Steven Van Zandt shares surprising Bruce Springsteen trait: ‘This was a huge step’

Bruce Springsteen is an introvert at heart, his longtime E Street bandmate Steven Van Zandt reveals in a new documentary about the rock star.

The revelation might come as a surprise to fans, given Springsteen has long-held a reputation as one of the world’s greatest entertainers and is known for his exuberant on-stage persona.

However, a new Disney+ documentary titled Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, offers a close look at the “Born in the USA” star ’s return to touring and his deep-rooted passion for live performance.

Among the figures interviewed for the documentary include E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg, guitarist Van Zandt and Springsteen’s wife, guitarist and singer Patti Scialfa.

Weinberg is seen reflecting on Springsteen’s rise to fame and how he took influence from past great performers, including James Brown and the R&B duo Sam & Dave.

“I’d been looking for a situation like that – I was so disgusted, personally, with what rock had become in the early Seventies,” he reflected. “Where’s all that great showbusiness stuff? So Bruce brought that back.”

Van Zandt remarks: “[This] was a huge step, I can’t even begin to explain how big a step that is for a guy I grew up with [who] was the most introverted guy you’d ever met in your life.

“For him to go from that, to becoming the world’s greatest entertainer…”

In a recent interview with ABC, Springsteen provided an update on Scialfa after it was disclosed that she’d been diagnosed with a form of blood cancer in 2018.

“She’s doing good,” the rocker said. “We caught it early, which was important. It’s a tough disease. It’s very fatiguing.”

He also explained why Scialfa chose to make her illness public: “She hadn’t played in the band in a long time, and people I don’t think knew why. ‘Where’s Patti?’”

In an interview with The Times , he also opened up about the fitness regime that keeps him “fighting fit”, confirming that he “pretty much” eats just one meal a day.

“I’ll have a bit of fruit in the morning and then I’ll have dinner. That has kept me lean and mean,” he said.

He added that the key to the success of his tours these days is “taking time off between shows”, which he described as “the biggest change” with age.

“If we do that we can play at our top form, which is what I like to do at this point,” he said. “I don’t want to go out there tired, because we put the pedal to the metal for three hours straight. It’s fun to overwhelm the audience.”

Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will stream on Hulu and Disney+ from 25 October.