"Jessie's Girl" may have been written about a woman for whom he secretly pined, but nearly 30 years later, singer-songwriter Rick Springfield admits he doesn't even remember the woman's name. Photo Credit: Rick Springfield"I'm the action figure fan," says former teen dream and closet geek Rick Springfield. "I have one of actually the best collections of the super-rare ones."
me the time of day or even say 'hi' or anything.
"I remember his name, the lucky bastard, but that's it."
Springfield isn't just coming clean to us with this revelation … he 'fessed up last month on "Oprah," too. His appearance, demanded by the talk-show host's viewers, was proceeded by his name becoming the No. 1 search on Google the very next day.
The casual observer may wonder what Springfield has been up to for the past several years, but the true fan knows that he hasn't been sitting idly by. Between making a brief, triumphant return to "General Hospital" as (a boozy) Dr. Noah Drake in '05 to recording and touring for his last studio album, 2004's "shock/denial/anger/acceptance," to planning a Carnival cruise this fall for fans that will also feature appearances by singer John "Missing You" Waite and soap opera stars Jackie Zeman, Kimberly McCullough and Doug Davidson, Springfield has kept plenty busy. These days, the Australian native is knee-deep in recording his latest album (estimated drop time: June).
"It's a very positive record," he says, comparing its vibe to that of his 1982 record "Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet," which spawned the smash hit "Don't Talk to Strangers." "I think this is actually going to be the best album I've ever done."
The former teen idol says his decision in 2006 to become a U.S. citizen was a no-brainer: "I've lived longer here than I've lived in any country. This is my home."
Still, he is looking forward to reaping the benefits of being an American.
"The good news is I can now get called up for jury duty," he says with a laugh. "So I'm really excited about that."
Springfield has a wry sense of humor, and it's peppered with more than a hint of self-deprecation. When referring to his home life in California … where he resides with his wife and two sons … he admits to having "hermitlike qualities" and calls himself a "recluse."
He's tickled when asked about his obsession with the Titanic disaster, of which he owns several artifacts, including a plaque from lifeboat No. 2.
"That's the part of me that still lives in my mom's basement and hasn't kissed a girl yet," he says, laughing.
But it's his hobby of collecting "Star Wars" action figures that really gets Springfield talking.
"Don't start me on that," he warns, "because that's the real geek."
Ladies and gentlemen, we've hit pay dirt. It takes no prodding at all for him to continue, quite animatedly, about one of his passions.
"I'm the action figure fan," he explains. "I have one of actually the best collections of the super-rare ones."
He pauses.
"You know, this is totally going to bore the hell out of anyone if you write about it, but I have things that there's only one version of ... I still buy stuff. You know, like (I spend) stupid amounts of money for silly little action figures.
"That's the real geek."
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