Soozie Tyrell (born May 4, 1957), formerly known as Soozie Kirschner, is an American

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

ist,

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

ist, and

vocalist Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...

, most known for her work with

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...

in the

E Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band that has been the primary backing band for rock musician Bruce Springsteen since 1972. In 2014, the E Street Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For the bulk of Springsteen's recordin ...

and formerly

the Sessions Band The Sessions Band is an American musical group that has periodically recorded and toured with American rock singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen in various formations since 1997. History The Sessions Band was first formed in October 1997. That Sep ...

Early life and education

Tyrell was born in

Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...

, Italy, and as the daughter of a military serviceman travelled extensively, ultimately settling in

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, where she briefly studied

music theory Music theory is the study of theoretical frameworks for understanding the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory": The first is the "Elements of music, ...

at the

University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States, and other campuses in St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, ...

Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

Career

After leaving the University of South Florida, she relocated to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, where she became a street musician for many years. Together with Patti Scialfa and Lisa Lowell, she formed a street group known as Trickster. Tyrell began appearing on records with

Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes are an American musical group from the Jersey Shore sound, Jersey Shore formerly led by Southside Johnny. They have been recording albums since 1976 and are closely associated with Bruce Springsteen and The ...

' ''Love is a Sacrifice'' in 1980. She then led her own

country and western A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, or d ...

band, Soozie & High in the Saddle. Beginning in mid-1980s Tyrell worked with

David Johansen David Roger Johansen (January 9, 1950 – February 28, 2025) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor best known as lead singer of the seminal proto-punk band the New York Dolls. He is also known for his work under the pseudonym Buster Po ...

and his Buster Poindexter alter-ego for fifteen years, appearing on six albums and a number of tours as well as collaborating on the musical ''Poet's Café''. Tyrell, Scialfa and Lowell performed on

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

eponymous An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...

first '' Buster Poindexter'' album released in 1987 on

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...

featuring the popular

dance hall Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for Dance, dancing, but usually refers to a specific type of twentieth-century venue, with dance clubs (nightclubs) becoming more popular towards the end of the century. The palais de danse was a term ap ...

single, " Hot-Hot-Hot"; their friendship and mutual

recording industry A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, r ...

projects continue to the present. Tyrell first appeared with Bruce Springsteen in 1992 on his '' Lucky Town'' album, as a

backing vocalist A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are u ...

. She subsequently performed on every Springsteen album of new studio material since that time, primarily as a violinist and backing singer, including the albums ''

The Ghost of Tom Joad ''The Ghost of Tom Joad'' is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on November 21, 1995, by Columbia Records. His second primarily acoustic album after ''Nebraska'' (1982), ''The Ghost of Tom Joad'' r ...

'' and '' Devils & Dust'', which were not E Street Band albums, making her the musician who has performed on more Springsteen albums in the last twenty years than most of the other members of the E Street Band, with the exception of Patti Scialfa and Springsteen himself. In 2002, her violin play was incorporated as a key part of the sound on Springsteen's album '' The Rising'', and Tyrell joined the E Street Band for the subsequent 2002–2003 Rising Tour. She also played a prominent role in his non-E Street, big band folk-oriented 2006 album '' We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions'' and the subsequent Sessions Band Tour. She contributed to Springsteen's albums '' Magic'' (2007), '' Working on a Dream'' (2009), ''

Wrecking Ball A wrecking ball is a heavy steel ball, usually hung from a Crane (machine), crane, that is used for Demolition, demolishing large buildings. It was most commonly in use during the 1940s and 1950s. Several wrecking companies claim to have inve ...

'' (2012), '' High Hopes'' (2014), '' Western Stars'' (2019) and '' Only the Strong Survive'' (2022) and the subsequent Springsteen and the E Street Band's Magic, Working on a Dream, and Wrecking Ball Tours, where she was onstage for every number, playing

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

in addition to violin, and singing some featured duet parts during absences of bandmate and Springsteen's wife Patti Scialfa. On both the Magic and Working On a Dream Tour, her spot on stage rotated between a riser beside Bittan and in Scialfa's spot when she was not present. Since the Wrecking Ball Tour, she has stood in

Clarence Clemons Clarence Anicholas Clemons Jr. (January 11, 1942 – June 18, 2011), also known as The Big Man, was an American saxophonist. From 1972 until his death in 2011, he was the saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. Clemons rel ...

’ vocal role. In 2003, Tyrell's debut album ''White Lines'' was released on Treasure Records. In 2014, Tyrell was featured on the compilation '' Songs from a Stolen Spring''. On the album she performed "Danger Zone" - a Percy Mayfield song made famous by

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

Discography with Bruce Springsteen

*'' Lucky Town'' (1992) *''

'' (1995) *'' Blood Brothers'' (1996) *'' The Rising'' (2002) *''

The Essential Bruce Springsteen ''The Essential Bruce Springsteen'' is a compilation album by Bruce Springsteen, released on November 11, 2003. The collection is part of a series of ''Essential'' sets released by Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Music. It includes songs from vari ...

'' (2003) *'' Devils & Dust'' (2005) *'' We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions'' (2006) *'' Bruce Springsteen with The Sessions Band: Live in Dublin'' (2007) *'' Magic'' (2007) *'' Magic Tour Highlights'' (2008) *''

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

'' (2009) *'' Working on a Dream'' (2009) *'' The Promise'' (2010) *''

'' (2012) *'' High Hopes'' (2014) *'' American Beauty'' (2014) *'' Western Stars'' (2019) *'' Only the Strong Survive'' (2022)

Tours with Bruce Springsteen

*Guest musician during the 1992-1993 "Other Band" Tour, 1995-1997 Ghost of Tom Joad Tour, and 1999-2000 Reunion Tour *

The Rising Tour The Rising Tour was a lengthy, worldwide, top-grossing concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band that took place in arenas and stadiums over 2002 and 2003. It followed the release of their 2002 album '' The Rising''. Itin ...

with the E Street Band, 2002-2003 * Vote for Change Tour with the E Street Band, 2004 * Seeger Sessions Tour with the Sessions Band, 2006 * Magic Tour with the E Street Band, 2007-2008 * Working On A Dream Tour with the E Street Band, 2009 * Wrecking Ball Tour with the E Street Band, 2012-2013 * High Hopes Tour with the E Street Band, 2014 * The River Tour 2016 with the E Street Band, 2016–2017 * Springsteen and E Street Band 2023 Tour, 2023

References

* "From Bleecker Street to E Street: An Interview with Soozie Tyrell", Anthony D'Amato, ''Upstage Magazine'', October 2005 {{DEFAULTSORT:Tyrell, Soozie 1957 births Living people 21st-century American violinists American street performers American women violinists E Street Band members Jersey Shore musicians Musicians from Pisa Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes members The Sessions Band members