Latest news with #Jessie'sGirl
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rick Springfield just learned he has brain damage from 25-year-old fall: 'I thought I had just broken my wrist'
Whether it's good news or not, Rick Springfield wants to be well-informed about his health. The "Jessie's Girl" singer, who is turning 76 this year, says he prefers having "bad news" to no news — an apt perspective, considering he recently made a startling discovery after getting a full body MRI scan. During a conversation with PEOPLE, Springfield revealed he recently learned that he sustained brain damage from a spill he took at a Las Vegas concert back in 2000. "I fell 25 feet, hit my head, and then wood came down and hit my head, and then my head hit the stage again," he shared, explaining that the recent body scan uncovered some lingering effects from the incident. "I thought I had just broken my wrist, but on the scan, I found out I have some brain damage from the fall, so I'm working on trying to repair that." Related: Johnny Knoxville's kids were scared after his Jackass Forever brain injury: 'Dad's not gonna do that anymore' Though some people prefer not to know what's going on with their bodies — including the musician's late father — he feels differently. "My dad died from not wanting to know. He thought he had stomach cancer for years and never got it checked out," Springfield said. "When he finally collapsed one day at home, they found out it was an ulcer that burst, and he died from the loss of blood. It could have been fixed if he had gotten it checked out." He continued, "That was a giant message to me: If you want to live long, you have to be prepared for some bad news now and then. I could find out I have terminal cancer tomorrow and be dead in a year, but I can only do all I can do." Thus far, Springfield feels that his approach to health has served him well. Despite being halfway through his seventh decade, the singer still feels like he's in his 20s. "Then I see people dying from old age and disease and go, 'Wow, I'm the same age as old people,'" he joked. Related: Rick Springfield almost said no to Meryl Streep and Ricki and the Flash Now, the "Affair of the Heart" singer takes special care to protect his body, exercising every day and cutting down his alcohol consumption. "I was drinking quite a bit, and as you get older, it's kind of a natural thing to drop all that s---," he said. "I'm not [in] AA — I mean, I know a lot of people it's worked for. I'll have a couple of sips of vodka or something when I'm onstage, but I don't drink any other time." The change also had an impact on his mental health. Springfield, who's been battling depression since he was a kid, admitted that drinking less had a positive impact. He additionally experimented with ketamine and LSD treatments and found some success with the latter. "I did acid, and that was actually a little better. I hadn't done that since I was in my 20s, but it was a great high," he told the outlet. "I don't mean to push drugs on anyone, but I'm not averse to anything that helps me be happier and a better person. I could use some help in that area. I'm always searching." Related: Rick Springfield helps give 'Jessie's Girl' murderous sequel in Coheed and Cambria music video He also pushed back against the idea that "wisdom comes with age," calling the saying "bulls---." He explained, "Wisdom comes with digging and looking at yourself. It doesn't automatically come." The '80s icon released Big Hits: Rick Springfield's Greatest Hits, Volume 2 in December, featuring such tracks as "I'll Make You Happy," "What's Victoria's Secret?," "Wide Awake," and "The Man That Never Was." Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
The Independent
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Rick Springfield is still working to ‘repair' brain damage he suffered from ‘25 foot' onstage fall in 2000
Rick Springfield has said he's still suffering the consequences of his harrowing onstage accident 25 years ago. In 2000, the 'Jessie's Girl' hitmaker, 75, was performing in Las Vegas when he took a serious tumble. 'I fell 25 feet, hit my head and then wood came down and hit my head, and then my head hit the stage again,' Springfield recalled in a new interview with People. The Australian -American singer said that for the longest time, he thought he had just 'broken [his] wrist' in the fall. However, after a recent whole-body MRI scan, he learned that he still has some lasting ' brain damage from the fall.' 'So I'm working on trying to repair that,' he said. While Springfield said he understands that many people 'don't want to know what's wrong with them,' he explained his interest in undergoing a whole-body MRI stemmed from the circumstances of his father's death. 'My dad died from not wanting to know,' he said. 'He thought he had stomach cancer for years and never got it checked out. When he finally collapsed one day at home, they found out it was an ulcer that burst, and he died from the loss of blood. It could have been fixed if he had gotten it checked out.' Springfield continued: 'That was a giant message to me: If you want to live long, you have to be prepared for some bad news now and then. 'I could find out I have terminal cancer tomorrow and be dead in a year, but I can only do all I can do.' The Grammy-winning artist, who in December released his latest album, Big Hits: Rick Springfield's Greatest Hits, Volume 2, additionally spoke about cutting back his alcohol consumption. 'I was drinking quite a bit, and as you get older, it's kind of a natural thing to drop all that s***,' he said. 'I'm not [in] AA — I mean, I know a lot of people it's worked for. I'll have a couple of sips of vodka or something when I'm onstage, but I don't drink any other time.' This May, Springfield is scheduled to embark across the U.S. on his I Want My '80s tour.
