Rep. Raskin got his bandana from Steven-Van-Zandt
Raskin said his doctors have already seen positive results and he is hopeful. “All I can say is, so far, so good,” he said, explaining that he just completed his third of six chemo sessions.
Still, it wasn’t easy. He had lethargy and loss of appetite, as well as sudden, unwanted changes in his appearance.
“We have some very handsome, beautiful people with no hair,” Raskin said, adding that he didn’t think balding suited him.
When he noticed his hair falling out, “I immediately thought of Little Steven, who I’ve always loved,” he said, referring to rock and roll musician Steven Van Zandt. “Little Steven was my inspiration.”
Van Zandt — he is a member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and played consigliere Silvio Dante on The Sopranos — is known for his signature headscarves.
When Van Zandt heard that Raskin credited him with his own chemo headgear, he was touched.
“It was an honor for me and I wanted to return this wonderful gesture,” said Van Zandt, who is touring and decided to send Raskin some scarves from his own stash. “I just wanted to show a little solidarity.”
He put together a package in his hotel room.
“I sent him five scarves from my personal collection here on the street, and when I get home in a few weeks I’ll send him a few more,” said Van Zandt.
Raskin received the headscarves – which Van Zandt had previously worn (and washed before shipping) – on Saturday. The congressman said he was blown away by the thoughtful gift.
“I was so overwhelmed and moved,” he said. Apparently, Raskin said, “He realized I needed a fashion upgrade.”
After privately thanking the musician Raskin shared the story on Twitter. “The response was pretty overwhelming,” he said, adding that people started share their own cancer stories and to salute the kindness of Van Zandt.
“I hope for a speedy and full recovery for him,” said Van Zandt. “Part of that is keeping your spirits up. So if that helps keep his spirits up, all the better.”
Van Zandt started wearing headscarves as a teenager and they became a staple of his wardrobe in the 1970s after he was involved in a car accident that left multiple scars on his head. His hair never really grew back, he said, so he started covering his head. It quickly became his trademark.
“I wore the headscarves on occasion anyway, and in fact it was Bruce who suggested I just wear them all the time,” said Van Zandt, 72, who wrote about the crash in his recent memoir, Unrequited Love.
The bandanas that Van Zandt sent to Raskin feature intricate yet subtle designs. Some are muted, others more colorful.
“Whoever makes their scarves is like the Michelangelo of headscarves,” Raskin said. “You really are in a class of your own. These are works of art.”
Also, he said, they’re bigger than other bandanas and “they also have that little rock star tail that gives them a bit of attitude.”
Van Zandt said that his sister-in-law, Lori Santoro, who is a designer, makes all of his scarves by hand.
“She’s been making my clothes for years,” he said.
In addition to hearing from Van Zandt, Raskin has received calls and messages of support from Nils Lofgren, who is also a member of the E Street Band and grew up in Maryland.
“I’ve been a Bruce Springsteen and E Street fan almost my entire life,” Raskin said. “I love these guys. I’ve been to 13 concerts.”
Raskin said his respect for Van Zandt in particular deepened while he was in college and law school.
“He was someone that my friends and I really looked up to,” he said. “We tried to get all these universities to split from South Africa. He organized all the rockers to boycott apartheid in South Africa.”
“He was a big hero to us,” Raskin said. “He believes in the connection between music and politics and expression, and I believe that too.”
When Raskin started losing his hair, “I thought about how he always wore a headscarf. I didn’t know why he did it, but I thought it was a cool look, and I thought, ‘maybe I’ll do what he did,'” he said. “I set out on my own and got some towels.”
The congressman’s new look “was met with mixed reviews,” he said. “Some people said it looked good, others said I looked like a pirate.”
In any case, Raskin continues to wear scarves and shrugs the occasional taunt.
“People have been sending me snappy stuff, but that’s okay,” he said. “On Capitol Hill, we try to stick to substance.”
Since his diagnosis, Raskin – who has continued to work during treatment – said “people on both sides of the aisle have been super supportive.”
“It was an empowering experience for me to know that there is a level of humanity and affection that underlies all political conflict and discord,” he said.
The kindness shown to him – including by Van Zandt – was a salve in a turbulent time, he said.
“He’s fearless and he’s a freedom fighter and he’s always thinking of other people,” Raskin said of Van Zandt. “That makes him a role model for me.”