I am best-selling singer, songwriter and Grammy-award winning musician (and dog lover!) Rick Springfield. Ask me anything!

My name is Jesse. Did you have any idea when you wrote the song that you would end up making the lives of people like me so much better? Thanks!

Oh, I thought you were going to say miserable! I have met a lot of people who say "thanks so much for the song" but kind of facetiously, because they get it all the time, every time they introduce themselves. So sorry about that.

Thanks for doing this AMA, and I wanted to say that I love the song Jessie's Girl. Below is my one one and only question:

Did you ever get Jessie's girl, or find a woman like that?

I found a woman better. And I married her. But I never got the original one. But I got a good song out of it, so I think I got a pretty good part of the deal. Sexual angst is a wonderful thing.

Other than Californian, what State would you choose to live in?

What is your favorite Star wars character?

If you could not rescue a mixed dog, what full breed would you like?

Northern California!

Oh my god - Headman. He's so rare, he's not even in any of the movies.

Any, any dog. There's no such thing as a bad dog, they're all good. I wouldn't mind a pit bull or bull terrier.

What can you share with us about your time shooting Californication?

It was fun being naked and getting paid for it. And I pulled my back lifting a naked girl scene after scene after scene.

Rick. What did you have for breakfast today?

Yerba Mate tea, and Ezekiel cereal. It's a very biblical breakfast.

Try to stay healthy!

Hey Rick!

What was Your Favorite part of working with Dave Grohl when Filming the sound city Doc. Be it His drumming?, The input he had on your song while recording?, A funny thing that happened at supper time? Lets hear it!

-D

Just hanging with him and the band was a real pleasure. They are all really great people, very welcoming. And he loves music and we listen to the same things growing up, we just have very similar things in the way we write, and The Man that Never was came together in one day which doesn't usually happen for me. The writing process was really fun, but backstage on the tour was also really a blast because Dave's energy kind of pervaded the whole backstage area because everyone was in a great mood, no egos and a lot of fun. I got an email from him, he must have heard that we are going to Warren, Ohio, where he's from.

Hi Rick!!! In 1984, I drove a Ford Fiesta... it was Canary yellow, black vinyl seats, no A/C. It was awesome!! Tell me about your Fiesta, please?? Thanks, Jennifer

Sorry about the color. And the vinyl seats must have made your butt stick in hot weather. Mine was maroon, it did have A/C, a great stereo system, and I started dating my wife in that car, and then my brother stole it. I loved it.

Why did you write "Angels of the Disappeared?" It is my favorite!

I was inspired by the Elizabeth Smart story of abducted kids. And I wanted to send out a message.

What is it that you do to regenerate at the end of the day, after touring and being around fans all the time?

I get drunk. No, I hang out with the band, and we go to a bar and have a couple of drinks and just act like normal guys, that's all it is really. The camaraderie on the road is what really keeps everyone's spirits up, which is why I've always had a band full of good guys who hopefully get along and have great spirits.

Hi, Rick. What's your favorite song to perform? Also, will you be making any more appearances on General Hospital?

My favorite song to play is Ships Sinking, it's off our new record, 'cuz I'm not sick of that one yet.

And I don't have any plans to go back to General Hospital for a bit, but never say never. I'm pretty busy right now.

What's your biggest pet peeve?

Biggest pet peeve? Wow, I have a lot of them. Where do you start, with the world in the state that it is in, saying I don't like inconsiderate people is kind of lame. My pet peeve is that we are poisoning the world and killing it. But calling that a peeve is kind of odd.

Any chance of putting some more songs from SDAA back into your setlist? Jesus Saves is my favorite.

Yeah, we are going to rotate more songs from SDAA - I know they are really fun to play live because they are so high energy. We may swap out a song for Jesus Saves, we also do happy as well. I like that album, I like playing that album live.

What did you do for Father's day?

I flew for half the day back home, and everybody was out doing stuff, so I just hung out with my dog and then met everybody when they came home from doing their things. Had a glass of wine with my dog.

Who is Sylvia?

