On This Day in 1976, Bruce Springsteen Played the Grand Ole Opry—the Show That Made Country Music Famous

April 28, 2025 2:39 pm

On this day (April 28) in 1976, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played the Grand Ole Opry. Billed as the Show That Made Country Music Famous, and a rite of passage for many country artists, the Opry rarely hosts rock bands. Springsteen and his band were only the second rock and roll act to play on the iconic stage.

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Springsteen released Born to Run in January 1975. A little more than a year later, he and the band were bored and restless. He was working on writing songs for their next record. However, the writing process was taking longer than anyone expected. The tour started in late March with a show in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

According to Rolling Stone, the tour started as a short one-month trek to help everyone “tighten up” for the next album. Then, it turned into a 38-stop tour through the South, Midwest, and Pennsylvania. The tour saw the band playing most of Born to Run along with fan favorites from other albums.

Currently, artists play abbreviated sets during Grand Ole Opry appearances. That was not the case when Springsteen took the Opry stage, though. They reportedly played for more than two hours to 3,000 fans. The setlist included “Born to Run,” “Thunder Road,” “Spirit in the Night,” “Growin’ Up,” among other favorites.

Bruce Springsteen Wasn’t the First Rock Artist to Play the Grand Ole Opry

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band surprisingly weren’t the first rock band to play the Grand Ole Opry. That honor goes to The Byrds who performed on the show in 1968. However, they were the first rock band to play on that particular stage.

When The Byrds played the Opry, it was recorded at the Ryman Auditorium. Four years later, Gaylord Entertainment Company opened the Opryland USA theme park. Two years later, the theme park would be home to the Grand Ole Opry House. The park closed in 1997, and the Opry Mills Mall took its place. However, the Opry House is still in use. Springsteen played on the Grand Ole Opry House stage, making him one of the only rock artists to do so.

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