Stevie Van Zandt, Sam Moore, Darlene Love and Steve Earle are the inaugural recipients of the American Music Honors, to be presented by the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music. The event will be held April 15 on the campus of its home, Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J.
Van Zandt, Moore and Love have all been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Van Zandt was inducted as member of Springsteen’s E Street Band in 2014, Moore as a member of the classic R&B duo Sam & Dave in 1992, and Love as a solo artist in 2011.
Moore, Love and Earle are Grammy winners. Moore won best R&B group performance, vocal or instrumental for the Sam & Dave classic “Soul Man” (1967); Love won best music video, long form for her role in 20 Feet From Stardom (2014); and Earle is a three-time Grammy winner for best contemporary folk album.
“American Music Honors aims to celebrate those artists who have demonstrated artistic excellence, creative integrity, and a longstanding commitment to the value of music in our national consciousness,” Robert Santelli, founding executive director of the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music said in a statement. “All of our inaugural honorees are worthy of acknowledgment and appreciation.”
American Music Honors will take place in Monmouth University’s Pollak Theatre. Jon Stewart will open the evening as a welcoming host, while the Disciples of Soul will serve as the event’s house band. Award presenters include Springsteen, his wife and bandmate Patti Scialfa, E Street Band member Garry Tallent, and Southside Johnny Lyon of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. Tickets for the event will go on sale to the public on Monday, March 13. Ticket information is available on the Archives’ website.
“This event showcases the ‘American Music’ part of our name and mission,” added Dr. Patrick Leahy, Monmouth University president and board chair of the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music. “By honoring American music greats, such as those named today, and by creating dynamic education and public programs, along with major museum exhibitions, we make valuable contributions to the understanding and importance of American music in our lives.”
The Bruce Springsteen Archives serves as the official repository for the music of Bruce Springsteen, plus photographs, periodicals, oral histories, rare recordings, films, and artifacts related to Springsteen and the E Street Band. The Center for American Music produces museum exhibitions, symposia and seminars, teacher workshops, concerts, internships, and various public programs to promote and celebrate the many forms of American music and their impact on our culture and national identity.