She was a girl I met before Working Class Dog came out, an inspiring relationship, usually I change the names if I'm writing a song about someone, but I didn't this time, and I actually played it for her when I finish the demo, and I played it for her when I finished the demo and she cried. Which was pretty hot, really. But she was someone I knew back then, who I haven't seen since.

She was a girl I met before Working Class Dog came out, an inspiring relationship, usually I change the names if I'm writing a song about someone, but I didn't this time, and I actually played it for her when I finish the demo, and I played it for her when I finished the demo and she cried. Which was pretty hot, really. But she was someone I knew back then, who I haven't seen since.

Hi Rick! Thanks for taking time with us today...

In your song "Tonight" off of SHSMY, you mentioned the name "Jessie". Is this the same Jessie/Patty in your song Jessie's Girl?

Yeah, it was supposed to be a continuation of the Jessie's Girl story, about them staying together and falling into the whole work thing. But yes, it definitely was supposed to be a continuation of the story.

Inquiring minds would like to know what you are saying in the muffled part in Affair of the Heart? Given that this IS "ask me ANYTHING", you pretty much have to answer (though of course you could pretend to not see this question) and given that the vast majority of us are now WAY past the legal age of consent it's okay to say what it is even if it is not PG-13. LOL ;-) (PS, thank you for doing this AMA).

The whispered part says "I'm the controller, and I want to touch you and tease you and make you burn." And yes, I had to muffle it because a lot of the people listening to it at that point were underage.

What breed of dog is Bindi?

She's a Norwich Terrier. And she is awesome. She's sitting in the sun right now.

Would you ever consider doing something on Broadway? Loved you in Smokey Joe's Cafe back in the late 90's.

Yeah, I did. That is always an option, it is a lot of time and a lot of work on being a writer, and going out with my own show is not as much of a draw as guys who are just actors. But I would really enjoy doing it again. The thing about being a musician is that you get that live feel from going out and playing, whereas the only way actors get it is by doing Broadway plays. Since i've done it, I am (to a degree) on people's radars that put those things together. I've had a couple of offers, but nothing that I wanted to put the time committing to. I'm still open. I'm waiting for the South Park guys to write their next one.

Looking forward to your summer tour with Pat & Neil! Who is the opener for each show? Or will you & Pat switch off who opens/closes?

I'm in the middle. We've got an opener who I'm not quite sure, I think there will be different openers, but we'll probably do something together at the end. On a long show, I'd rather be in the middle.

Hi Rick, What are you most excited about for your tour with Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo?

Just playing with them. I've known them for 30+ years, and Neil played guitar on the original recording of Jessie's Girl, so it's been a long time coming (the tour) and we're all real thrilled about it. I had breakfast with Neil the other day and they're all up for it. We all have great bands and it will be a great night, I know.

Iphone or Android?

Android, at the moment.

Hi Rick, loved reading Magnificent Vibration, love the audio version too. If it were made into a movie, would you play Bobby Cotton yourself, or if not, what other actor would you like to play that part, as well as Alice and Lexington Vargas parts?

I actually wrote the book without a part for me in it. Bobby is only 32, and I don't think I could get away with playing a 32 year old. But my son could, and he's a great actor. Alice I saw as kind of like a spiky-haired Scarlett Johansson. And Lexington would be a difficult one to cast, I don't know any guys that big.

How do you select your guitars when you purchase them? How do you choose which ones to use for a show?

I have guitars made for the live show because I beat on 'em pretty hard during a live show. The guitars I have at home are picked mainly because of the way they look, and then hopefully they sound great too. Most of them are vintage, and I wouldn't take those on the road because they are pretty fragile. I basically have road guitars and studio guitars.

Rick, what size converse Chuck Taylor's sneakers do you wear?

10 and a half. And I think at this point I should be getting them for free.

Rick, 1) are you astounded at how you predicted how the modern dating scene would become in your song "Human Touch"?

