Wednesday night, ’80s heartthrob Rick Springfield performed a solo show at The Neptune Theatre, surrounded by his favorite guitars in front of a large projection screen. Throughout the evening, as Springfield spoke between songs, images from his life were projected on the screen, beginning with his life before he was a musician and moving forward.
The show was similar to the old “MTV Storyteller” series that brought musicians to a stage, with a smaller/intimate audience, where music was played and stories were told revealing secrets and feelings that the musician has had during their years as a performer. Springfield’s current tour, “Rick Springfield: Stripped Down,” (which is also the name of his current CD release), ends with a Q & A, allowing audience members to become directly involved in the show. For those who missed the Neptune show, but are curious about life details of Springfield’s career, his rock memoir (a NYT Bestseller) was published in 2010. It includes some of the stories, along with other life events and details of his 40+ year music career, including his ups and downs as a soap actor playing Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital, which began in the early ’80s.
Throughout his music career (1972-present), Springfield has produced more than a dozen albums, has been nominated for numerous musical awards, and has had some major and minor acting roles in the US and in his homeland of Australia. He recently received a star on the “Hollywood Walk of Fame” (’14). Die-hard soap opera fans still cherish recordings in which he was part of the cast. His images can be seen in that show’s retrospective published books, and he continues to tour and play his songs live. And, with the invention of the karaoke machine, music stations that only play ’80s music, and the mass production of ’80s compilation CDs, his music is now heard in places he never dreamed possible and will more than likely be around for decades to come. He has produced more than 200 songs since the beginning of his career. Yes, fans may name some of his other Billboard charting hits, but they will always remember him for his only number one hit, “Jessie’s Girl” (’81), for which he won a Grammy for Best Male Pop Performance. In fact, if you go to a bar in nearly any city worldwide, you can search his name, and it’s that song that will more than likely be on every list. Haven’t heard it lately? Listen as you peruse the photos from the performance below:
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