When Steven Van Zandt moved away from the E Street Band to pursue his own career, he became a freedom fighter through his music. In 1984, he made two visits to South Africa, and upon his return, gathered over 50 of the world’s most esteemed performers — including Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, George Clinton, Bonnie Raitt, Lou Reed, and U2’s Bono — to form Artists United Against Apartheid. The group recorded a song written by Van Zandt entitled “Sun City,” and out of that song grew an album by the same name co-produced by Van Zandt and Arthur Baker, a popular music video, and a concert, all of which raised funds for anti-apartheid efforts. The series of projects also helped refocus attention on the industry’s longtime cultural boycott of South Africa, a trust many entertainers had neglected by performing at a lucrative, Las Vegas-style show at the South African Sun City resort.

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Little Steven’s Underground Garage