Seriously- that song pretty much sums up this "internet/social media/dating site" world we live in

2) Did you ever fear that people wouldn't feel sympathy for you in songs where you just poured your guts out about heartbreak because you were legit heartthrob? I mean- it can be hard to feel sorry for a guy who is on every magazine

1) No, I kind of always thought of that. I have always been a big scifi reader, and it's gone even further than I anticipated with voting for your popstars.

2) No, that never even entered my head actually, because I don't think I'm a heartthrob. I've lived my life, and that's what the songs are about, my life, not my public persona.

Hey Rick, love your work! A few years ago a mate & I wrote a tongue-in-cheek song called Merry In Merrylands for the SydneyVision Song Contest. While we were recording the video we somehow found out that you grew up in the Merrylands area. What's your greatest memory of living in Sydney's western suburbs? And have you been back recently?

I have not, but my aunt still lives there. And I left when I was about 6 months old, so my memory's a little foggy.

What current pop artists are you digging?

I like a lot of the girls, actually. Lady Gaga has some great songs, Katy Perry we actually do a live version of Roar in our show at the moment, and we rock it up a bit to suit my music. It's a great song and I think it works really well. The bands I like are not quite as pop, they are more like Porcupine Tree, more art-y kinds of bands I listen to rather than bands that play. There's a band called Church that's an Aussie band that I quite like. And generally I listen to the heavier stuff, like Queens of the Stone Age and Tool, with a lot of guitar work in it, which I don't know if you'd classify as pop, but I guess it all is pop in the end, it's all pop short for "popular" to me.

How did you wind up covering Sammy Hagar?

Actually, Neil Giraldo brought that song. I was talking to him in the morning, and he said "I wanted to correct something in your autobiography." because I thought that Keith Olsen the producer brought the song to me, but Neil said he'd had it for a while, and it was his idea for me to do it, so I owe Neil one for that. And it's one of those 3/4 songs that I thought was a good song, and a good balance certainly for Jessie's Girl. It was a bit more subtle, I'd guess you say.

Hi Rick! How many instruments do you play? How many were self taught?

Guitar, I can get around on keyboards enough to play 'em on tracks, I play bass, banjo, harmonica, and various stringed instruments based off of that. I am all self-taught. I had piano lessons when I was a little kid but I forgot it all after a year, because it followed church - just too much church and then piano lessons, I had a meltdown at 8 years old.

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Please visit http://rickspringfield.com for tour dates. And what do you exactly mean by a "piece of me"?

Am I correct that you mostly play Stratocasters? What is your preferred amp to play them through?

No, I love all guitars, I haven't really focused on strats - they are great in the studio because they have a real defined sound, but I usually go for a bigger pickup live because of the way the sounds come together. And currently I have a guitar maker making my own guitars that are light but sound really great, and that have my logo on them. At home, though, I probably use a strat more than anything in my writing room because it's so versatile. I use Bogner amps live, but in the studio we'll use a bunch of different amps, and a lot of the different kinds of software amps we use now because they are getting really good.

Will you be coming to R.I. anytime?

I do what you probably should do, which is look on rickspringfield.com, I don't know my touring schedule until I get on the plane. But it should all be on there.

Hi there! I'm a big fan of your music. I saw on wikipedia that you have done a little bit of television acting as well. Is television something that you would like to get into? What is your focus these days?

Well, I'm focusing on everything! Acting, I got into mainly because I didn't have a record deal and it was between record deals and then I thought i could make money as an actor. And then I started to enjoy the art. And then the later stuff I've done, like Californication and things like that, there's a lot of great writing coming out of television now so I definitely want to do more of that these days. My focus these days is on writing, acting, touring, and playing with my dog (not necessarily in that order).

Hey Rick! I saw your gig at Shepherd's Bush in London last year, it was awesome! I'm in my mid twenties so pretty sure I was too young to see you the last time you were here!! Are you going to be coming back to the UK soon?

Really enjoyed your recent album, "Songs For The End Of The World". Any plans for the next album?

And this isn't a question, but your autobiography was an awesome read!

I don't think we will be this year, because we are going to Australia, but I think next year we'll probably be hitting Europe again.

