Flashback Friday

Ladies Long for Dr. Noah Drake on "General Hospital", But Rick Springfield Wants 'Jessie's Girl' - People Magazine - 8/17/81
"It takes some very fancy footwork to juggle two careers," says Rick Springfield, whose metaphor is as happily mixed as his professional life. These days he breaks hearts as the suavely busy bachelor Dr. Noah Drake on TV's No. 1 soap, General Hospital. And Rick also busts charts with his No. 1 single, Jessie's Girl, and his first gold LP, Working Class Dog. Say the Australian-born Springfield: "These are the ultimate rewards for a working-class dog - and much better than a bone."
The lean times do seem over for Springfield, 32 next week, who has been rocking none too successfully for 16 years and acting for five. "I always liked Jessie's Girl, "says Rick of the song he based on "coveting my friend's girlfriend a couple of years ago. I was surprised at how fast it caught on." As for General Hospital, he admits, "I'd never watched a soap opera before I started in March." He had, however, acted in one. Initially Springfield was concerned about how General Hospital would affect his "credibility as a musician." It helped that Beach Boy Brian Wilson and many disc jockeys confessed to being G.H. addicts. Besides, Springfield explains, "I started acting later than most people, and I want to learn as much as I can as fast as I can. Doing a soap is a great way to get your acting chops together." (continued)