Suki Lahav, 1951-2026
- Letters To You
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
April 3, 2026
Musician, songwriter, poet, and author Tzruya/Zeruya “Suki” Lahav died this past Wednesday. She was 74.
Among her many accomplishments, Lahav was the first woman ever to record and perform with Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. Her uncredited and multitracked backing vocals can be heard on both "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" and "Incident on 57th Street" from The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle, an album that was engineered by her then-husband Louis Lahav. And her credited violin work (also multitracked) can be heard on Born to Run's closing epic "Jungleland."
In the 1974-75 period leading up to the release of Born to Run, Lahav occasionally performed live with Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, as well. "Onstage," wrote Dave Marsh in his still-essential book Born to Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story, "Suki’s ghostly pale figure was a fine contrast to Bruce’s darkness and toughness, and, musically, the addition of a violin was a luxury that quickly became a necessity in songs like 'Incident on 57th Street,' 'New York City Serenade,' Dylan’s 'I Want You' and a new song called 'Jungleland.'"
Although her tenure with Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band was a very brief one, it also was a historic one with significant impact. Rest in peace, Suki, and thank you for your enduring, important role in Springsteen's music, on record and onstage.
