Profile of Rick Springfield on Famous Like Me

Rick Springfield (born Richard Lewis Springthorpe on August 23, 1949 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) is a pop singer whose career began as a singer in Rock House, followed by Zoot, one of the most popular Australian groups of the late Sixties.

He then went solo in 1971 (see 1971 in music) but was unable to maintain much of a career in the 1970s. He starred the cartoon series Mission: Magic (produced by Filmation in 1973), where he appears in the animated format, along with the teacher Miss Tickle and her teenaged students. He had a successful acting career, beginning with a brief role as Zac in the 1978 movie Battlestar Galactica. He then became a soap opera actor, most notable for appearing on General Hospital. With a very enthusiastic teenage fanbase, Springfield returned to music with Working Class Dog and the singles "Jessie's Girl" and "I've Done Everything for You". But Springfield, already in his 30s, was uncomfortable with the teen idol image; Ronnie, Springfield's Bull Terrier/Great Dane mix, appeared in his place on two of his album covers.

His subsequent release in 1982 Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet also contained a string of top 40 hits, including "Don't Talk To Strangers" and the soft ballad "What Kind of Fool Am I?" But it was 1983's Living in Oz that established Springfield as a serious songwriter. Filled with serious subject matter and back by a harder rock edge and more technological sound, the release went platinum on the strength of the hits "Human Touch", "Souls", and "Affair of the Heart".

Springfield won a Grammy in 1981 for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for "Jessie's Girl". Springfield was also nominated for two Grammys in 1982 and one Grammy in 1983.

After a few albums with some hit singles, Springfield's lack of critical acceptance slowed his career, though he continued releasing albums throughout the 1980s. He played a few minor roles on television in the 1990s, and released his latest album in 2005. Although his achievements are not well recognised in Australia, he has long maintained a large and fiercely loyal fan base in the United States and his many career achievements include a Grammy Award, four platinum albums, twenty US Top 100 singles and seventeen Top 40 hits including a US #1 and #2 single. From February 2001 through December 2002, Springfield performed in EFX Alive! at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada to critical acclaim.

In 2005 it was announced that Springfield will make a return apearance as Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital for 4 episodes .

Albums

• Beginnings (1972) #35 US
• Comic Book Heroes (1973)
• Mission Magic (1974)
• Wait For Night (1976)
• Beautiful Feelings (1978)
• Working Class Dog (1981) #7 US
• Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet (1982) #2 US
• Living In Oz (1983) #12 US
• Hard To Hold (1984) #16 US
• Tao (1985) #21 US
• Rock Of Life (1988) #55 US
• Sahara Snow (1997)
• Karma (1999) #189 US
• The Greatest Hits ALIVE (2001)
• Platinum & Gold Collection: Rick Springfield (2003)
• Shock/Denial/Anger/Acceptance (2004)
• Written In Rock--Anthology (2005)
• The Day After Yesterday (2005)

Singles

• "Speak To The Sky" (1972) #14 US
• "What Would The Children Think" (1972) #70 US
• "American Girls" (1974) #98 US
• "Take A Hand" (1976) #41 US
• "Jessie's Girl" (1981) #1 US - 2 weeks
• "I've Done Everything For You" (1981) #8 US
• "Love Is Alright Tonite" (1981) #20 US
• "Don't Talk To Strangers" (1982) #2 US
• "What Kind Of Fool Am I" (1982) #21 US
• "I Get Excited" (1982) #32 US
• "Affair Of The Heart" (1983) #9 US
• "Human Touch" (1983) #18 US
• "Souls" (1983) #23 US
• "Love Somebody" (1984) #5 US
• "Don't Walk Away" (1984) #26 US
• "Bop Til You Drop" (1984) #20 US
• "Taxi Dancing" (1984) #59 US
• "Bruce" (1984) #27 US
• "Celebrate Youth" (1985) #26 US
• "State Of The Heart" (1985) #22 US
• "Rock Of Life" (1988) #22 US

External link

• RickSpringfield.com
• Rick Springfield Lyrics

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