RICK SPRINGFIELD

I can sing every word to every song on the Rick Springfield album Working Class Dog. That's because my dad listened to the LP on repeat for months when it first came out. The older girls at my school knew the lyrics to the radio mainstay, "Jessie's Girl," but this first grader could effortlessly quaver through the tongue-twisting anthem, "I've Done Everything For You" and the oft-overlooked gem, "Love is Alright Tonight." I considered myself a hardcore Rick Springfield fan.

By the summer of 1981, Rick was a megastar. Not only did he have one of the hottest records in the nation, he was also starring as Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital. While my classmates were taking swimming lessons and going to camp, I was parked in front of the TV with my Grandma Jane, painting my nails and fawning over Dr. Drake as Grandma sipped Gin & Tonics and chain smoked.

A lot of people don't know that before Rick became a famous on-air doctor and pop star, he was a bona fide heartthrob in Australia, complete with long shaggy locks, tight sweaters and bellbottoms. He even starred in his own animated series, Mission: Magic. Rick was more of a balladeer back then, crooning his way into teenage girls' hearts with tunes like Speak to the Sky. That single provided enough evidence to record companies that Rick was worth taking a risk on.

With his new-found fame came a brand new look, which made him look more like a new wave keyboardist than a rock 'n' roll guitar player. Rick was not afraid to wear pink. Or eyeliner. Or mismatched patterns. He was so disarmingly handsome that he could pretty much do whatever he wanted. These pastel-laden ensembles have made quite a comeback as of late. Skinny ties, geometric patterns and mismatched separates are all big sellers these days.

I recently watched an interview with Rick conducted by the queen bee of MTV VJs, Martha Quinn. She was so nervous to be in his presence that she tripped over her introduction and giggled like a little school girl. She even tried to pronounce "Australia" with and Australian accent. Yeah, you bet that guy can wear pink.

 

 

Until I wrote this post, I had completely forgotten that Rick guest starred on Battlestar Galactica with another of my PP subjects, Dirk Benedict. Toss in Richard Hatch, and you've got the Holy Trinity of intergalactic hunks. Mama mia!

And then there was Dr. Drake. Imagine if this guy walked into your hospital room and announced that he needed to "palpate you." I would probably fake a coma, just so I could spend more quality time with him.