How did you come up with the mother's name Julia?

In the book, in Magnificent Vibration - the names kind of presented themselves to me, a couple of times I had to fuss with names but a lot of times the characters' names presented themselves, and Julia seemed a really appropriate name. It's a name with some weight, because she is definitely a woman, definitely has an attitude. I didn't take the name from anyone in particular, just thought it had an attitude.

Hey Rick! I met you once when I was around 9 and just met you again at The Grove a few months ago. I admire you and your music so much and I believe your songwriting is incredibly underrated. Since you love The Beatles, I have a question for you: Which "era" of The Beatles is your favorite to listen to consistently?

I think Rubber Soul, around there, because that was for me when they were hitting their writing peak. It's just one amazing pop song after another. I think it was '64-'65, maybe?

What life advice would you give?

Whoa. That's a lot of ground to cover right there. Life advice: Be respectful of others, do your best, never give up, and hug your dog.

What led you to pursue the career of singer/songwriter?

Well, it kind of was the only thing I could do, or I went on to do. I chose it pretty early on, I loved playing guitar, and then I started writing songs - the usual path I think - and found that I could do that, and then in lieu of someone else singing them, I started singing them. It wasn't a gigantic plan to be whatever, it was just following a path that I loved.

Hi Rick! What is your favorite city to tour in and why? (Picking MI would be good LOL kidding!)

Well, we like Chicago because my wife usually comes with me then since she's from that area. But really the cities are the people. We don't get a lot of time out around the city, and what you remember about the tour is the audience, not the cities.

Do you also like cats?

Hahaha! I love all animals.

Hi Rick! I always wanted to know your opinion on Eat Your Heart Out Rick Springfield By Jimmy Hart. It’s basically a song that is totally against you. I don’t know if you heard of it before but if you have, what’s your thoughts on the song? Do you like it? Have you ever contacted Jimmy Hart because of it? Edit: here's the song .. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97czazOKm70

No, I've met him, I think he came to a show or something? I haven't actually heard the whole song though, just the title.

You have mentioned before that you are a Star Wars and Titanic collector. What items from the Titanic do you have?

I have the SS Titanic Lifeboat plaque from Lifeboat #2 that had about 25 people in it and the guy on the Carpathia, James I think his name was, pulled it off the boat, and that's the provenance of it. There are only 6 of them in the world, and only 3 of them have the original paint, and I have one with the original paint. I love that geeky stuff!

And I have a letter on Titanic stationary that was mailed from Southhampton as well before they left. And I have some other cool stuff that I'm not allowed to say what it is!

By coincidence I have "Magnificent Vibration" out from the library as we speak — I took it out simply because it seemed my kind of humor, I didn't really notice who wrote it till I got it home!

(1) I got the sense that the title was supposed to sound like it came from lyrics—or was I just thinking that because your last title came from your own lyrics?

(2) I was amused to learn that your editor encouraged you to write fiction, rather than you having to convince them you could do it—but I also gather there's been some skepticism about this enterprise. How have you dealt with people who've tried to 'put you in a box', over the course of your career — what's your advice to someone who feels 'typecast' in the arts?

1) Oh, no, it's just one of those titles that just kind of popped into my head. It wasn't from a lyric, it was from a self-help video that I was watching actually by a guy named Paul Proctor, he talks about making your life a magnificent vibration so I wrote it down. And then was I was writing the book, I thought of that title.

2) Everybody typecasts everybody because it's a way we get through life, because there are so many people and it helps to categorize them, so I'm used to it. But it's never stopped me from doing what I wanted to do. And there's no reason anyone should put that box around you, you're the only one that can put that box around you. So just ignore it (which I do).

Hi Rick! You are such an inspiration to lots of people including me. My question is. If you could interview one person living or dead who would it be and why?
I can't wait for the sequel to your book either. You really are a great writer.

Thank you. Just about finishing the sequel now, about to send it off to my publisher. And Jesus, I want to talk to Jesus, or God, but I don't think God would take my call at this point if he read Magnificent Vibration.