The E Street Band is one of the most legendary "backing bands" of all time. Members have gone on to find success as individual artists and session players, but they will always be known as the group that has played on the bulk of Bruce Springsteen's studio albums.
Steven Van Zandt is, undoubtedly, one of the most famous names to come out of the E Street Band. He played guitar and mandolin on several of Springsteen's classic albums, and continues to tour with the band to this day. He has not always been a member, however. Van Zandt has come and gone over the years, and we're here to break down the "when" and the "why."
Steven Van Zandt left the band in 1984
Van Zandt joined the E Street Band in 1975. The group has already been active for three years, but the guitarist's arrival coincided with the band's critical and commercial peak. Bruce Springsteen put out a string of classic records over the next decade, including Born to Run (1975), The River (1980), Nebraska (1982) and Born In the U.S.A. (1984). Van Zandt played on all of them.
The guitarist left the E Street Band in 1984, however. He decided to go solo, and released multiple albums under the name "Little Steven." He later told the New York Post that he had grown tired of being taken for granted within the band, and felt creatively restricted.
Van Zandt decided to leave as a means of freeing up his creative desires and preserving his close friendship with Springsteen. He admitted, however, that the decision to leave was a "mistake." It was something he regretted for the next decade, even after the E Street Band broke up in 1989.
Van Zandt rejoined E Street Band in 1999
When they reformed six years later, Van Zandt decided to return. He played with them in 1995, and has remained an official touring member since 1999. Van Zandt's role in the band has changed over time. The addition of Nils Logfren has resulted in Van Zandt playing less of a role in the band's sound, and Springsteen's decision to take on more of the guitar solos by himself has left Van Zandt with less to do on stage.
That said, Van Zandt relishes his role in the E Street Band, and he assured Howard Stern that the more hands off approach with the band allows him to focus on his acting career. Given the praise he has earned for turns in The Sopranos and Lilyhammer, we'd say the decision has proven to be a wise one.