Today's Justin Bieber-drenched climate kind of makes us forget that girls used to swoon over and faint at the sight of guitar-wielding bad boys. Sure, when "Jessie's Girl" ruled the earth, Rick Springfield was already over 30, and his boyish looks softened the blow of his oft-biting lyrics. Make no mistake, the man-boy, who performs timeless power pop at Mizner Park Amphitheater on Friday, was plenty bad.
In Springfield's 2010 autobiography, Late, Late at Night, he squeals on
his womanizing and publicly cleans out his dark closet. At 25, he dated
Exorcist star Linda Blair; she was 15 at the time. Even though they're
still good friends and he admires her deeply, Springfield jokes about
their demonic sex life.
"She'd spin her head around; it was part of the
bedroom routine," he says in a barely discernible Australian accent,
like Lethal Weapon 2-era Mel Gibson. "It was great, but cleaning up the
pea soup every night sucked."
In 1981, the success of Springfield's fifth album, Working Class Dog,
signaled the end of disco, and the rock he'd already lovingly created
for the decade prior became a pop commodity. Regarding the current state
of rock, he adds, "I'm very hopeful for rock music; I think the
business sucks. The recording industry is a mess." Makes us think about
the last scene in his "I've Done Everything for You" video in which he
smashes a record player to bits. Although it seemed he was at odds with
the music biz even 30 years ago, he calls that iconic scene "just a very
expensive special effect."
"Of course, I had no idea that breaking the mirror [with my reflection
in it] in the 'Jessie's Girl' video was a deep psychological thing," he
continues. "Now, I think, hey, that's a pretty deep thought." In his
book, he reveals he's struggled with depression, and he now has the keys
to beating it: "It's meditation, not medication."
Sunny days are ahead for Springfield. The day after his Boca Raton show,
the fourth and final Rick Springfield Cruise sets sail out of Miami.
He'll probably bring some industrial-strength sun block aboard to keep
his smooth skin youthful. "I really don't go out in the sun,"
Springfield says. "I'm not a vampire either! I just don't bake myself
out there." That's some solid advice from the best-looking 62-year-old
on the planet.
Rick Springfield. With Jack Wagner. 8 p.m. Friday,
November 4, at Mizner Park Amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real, Boca Raton.
Tickets cost $38.50 to $98.50. Click here.
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