Morning Man Classic: Rick Springfield!

Hard to believe that the ever-youthful Rick Springfield turns 71 today.

I’ve seen him perform live and he gives 100% to his fans and had a nice interview with him more than a decade ago during my time at the LA Daily News when he was promoting his album Venus in Overdrive.

I first became aware of this talented singer and actor when he made his debut as Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital back in the early 80s. Around the same time he won the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for his biggest hit Jessie’s Girl. His win was considered something of a surprise since he was up against Bruce Springsteen, among others. He followed with four more top 10 US hits: I’ve Done Everything for You, Don’t Talk to Strangers, Affair of the Heart and Love Somebody.

His two US top 10 albums are Working Class Dog (1981) and Success Hasn’t Spoiled Me Yet (1982) and he would go on to be nominated for three more Grammys.

As an actor, he portrayed Dr. Drake from 1981 to 1983 and during 2005 to 2008 and 2012, returning in 2013 for the show’s 50th anniversary.

He published his autobiography, Late, Late at Night: A Memoir, in 2010.

He’s never stopped recording and touring but has also starred on Broadway (Smokey Joe’s Cafe), in feature films (Hard to Hold, Ricki and the Flash ), in other TV series ( True Detective, High Tide, Californication, Human Target) and on the Las Vegas stage (EFX Alive!).

In 2016 he starred as Vince Vincente/Lucifer in season 12 of The CW series Supernatural and In 2017, he starred as Pastor Charles in the American Horror Story episode entitled “Winter of Our Discontent”.