Springfield's 17th CD, Venus in Overdrive, came in at No. 28 on the Billboard charts this week. The Australian native, who found fame on GENERAL HOSPITAL in 1980 and then followed withhis song hit "Jessie's Girl" in 1981, has sold more than 19 million albums over his career.
"I haven't been this excited about a new record since the '80s," Springfield tells PEOPLE. "I'm a loner in my private life, so the party animal only comes out on stage. That's really my connection to people."
FLASHBACK: Ladies Long for Dr. Noah Drake on GENERAL HOSPITAL, but Rick Springfield Wants 'Jessie's Girl'
From PEOPLE magazine August 17, 1981: 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. Says 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 GH 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."
One soap fan's quest for the ultimate summer vacation photo
Stacy Milbouer writes: "[Genie] Francis owns and is the buyer for the store [Cherished Home], but on past visits she wasn't there. She has really nice staff people, but I wanted face time – a chitchat with Laura. Because, with the exception of the birth of my child on a Wednesday, I haven't missed an episode of GH. In fact, in college, I scheduled my classes around the 3 o'clock hour during those tumultuous, disco-infused Luke and Laura glory days.
So I was shocked that on this trip when I walked into the store, there was Francis sitting on an overstuffed couch, looking pretty much like she did in 1976 when she first appeared on the show at age 14."
WHERE ARE THEY NOW: GH's Amy GibsonWhen Amy Gibson started losing her hair at 14, she blamed God. She had no other explanation for why her hair fell out in clumps with every brushing. Within a year, she was bald. Ashamed and embarrassed, Gibson — already an actress on GENERAL HOSPITAL (Colette) — kept her hair loss a secret from most of her colleagues on the daytime soap opera.
"I thought I had leprosy at first," she says. "At the time, no one knew about baldness in women, and I didn't want to be 'that bald freak.' "
Gibson was diagnosed with alopecia (abnormal hair loss). Over the next 17 years, she received monthly cortisone shots to stimulate hair growth. But the shots did little to spur permanent growth. Wigs became a mode of survival.
Eventually, she started making hairpieces for women. She launched her line, the Color Beautiful Collection, in 2006.
Gibson, now 48, recently visited Shear Attitude hair salon on Memorial to promote her wigs, which are made with a high-quality synthetic fiber called Cyberhair. They look and feel like the real thing. While they can be removed for washing and styling, they're secured with a strong adhesive that allows wearers to swim, sky-dive, water-ski and walk in strong winds or other extreme conditions without fear of losing them.
EASTENDERS actor rushed to hospital
EASTENDERS actor John Bardon was rushed to hospital on Friday night in a fresh health scare. The actor, who plays the character Jim Branning on the BBC 1 soap opera, was admitted to the Lister hospital in Chelsea, west London, after fears he had suffered another stroke. Later reports stated his condition was "comfortable".
Bardon, 68, had only just returned to the soap after spending a year recovering from a stroke back in July 2007.
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES will get back to the problems of ordinary women
"I wanted to get back to where we were that very first season, where it's just the problems of some ordinary women, ... small and relatable," said Marc Cherry, the show's creator and producer.
UGLY BETTY actor channels Batman villainy
Michael Urie's eyes got very wide ... Batman villain-wide, in fact. Urie just had been told that his portrayal of Marc St. James on Ugly Betty, alongside Vanessa Williams' dastardly Wilhelmina Slater, conjures complimentary images of Batman villains.
"I can die now. I grew up watching that show. I grew up with cutouts of Batman and the Joker in my bedroom."
Study shows plenty of TV sex, less marriage
Marriage gets little respect on network TV shows that instead revel in the pleasures of extramarital and even kinky sex, according to a study released Tuesday.
The study by the Parents Television Council includes a strongly worded condemnation of prime-time TV, contending it “seems to be actively seeking to undermine marriage by consistently painting it in a negative light.”
DAYS Shawn Christian to greet fans at Eastwood Mall today
DAYS OF OUR LIVES star Shawn Christian will make an appearance at the Eastwood Mall, 5555 Youngstown-Warren Road, today at noon until 3 p.m. Courtesy of WFMJ, Christian will be signing autographs and meeting with fans in front of the WFMJ location as part of Eastwood Mall’s back to school weekend.
As The Summer Turns
Tommy Garrett in the LA Canyon News writes about the summers hottest stories: "Your soap’s latest storyline may be sizzling or in fact may be fizzling. Soaps are big news in the summertime. Both school kids and college kids plan their summer jobs and activities around their favorite couple."
PASSIONS Cast and Crew Bid Farewell
Photos from NBC.com of the cast and crew preparing to leave as well as the wrap party.
No comments:
Post a Comment