NO, East Street Band guitarist and actor Steven Van Zandt is not from the Netherlands. But his brother and fellow actor Billy Van Zandt is. Same mother, different father. Steven Lento took his stepfather’s name.
A common name in America, all originally Dutch. Admiral James Van Zandt is buried at Arlington, Townes Van Zandt was a gifted country singer, and Isaac Van Zandt was Texas ambassador to Washington when Texas was its own republic.
There is a county named after him, Van Zandt County, just outside Dallas. No idea if they realize this in Gemert, Brabant, because that’s where Van Zandt’s roots were. Grandma Liesbeth and grandpa Gerrit left Gemert and Bakel behind and sailed to America.
At the edge of the county there’s a small town that’s just called Van, nothing else. With a Van high school, the Van library, the Van doctor’s office and the Van city park. This place should have a proper name, said the local postmaster. He himself was named Vance. Use your own name, said the town. Nope, he said. Okay, just do Van, then.
