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Rick Springfield
Background information
Birth name	Richard Lewis Springthorpe
Born	23 August 1949 (1949-08-23) (age 60) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Origin	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres	Power pop, pop, rock
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, actor
Instruments	Guitar, keyboards
Years active	1967–present
Labels	Capitol Records Columbia Records RCA Records New Door Records Sonic Past Music Gomer Records
Website	Official site

Rick Springfield (born Richard Lewis Springthorpe; 23 August 1949, in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian-American songwriter, musician and actor. As a musician, he is most famous for the 1981 #1 single "Jessie's Girl", which became a Grammy Award-winning landmark of 1980s pop-rock and helped establish the emerging music video age. As an actor, Springfield's best known role is that of the character Dr. Noah Drake on the daytime drama General Hospital. He originated the character from 1981-1983 and then returned to play him again from 2005 until 2008.

Background

Musical career

In 1967, Springfield dropped out of high school to begin his professional music career. His first appearance in a band was as a singer/guitarist in the band Rock House. In 1968, the band changed the name to MPD, Ltd, then embarked on a tour of Vietnam to entertain the troops stationed there.^[1]

In 1969, Springfield replaced guitarist Roger Hicks in the Australian rock band Zoot, a position he held until the band's break-up in 1971.^{[2] [3]}

The 22-year-old Springfield relocated to Hollywood, California in 1972.^[1]

Radio stations became suspicious of his album Beginnings and refused to play it, because of rumours that the record company, Capitol Records, was paying people to purchase it.^[4]

Springfield was one of several performers who participated in the Live Aid charity concert. After releasing the album Tao in 1985, Springfield chose to take a break from recording to spend more time with his family, and to deal with the depression that had affected him since his adolescence.^[5]

Springfield was a judge for the eighth annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists.^{[6] [7]}

Acting career

In 1981, Springfield became a soap opera star on General Hospital. He had signed a contract with RCA Records and already recorded the album Working Class Dog, which neither he nor his agent had expected would do very well, which is why Springfield took the soap role. But the song "Jessie's Girl" went to #1, and Springfield ended up both playing the role of Dr. Noah Drake from 1981 through 1983, while simultaneously going on tour with his band. The success of the song boosted the ratings of the show, which according to Springfield "became the biggest show on TV for that summer," and the fame from the show likewise boosted the sale of the song.^[1]

In 1984, Springfield made one full length feature film, Hard to Hold^[8], and in 1998 he played in the film Legion. In 1992, he played the title role in the short-lived ABC series Human Target, based on the DC Comics character of the same name. ^[9]

In addition to the roles on television and in film, Springfield also acted in musical theatre. In 1995, he was a member of the original Broadway cast of the musical Smokey Joe's Cafe.^[10] This Tony Award-nominated musical featured the songs of rock & roll songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. From February 2000 through December 2002, Springfield performed in EFX Alive!^[11] at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Rick stars in several episodes of the third season of Showtime's Californication. His first appearance was in episode 3 on October 11, 2009, in which he plays a "twisted version of himself"; a "hedonistic Rick Springfield" from the past.^[12]

General Hospital

In December 2005, Springfield was asked by the General Hospital producers to return to the show, and he returned to his role as Dr. Noah Drake after a 23-year absence.^[13][14] His run was subsequently extended, although as of 2007 he remains a guest star on recurring status, and not a full contract cast member.^[15] In July 2007, a new storyline was introduced with another character also played by Springfield, Eli Love, "a 1980s rock star" who just happens to look exactly like Dr. Drake. The storyline requires Drake, who hates musicians, to fill in for an injured Eli Love at a charity concert. In the summer of 2008, he returned as both Noah Drake and Eli Love. On July 29, 2008, he performed his latest single "What's Victoria's Secret" on the show. In 2007, Springfield did a benefit concert in Cape Girardeau, Missouri for Sahara Aldridge, who was suffering with brain cancer, and whose family was friends with Springfield. Aldridge died shortly afterwards at the age of 14, and his 2008 album, "Venus In Overdrive" is dedicated to her.

Personal life

In 1974, Springfield dated and lived with then 15-year-old actress Linda Blair. He considered it his first "grown up" relationship, despite nearly 10 years difference in their ages.^[16][17] In 1985, when his son was born, Springfield took a break from his musical career to spend more time with his family, and to deal with the depression that had affected him since his adolescence.^[18][19] He had also wrestled with depression in the 1970s, when the serious illness of his father (who died on April 24, 1981) and career troubles caused him to "hit the wall" and contemplate suicide.^[1]

Awards

• 1982 Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for "Jessie's Girl"
• 1983 American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist along with John Cougar Mellencamp

Discography

Studio albums

Other releases

Singles

References

External links

• RickSpringfield.com
• Official myspace page
• Rick Springfield at the Internet Movie Database
• Rick Springfield at TV.com
• Rick Springfield interview
• NPR Interview
• Rick Springfield - The Early Sound City Sessions On Sonic Past Music
• Rick Springfield Interview "I miss the 80s"July 2006