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Near the end of his highly-talked-about interview on The Howard Stern Show, acclaimed musician Bruce Springsteen admitted that while he was "late to the party" but would 100% return. Anyone who knows anything about Howard and Bruce's relationship knows this is a huge turnaround. After all, Howard once made it known to his audience that Bruce had no intention of ever coming on the show.
Despite sitting down with countless A-list celebrities, musicians, and politicians, Howard and his team simply could not land Bruce as a guest. But this wasn't because The Boss felt he was too good for the self-proclaimed King Of All Media. According to Howard, Bruce may have had some personal issues with him. Things that Howard has taken responsibility for. Because of this, they were able to sit down together for one of the best interviews of both of their careers.
Here's how Howard Stern earned Bruce Springsteen's forgiveness.
Howard Stern's Long-Awaited Interview With Bruce Springsteen
On October 17th, 2022, Howard Stern formally announced that Bruce Springsteen was going to be interviewed on his show. Between then and Bruce's Halloween appearance, callers, staffers, and Howard himself all commented on just how important this moment was to the long-running radio show.
Closer to the date, Howard even announced that he would physically join Bruce in his New York studio, a place (much to the chagrin of his fans) he hasn't stepped foot in since the start of the pandemic. There's no doubt that Howard and Bruce being in the same room instead of over Zoom is one of the reasons why it was one of the former shock jock's best interviews in years.
But the interview worked so well because Howard was genuinely excited about it.
While Howard admitted to disliking Bruce's music when he was younger, he has become a massive fan over the past couple of decades. This was evident in both his questions of the rocker and his reaction to Bruce playing an assortment of his hits live. Howard even claimed that Bruce's performance of "Thunder Road" made him cry in the studio... the first time in his lengthy career.
But another reason why this interview was so important to Howard was that Bruce refused to do it for years.
Bruce Springsteen's Feud With Howard Stern
In 2018, Howard Stern admitted to finally meeting Bruce Springsteen in person. While they connected on a personal level, Howard and his producer Gary Dell'Abate (a massive Boss fan) were unable to woo him to come on the show to be interviewed.
On air, Howard claimed that he felt Bruce was still angry at him.
"I suspect some of the things I said about him on the air in my earlier years turned him off to me in terms of doing the show," Howard said to his audience.
Of course, Howard has said a lot of controversial things about celebrities over the years, but he's been able to make up with many of them. This is attributed to his personal growth and the change in tone on The Stern Show over the past two decades.
While Howard believed Bruce appreciated the change in his attitude, the "Born To Run" singer still wouldn't come on his show. Howard has claimed that he had no intention of chasing the rockstar, despite Gary admitting to constantly working Bruce's team for an interview.
Given that almost every major living rockstar of his generation has appeared on The Stern Show, as well as the fact that they both have deals with SiriusXM, it was peculiar that Bruce still held out.
Why Bruce Springsteen Forgave Howard Stern
There is no definitive answer as to why Bruce Springsteen forgave Howard Stern and ultimately came on his show to be interviewed. However, one can easily deduce an assortment of answers from comments both have made about each other.
First and foremost, Howard's tempering of his attitude toward Bruce's music and celebrity status helped their relationship. As did him sharing his love of Bruce's 2018 Broadway Show numerous times on the air. After attending the show, Howard claimed it was "one of the most moving nights of his life".
There was likely an apology or two shared behind the scenes. Howard even half-referenced one regarding Bruce's wife near the end of their October 31st interview.
But during their interview, it was Bruce who shed the most light on why things between him and Howard have improved so drastically. And it all comes down to Howard's 2019 interview with Rolling Stone.
Bruce told Howard that he was "moved" by his 2019 interview. This was during his promotion tour of "Howard Stern Comes Again", the book of the former shock jock's favorite interviews. The best-seller also detailed the reasons for the often controversial radio host's creative and personal evolution. This is what Bruce related to as he too went through a metamorphosis.
"It was a really telling and vulnerable interview," Bruce Springsteen said to Howard on The Stern Show.
It was this vulnerability that seems to be the main reason why Bruce finally decided to come on the show and let bygones be bygones.
"Thank you for forgiving me for any past sins," Howard said to Bruce at the end of their interview.
"No, no, no!" Bruce interrupted.
"No, it's important to say."
