Musician and actor Stevie Van Zandt and his half-brother, playwright and producer Billy Van Zandt, now have another honor to add to the list. This spring, the street where they grew up, Wilson Avenue in Middletown Township, was ceremonially renamed Van Zandt Way.
The renaming, sponsored by the New Jersey Hall of Fame and Middletown Township, was attended by Mayor Tony Perry, former NBC news anchor and Middletown native Brian Williams, and officials from the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
“We have both been awarded for our work, but being honored by our hometown is obviously very special,” said the brothers. “We will try our best to keep our street proud!”
Stevie Van Zandt, musician, songwriter, and actor, is best known as a founding member and guitarist Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, but also has a solo band called Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. He gained acclaim for his portrayal of Silvio Dante in the Emmy award-winning HBO series The Sopranos, which earned him multiple Screen Actors Guild Awards and an Emmy nomination. He is an inductee of both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
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Billy Van Zandt is a celebrated playwright, actor, director and producer. He is the writer of the best-selling memoir Get in the Car, Jane (Adventures in the TV Wasteland) and was nominated for an Emmy Award for his television special I Love Lucy: The Very First Show. Other credits include You’ve Got Hate Mail, Love, Sex, and the I.R.S., and Silent Laughter. He’s also a stage and screen actor, with notable performances in The Godfather Part III and Jaws 2.