Renowned violinist and bandmate of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, Suki Lahav, sadly passed away on April 1 at the age of 74.
Following news of Lahav’s death, Springsteen shared an honorable tribute on Facebook for his former band member.
“Here on E Street, we’re heartbroken over the passing of Suki Lahav. Her angelic voice shone on 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) and her beautiful violin brought great drama to the Jungleland intro,” the musician said. “She also blessed our stage with her beauty and grace in our early touring days. She was a wonderful friend, may she rest with the angels.”
Suki Lahav’s Time With Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band
Lahav’s son, Yonatan Albalak, announced his mom’s passing on Facebook the day after she died, explaining that she succumbed to a “short and hard battle” with a health condition.
“Yesterday afternoon my beloved and beautiful mother, Zeruya Lahav was gathered into infinity after a short and hard battle with the cursed disease,” Albalak shared. “She wrote songs that touched people’s hearts. She was a special woman, smart, pure in heart and loving life. She was the best mom I could ever ask for. In the family’s decision there will be no Shiva, and the funeral will be private too.”
Lahav performed with the E Street Band in the ‘70s when she accompanied them between 1974 and 1975 on the Born to Run tour. Her musical skills were featured in songs “The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle” and “Born to Run,” the Los Angeles Times reported. She also played the iconic violin intro to Springsteen’s “Jungleland.” As a vocalist, Lahav showcased her singing on the track “4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy).”
Suki Lahav Explains How She Joined the E Street Band
In 2007, Lahav, who was born in Ayelet HaShahar, Israel, told the Jerusalem Post that when she began playing with the E Street Band, she was “a young girl in a flowing white dress from Kibbutz Ayelet Hashahar in the Upper Galilee, barely out of the army, barely married … I went from kibbutz harvest music to rocking with Bruce.”
Lahav’s obituary highlighted her contribution to Israeli culture, noting how she was awarded with the ACUM Lifetime Achievement Award and the Erik Einstein Prize within her lifetime.
“A central figure in Israeli music for decades, Lahav began her career in the Paratroopers’ Brigade entertainment troupe before emerging as a leading voice in songwriting,” her obituary adds. “She went on to write a string of enduring hits, including ‘Yemei Hatom,’ ‘Perach,’ ‘Af Ahat,’ and ‘Romeo,’ songs that became deeply embedded in Israeli culture.”
RIP Suki Lahav.
