Rick Springfield

Rick Springfield is an Australian-American musician, TV and film actor, and songwriter. His long-time fans have followed him from his popular U.S. hit of "Jessie's Girl" from 1981 and his portrayal of dashing Dr. Noah Drake, on the TV soap opera, General Hospital. Rick Springfield's music was a staple of many 80's fans, mostly screaming teenage girls, who loved his hot looks and songs of love. His TV career on General Hospital and his hit single "Jessie's Girl" spurred his popularity in the 1980's.

His music career started in 1964, when he formed the band "Icy Blues" with John Kennedy. He was fifteen. In 1968, he was hired to play in Vietnam to soldiers stationed there. In the 1970's, his music career veered with different bands and record companies. In 1972, he moved to the U.S. and later found acting bits in Rockford Files, Wonder Woman, and Battlestar Galactica. In 1981, the debut of his album, "Working Class Dog", was delayed. He accepted the role of Dr. Drake on General Hospital. "Working Class Dog" was released in 1982, which threw Rick Springfield into the dual role of actor and musician.

Rick Springfield still has a loyal fan base -- those adolescent teenage crushes follow his music today. He released "Venus in Overdrive" in 2008, which hit #28 on the Billboard 200 chart. It's Springfield's highest mark and best sales week. In 2009, Springfield releases a baby lullaby album, titled "My Precious Little One", based on songs he used to sing to his own songs when they were little.

Rick Springfield has written a book, Late, Late at Night, in which he talks about his long battle with depression, his suicide attempt, his infidelities, and his marriage. He credits his wife Barbara as being 'the rock' of his life and often thanks her for sticking by him through many difficult years. Springfield hopes that his battle with Mr. D (as he refers to the moodiness he finally realized was a deep depression) will help many youths going through troubled times now.

On a personal note, Rick Springfield was my favorite singer from the '80's. As a teen, I'd play his records a million times and daydream about my adolescent crush. I've followed his music throughout his career. In interviews, Springfield guesses his loyal fans still love him because he became a big part of their lives at a huge time of their lives - figuring out the teen years. He's smart. Though we're both older, he still plays like a teenager, and I still carry my teenage crush whenever I hear him sing or watch him perform on stage.

On this lens, I'll take you on a tour of Rick Springfield - popular songs, including Jessie's Girl and I Get Excited to his newest "What's Victoria's Secret?" You can watch interviews of Rick Springfield over the years, and catch his concerts and acting roles. Find out the latest buzz on Rick Springfield - can you say, Cruise With Rick?

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