Eric Church Forgets The Words To His Biggest Hit In Front Of 20,000 Fans
on Jun 22, 2026
Eric Church proved that even the most experienced artists can have a slip-up on stage.
Church made a surprise appearance during Kenny Chesney’s show at the Las Vegas Sphere over the weekend.
Chesney made history last year as the first solo country artist to have a residency at the venue, and on Friday, June 19, he kicked off the 2026 run of shows. So, for opening night, Chesney wanted to do something special, which is where Church came in.
The thousands of fans in attendance saw the two country stars perform several songs together, including their 2013 duet “When I See This Bar.”
However, one of their performances didn’t exactly go according to plan. Church ended up forgetting the lyrics to one of his most popular songs.
Watch Eric Church Forget The Words To “Springsteen”
If you’re an Eric Church fan, there’s no doubt you know his hit song “Springsteen.”
He recorded the song in 2011, and it was released as the third single from his third studio album, Chief.
The track went on to become a massive success, reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and becoming Church’s first song to break into the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Springsteen” remains one of his biggest hits and has been certified eight times platinum by the RIAA.
So, after performing the song for more than a decade, you would think Church could sing it without even thinking twice. That’s why fans were shocked when he completely forgot the lyrics.
Fans in the audience captured the moment on video. Church and Chesney had just started performing the song together, but only a few seconds in, Church stopped when he realized he couldn’t remember the next line.
“It’s always good to forget your biggest hit,” he said to Chesney and the crowd, brushing it off with a laugh.
Church took the slip-up like a champ, and Chesney was quick to make him feel better. He told the crowd that he had actually forgotten the lyrics to one of his own songs during a past Vegas performance, too.
@countryminute Eric Church surprised No Shoes Nation with an appearance at the opening night of Kenny Chesney at The Sphere. During the three song appearance, Church forgot the lyrics to “Springsteen,” which lead the crowd to burst out laughing. He pulled it together, but it made for a big moment at the show. Could Eric be the next Sphere headliner? #countrymusic #kennychesney #ericchurch ♬ original sound – Country Minute
The pair ended up starting the song over, and it seemed like Church had much better luck remembering the lyrics the second time around.
It probably didn’t hurt that a fan in the crowd offered up their phone so he could peek at the words if needed. Another video shows Chesney grabbing the phone from the fan and holding it up for Church.
@jordynsgolfgroove It’s okay, even @Eric Church, forgets the words to his biggest hit #kennychesney #ericchurch #springsteen #noshoesnation #chief ♬ original sound – JordynsGolfGroove
And of course, Eric Church isn’t the only country star who has ever forgotten the lyrics to a song on stage.
Church joins a long list of artists who have had to stop and laugh off the same mid-show blunder, including Keith Urban, Ronnie Dunn, and Luke Bryan.
