He's not pining for 'Jessie's Girl'

"Jesse's Girl" was a 1981 mega-hit that placed Rick Springfield squarely on the pop star pedestal, complete with gaggles of squealing fans and their tears of "I-just-want-to-touch-you" joy.

The dampening spectre of the "one-hit wonder" might have easily settled on Springfield, but instead he went on working, creating 17 top-40 hits - including "Don't Talk to Strangers" and "Human Touch."

According to promoters, he has sold 20 million records.

While the post-1981 songs may not have found the same international audience as "Jesse's Girl," they did find an audience, one that has supported the musician in "more than 100" live shows a year over two decades.

On Wednesday, Oct. 14, the popular singer will be stepping away from his core fan base in the United States, however, and will take the stage at Mile One Centre in St. John's. The level of support for Springfield here remains to be seen.

During his St. John's visit, the star is scheduled to perform with "Angel of the Morning" and "Queen of Hearts" singer Juice Newton.

"Depending on how cold it is, we hope to send people home sweating," Springfield told The Telegram this week. "We don't like people sitting down."

He promised some of his old hits, but also newer songs from his 2008 album "Venus in Overdrive."

While here as a musician, Springfield's appearance in St. John's also comes as a "twisted version of Rick Springfield" is being seen on the Showtime television series "Californication" (available in Canada on HBO Canada).

Of course, the role is far from his first television gig. In addition to his music, Springfield has been continuously developing his acting career over the last 30 years. It began with spots on shows such as the "Six Million Dollar Man" and the original "Battlestar Galactica" and went on to larger roles into the 1990s, for example in the surfer series "High Tide."

Between 1983 and 2008, Springfield played Dr. Noah Drake in "General Hospital."

While music "is a 24/7 thing," Springfield said, the acting work is welcome. "I love a show like 'Californication,' where the writing is really good," he said.

"Californication" stars David Duchovny as a writer running into trouble over sex and drugs. Springfield is scheduled to appear on four episodes of the show (his first appearance is Oct. 11) as a character named - wait for it - "Rick Springfield."

"But the character is definitely not me," he said, describing the role as "a lot of fun."

"It's a very warped, drug-taking, sexually driven guy. I've certainly done my share of it, but the character I play is certainly not what I am now."

The character would not be the type, for example, to release a CD of lullabies written for his children, but the real-life Rick Springfield would, having released the lullaby CD "My Precious Little Ones" this year.

"They're songs I wrote for my sons when they were first born 23 years ago," he said.

Springfield said he recorded the songs for some friends after he first thought them up, then threw the recordings into a drawer.

"When I found them in their drawer last year, I liked hearing them," he said, describing the tracks as "pop songs with cosy imagery."

"But it was weird," he admitted, "promoting that and at the same time promoting 'Californication.'"

No doubt, but being able to promote new work decades after a smash, mega-hit - well that isn't really something to worry about so much as celebrate.

afitzpatrick@thetelegram.com