Rick Springfield has played a soap opera heatthrob - and is still one in real life

By Leo Smith, Staff writer
Article Launched: 05/15/2008 11:06:12 PM PDT
Original article

Rick Springfield returned to ABC's "General Hospital" in 2005 with absolutely no intention of singing on the soap opera.
The actor-musician was there to be Dr. Noah Drake - the heartthrob surgeon he originated in 1983 - and that was it.
Then came a new CD ("Venus in Overdrive," due out July 29) and the opportunity to perform one of the album's tracks - "Who Killed Rock 'N Roll - and suddenly the idea of singing on camera didn't sound so bad.
The show's writers created a Dr. Noah Drake look-alike - rocker Eli Love - and Springfield had his opportunity to perform on camera.
"I ended up playing a rock star, which I vowed I would never do," said Springfield, 58, between concerts in Milwaukee, part of a tour that takes him to the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday night. "You get (the music) out however you can get it out."
Look for Eli Love to make a return appearance to "General Hospital" in the days leading up to the CD's release, performing "What's Victoria's Secret," the first single off of "Venus in Overdrive."
Springfield, who lives in Malibu, spoke with Weekend about the evolution
of his music, his changing relationship with his fans and, of course, "Jessie's Girl," his Grammy-winning single off of 1981's "Working Class Dog."
Tell us about your upcoming CD.
I wrote it with my bass player - it's the first time I've written with somebody else. We're both giant Beatles freaks and we're both at the same point in our lives. (The CD) is very much a product of that. It's some of the best power pop and rock that I've written. .... There are songs about life issues and songs about people we know, people we love, people who've gone. There's one song about the guy who killed Lennon.
What can audiences expect at your concert at the Cerritos Center?
When we get back in rehearsals we'll do a lot of new stuff, but I always touch on the old. We also do the favorites - that's what I go to a concert to see.
Do you ever do a concert without playing "Jessie's Girl"?
That's the culmination of it all. Along the way, hopefully, (the concert) is a great experience. I like it to be like throwing the best party. If that means playing some of the songs that I'm expected to play, I'm OK with that. It's become my signature song.
Did you know when you recorded that song that it would be a hit?
I thought it was just a good album track. I was looking at other songs as singles. Radio - when radio was still picking up singles - picked it.
Does it seem like 27 years since "Working Class Dog"?
When I think about the music, I can remember recording the song. I feel like my life has gone through huge changes since those times. I went through a lot of different things - my parents dying, career ups and downs, children born. I wrote about all of that after "Jessie's Girl." When I wrote "Jessie's Girl" that's where I was at in my life. I was really hot for this girl and pissed off that she didn't see anything in me. Some artists are still pretending they're 18 and 19. That's really lame to me. When you're an older person you've got something (new) to say. When you're 45 years old, you're not going to write a song like you're an 18-year-old.
Can you tell us about your upcoming "Rock the High Seas" cruise (to Florida and Mexico)?
There have always been soft-jazz cruises, but there haven't been very many rock cruises. We put it out there and the fans were very hot for it. ... I'm one of those artists who actually enjoys hanging out with the fans. I know a lot of artists who don't. And I didn't originally - I felt I was due the adulation. But I've changed. Being part of someone's life since they were 10 is kind of humbling.
Leo Smith (310) 540-5511, Ext. 417 leo.smith@dailybreeze.com