Musician and actor Rick Springfield recorded the smash hit single "Jessie's Girl" in 1981, and starred in the accompanying music video that became an early favorite on MTV. He currently portrays Dr. Noah Drake on the soap opera General Hospital.
Fast Facts:
- Born August 23, 1949 in Sydney, Australia
- Birth Name: Richard Lewis Springthorpe
- Record Label: RCA Records
- Won a 1982 Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance on "Jessie's Girl"
- Dated and lived with actress Linda Blair when she was 15
- Dual citizenship in the U.S. and Australia
- Starred in the 1973 animated series Mission:Magic!
Music
Springfield played guitar and sang in a variety of groups in his native Australia before moving to Hollywood, California, where he was signed by Capitol Records, then by Columbia Records. After a string of disappointing releases, Springfield released the hit album Working Class Dog in 1981, which included "Jessie's Girl," and the successful follow-up, Living in Oz.
While struggling with chronic depression, he took time off after releasing the album Tao in 1985, effectively ending his music career. He released a covers album in 2005 called The Day After Yesterday.
Acting
Springfield has appeared on a number of TV series, including The Incredible Hulk, The Rockford Files, Suddenly Susan, The Young and the Restless and the Forever Knight TV movie. He debuted on General Hospital in 1981, then left the show in 1983 to focus on his music career. He returned to the show, playing the same character, in 2005.
