Rick Springfield fans everywhere know that his song, "Jessie's Girl," was a number-one hit on the record charts. And those who have seen Rick on the daytime soap, General Hospital, know that he is also a hit on television. So, when Dynamite got a call from RCA Records asking if we'd like to interview Rick in person, we said, "Absolutely!" Although there were a few facts we already knew - he was born in Australia on August 23, 1949, moved to the United States in 1972, and now lives and works in California - when we met Rick face-to-face and talked with him, we found out a lot of things about him we didn't know. You will, too, when you...

MEET RICK SPRINGFIELD!

Dynamite: When did you first discover that you could sing?
Rick: When I was ten. I used to sing along with the records my parents put on. We didn't have a TV until I was about 9, and so my whole family used to sit around the piano and sing songs. Also, my dad was a singer in the Australian Army.

Dynamite: When did you first start playing guitar and piano?
Rick: When I was about 13. I never took formal lessons. I taught myself by listening to records and playing with friends.

Dynamite: You've been playing rock and roll for 16 years, and we know that when you first came to the United States you were labeled a "teen idol." How did you feel about that?
Rick: It bothered me because I felt people weren't taking notice of what I was doing musically. It was just the face they were interested in and that's ridiculous. You know, I could be a model and get my enjoyment that way if that was all I was interested in. That bothered me, and I had no time for that kind of thing.

Dynamite: Now you are labeled a "superstar." Are you a superstar in your own mind?
Rick: I've always been a superstar in my mind (ha ha). No, I'm kidding. That's not how I feel at all. Superstar is just a term, and I don't really relate to any of those terms.

Dynamite: How would you label yourself if not as a superstar?
Rick: That's difficult. I guess, "Singer, songwriter, entertainer - Rick Springfield...with movies coming at ya soon!"

Dynamite: Movies? What kind of movies?
Rick: Good ones!

Dynamite: Which are you more serious about? Acting or music?
Rick: I enjoy music the most, but I do want to get into films. General Hospital is a good first step in acting and it's the first regular role I've had on TV.

Dynamite: Do you study acting now?
Rick: No, there isn't time. But the best experience comes with working in front of the camera anyway. We film one General Hospital episode show a day. I usually work two or three times a week. We learn the script, block it out, rehearse it, and shoot it all in the same day. It's a great training ground for an actor.

Dynamite: You don't have an Australian accent. Why not?
Rick: When I started acting I went to a voice coach to get rid of it. I wouldn't have been able to act with it. I only used my accent once, and that was on an episode I did for The Rockford Files. Most of the parts are for Americans. If I want to be competitive I have to have an American accent.

Dynamite: With singing and acting keeping you so busy, do you ever have time to relax?
Rick: Well, when I'm touring with the band, there's no time for anything else. A tour schedule can be very hectic. You're traveling from one city to the next, you're getting all the gear set up, you're doing sound checks, you're going back to the hotel and getting ready, then you go out and do the show. After that you go back to the hotel to sleep and then you're catching a plane to the next city. It's a full day! But it's great. I love to play!

Dynamite: You write all your own songs. When do you find the time for it?
Rick: I get ideas when I'm on the road. I don't really write when I'm on the road, but sometimes I do and then I'll perform them when I get back home. I have a music room at home. A lot of the times, rather than go out to a movie I'll just stay home and write. That's what I like to do - it's just as much fun to me as it's relaxing.

Dynamite: How do you feel when you hear yourself on the radio?
Rick: Oh, it's great! I love it! The most exciting thing about it is imagining someone listening to it, I guess. That's what I do it for, other people. You know, I always wanted to hear one of my songs blaring out of a car. I walked by one the other day and there were a few guys sitting in there and they had their radio cranked up and "Jessie's Girl" was coming out - it was great!

Dynamite: Have you changed since becoming so successful?
Rick: Changed? (He laughs) I don't need to answer that question - I'm a star. (He laughs again) No, not really. I'm still the same person inside. I feel I have a level head on my shoulders.

Dynamite: A level head? Then why did you dress your dog, Ron, in a shirt and tie for your album cover on Working Class Dog?
Rick: Actually, the dog is on the cover of the album because he was given to me as a present about six months before. I'd always wanted one, and every time I walked down the street with him people would stop me and say, "What a great looking dog!" So, I thought, well, since people notice him before they notice me I'll put him on the cover!

Dynamite: Is there anything you'd like to talk about that no one ever asks about?
Rick: Well, not many people ask me about my family, and I love my family very much. I have an older brother, Michael, and he and my parents are back in Australia. I went back to see them at Christmas.

Dynamite: How do they feel about your success?
Rick: I was fighting with my parents for a while about the music thing. They said, "Why don't you get a real career so you can support yourself?" After a while and a lot of arguments with my mom over it, I started staying away from school and just concentrating on music. I was 16 or 17 then. So, out of desperation my mother went to the family doctor and said, "What's wrong with my son? All he wants to do is play the guitar!" And the doctor said, "Well, if he wants to play the guitar, why don't you let him?" From then on my parents were behind me and have been real supportive all along the way.

Dynamite: Do you feel successful?
Rick: Yes. But I won't feel comfortable until I know that even if I don't put out an album or do any performing next year, people won't suddenly be asking "Rick who???"

Dynamite: Do you have any advice for Dynamite readers who might be interested in a career in music or acting?
Rick: Well, most careers have their difficult sides. But you have to go after something you really want to do, because there are going to be times when it's not going to be easy. You have to have a love for it and know and believe that if you hang in there it's going to happen for you.