a hardcore activist. It was time for a third. David Chase invited Van Zandt to be a part of his new television show, the Sopranos—as Silvio Dante, he was the unconditionally loyal consiglieri who sat at the right hand of Tony Soprano (a relationship that oddly mirrored his real-life relationship with Bruce Springsteen). 

Underlying all of Van Zandt's various incarnations was a devotion to preserving the centrality of the arts, especially the endangered species of Rock. In the twenty-first century, Van Zandt founded a groundbreaking radio show (Little Steven's Underground Garage), created the first two 24/7 branded music channels on SiriusXM (Underground Garage and Outlaw Country), started a fiercely independent record label (Wicked Cool), and developed a curriculum to teach students of all ages through the medium of music history. He also rejoined the E Street Band for what has now been a twenty-year victory lap. 

Unrequited Infatuations chronicles the twists and turns of Stevie Van Zandt's always surprising life. It is more than just the testimony of a globe-trotting nomad, more than the story of a groundbreaking activist, more than the odyssey of a spiritual seeker, and more than a master class in rock and roll (not to mention a dozen other crafts). It's the best book of its kind because it's the only book of its kind.

**Instant International Bestseller, New York Times Bestseller, USA Today Bestseller, Wall Street Journal Bestseller, Los Angeles Times Bestseller, Publishers Weekly Bestseller**


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780306925429
Publisher: Hachette Books
Publication date: 09/28/2021
Pages: 416
Sales rank: 283,246
Product dimensions: 6.20(w) x 9.50(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Stevie Van Zandt is a beloved musician, songwriter, actor, radio host, and activist. He is best known as the guitarist of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and the lead member of Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. He is also known for his acting work, most notably in The Sopranos (Silvio Dante) and Lilyhammer (Frank Tagliano); his radio work as the host of Little Steven's Underground Garage; and his devotion to music education (the TeachRock.org music history curriculum). In 2014, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band. He lives in Greenwich Village with his wife Maureen and Edie the dog.

Table of Contents

Overture 1

Prologue 3

1 Epiphany (1950s-1960s) 9

2 The Source (1965-1967) 24

3 Upstage (1968-1970) 38

4 Southside Johnny and the Kid (1971) 49

5 The Business (1972) 56

6 Vegas! (1973) 62

7 Asbury Park-Doubling Down! (1974-1975) 70

8 The Boss of All Bosses (1974-1975) 78

9 I Don't Want to Go Home (1975) 87

10 LA A-Go-Go (1975-1976) 96

11 This Time It's for Real (1977) 103

12 The Punk Meets the Godfather (1978) 110

13 Baptism (1979-1980) 122

14 Checkpoint Charlie (1980) 131

15 Hemingway Appropriately (1980-1982) 135

16 Voice of America (1982-1983) 149

17 The Killing Floor (1983-1984) 157

18 The Breathless Projectionist (1984) 171

19 Revolution (1985) 181

20 Ain't Gonna Play Sun City! (1986) 190

21 Freedom-No Compromise (1987-1989) 197

22 The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1990) 205

23 Seven Years in the Desert (1991-1997) 221

24 A Night at the Opera (1998) 237

25 Cross Road Blues (1999-2001) 250

26 Gangster Days / Garage Nights (2002-2004) 255

27 A Wicked Cool Super Bowl (2005-2009) 275

28 Lilyhammer (2010-2013) 290

29 Once upon a Dream (2013-2014) 302

30 The Golden Nymphs (2014-2015) 319

31 Ambassador to the Court of Ronald McDonald (2016-2017) 336

32 Soulfire (2017-2018) 350

33 Summer of Sorcery (2019-2020) 359

33 1/3 Epilogue 372

Acknowledgments / Thank-Yous 377

Index 379

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