The street that Steven Van Zandt grew up on is now named after him.
Located in Middletown Township in Monmouth County, the street is now called Van Zandt Way, serving as a perpetual reminder of their profound influence and lasting impact.
The decision was made through a partnership with The New Jersey Hall of Fame, renaming the street for the iconic musician and his playwright brother, Billy Van Zandt. When they had grown up, it had been titled Wilson Avenue.
"We have both been awarded for our work, but being honored by our hometown is obviously very special," said Stevie and Billy Van Zandt. "We want to thank Mayor Perry and everybody in the Middletown administration, as well as the New Jersey Hall of Fame, for this recognition. And we will try our best to keep our street proud and not embarrass our neighbors who will now have to use our name on their mail!"
The dedication ceremony included several of the community's leaders, officials, and guests like former NBC News Anchor and Middletown native Brian Williams, town mayor Tony Perry, and more.
"The dedication of Van Zandt Way points to the enduring legacy of Stevie and Billy Van Zandt, symbolizing their perseverance, creativity, and passion. Their accomplishments will continue to resonate for generations to come, inspiring future New Jerseyans to realize their dreams," said New Jersey Hall of Fame president Steve Edwards. "We're grateful to Middletown Township for commemorating these two Jersey legends."
Van Zandt, a founding member and the guitar player of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, is an inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which accompanies his New Jersey Hall of Fame title. He also has a solo band, Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul, which he has intermittently performed with since the 1980s.
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The artist was nominated for an Emmy for his performances as Silvio Dante in HBO's The Sopranos, which starred fellow NJHOF inductee James Gandolfini. Following his death, a street in Park Ridge was named Gandolfini Way in 2013.
Aside from his work as an artist, Van Zandt is currently working tirelessly to promote arts education in schools. His TeachRock organization helps students learn history through music, which he tells Music Times is needed now more than ever in the current state of society.
"We're going backwards in a way I never thought possible. All these things have come back to haunt us. ... It really is quite a full circle here, and we better start being vigilant right now, and maybe start teaching civics in school again," he told Lyndsey Parker. "It's shocking what's going on right now, and I feel responsible. Our generation did not fix things properly, and certainly not permanently."
Van Zandt has prioritized activism in the U.S. for decades, previously saying that rock and roll can "change the world." He looks back on how the genre has contributed to ongoing societal movements throughout history.
"I think it did, to some extent. I think all of these ideals exist in a bigger way because of rock 'n' roll. I think the idea of liberation of the individual exists because of rock 'n' roll, and the communication between people in different countries directly - the direct communication, as opposed to speaking through our governments, exists through rock 'n' roll, soul, and popular music. I think a lot of things did get accomplished, and I wouldn't rule out the possibility of popular music once again rising to some occasion."