Los Angeles Times
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Rick Springfield remembers falling off a stage 25 years ago. So does his body: ‘brain damage'
'Jessie's Girl' rocker Rick Springfield says he lives with the lasting toll of a gnarly fall that happened decades ago. The Grammy-winning musician, 75, said a recent full-body MRI scan revealed he has brain damage connected to an onstage tumble he took during a Las Vegas concert in 2000. The 'Don't Talk to Strangers' and 'Affair of the Heart' singer told People in an interview published Monday about the fall and its enduring effects. 'I thought I had just broken my wrist, but on the scan I found out I have some brain damage from the fall, so I'm working on trying to repair that,' Springfield said. He told the magazine that the injury stems from a 25-foot fall where he hit his head on the stage multiple times. Springfield did not specify where exactly in Las Vegas he fell but said he intends to be vigilant about his care. The Australia-born musician also detailed his lifestyle to People: He exercises constantly, follows a pescatarian diet, cuts down on his alcohol intake and micro-doses acid. Springfield, who also has been vocal about his struggles with depression, explained elsewhere in the interview that his focus on his health stems from more than just his decades-old injury. The 'I've Done Everything for You' singer said his father suspected he had stomach cancer but never took action to treat or confirm his suspicions. Springfield's father died in 1981 after losing blood from a burst ulcer. 'That was a giant message to me,' Springfield said, adding, 'If you want to live long, you have to be prepared for some bad news now and then.' Springfield, who released his 'Big Hits: Rick Springfield's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2' last month, reflected on death with the same matter-of-fact approach. He told the magazine that he finds it's 'important to be aware' of death.' 'You can only put on the party dress, but what happens at the party is up to the gods.'
Fox News
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Rick Springfield discovered he suffered brain damage 25 years after concert fall
Rick Springfield, known for his hit "Jessie's Girl," recently discovered he suffered brain damage from an onstage fall that happened 25 years ago. The 75-year-old musician underwent a full-body MRI scan that showed the lasting effects of a fall he suffered in 2000. "I fell 25 feet, hit my head and then wood came down and hit my head, and then my head hit the stage again," Springfield recalled in an interview with People. "I thought I had just broken my wrist, but on the scan I found out I have some brain damage from the fall, so I'm working on trying to repair that." Springfield noted that some people do not want to know about their health. "My dad died from not wanting to know," the "Don't Talk to Strangers" singer said. "He thought he had stomach cancer for years and never got it checked out. When he finally collapsed one day at home, they found out it was an ulcer that burst, and he died from the loss of blood. It could have been fixed if he had gotten it checked out." "That was a giant message to me: If you want to live long, you have to be prepared for some bad news now and then," Springfield continued. "I could find out I have terminal cancer tomorrow and be dead in a year, but I can only do all I can do." Springfield has been focused on his health for years – cutting back on his alcohol consumption, changing his diet and consistently exercising. "I was drinking quite a bit, and as you get older, it's kind of a natural thing to drop all that s---," he explained. "I'm not [in] AA – I mean, I know a lot of people it's worked for. I'll have a couple of sips of vodka or something when I'm onstage, but I don't drink any other time." The Australian singer has also been looking for ways to help his mental health. Springfield has dealt with depression since he was a teenager. He has tried ketamine and LSD treatments, according to People. "I wanted to see if [ketamine would] open a few things in my brain," Springfield said. "It was a creative experiment and an experiment on depression. I did it for as long as suggested, and I wasn't a big fan. It made me feel heavy and machinelike. It didn't change much in me – although I have been writing a lot, so you never know what kind of effect it has later on. It's not a black-and-white kind of thing." Springfield is not "averse" to trying drugs, but understands it is not for everyone. "I did acid, and that was actually a little better," he noted. "I hadn't done that since I was in my 20s, but it was a great high. I don't mean to push drugs on anyone, but I'm not averse to anything that helps me be happier and a better person. I could use some help in that area. I'm always searching." Springfield gained notoriety from both singing and acting. He released his first album in 1972 but did not see much success. Springfield turned to acting, landing roles in "The Rockford Files" and "The Young and the Restless." His big break came in the early 1980s when he was cast as Dr. Noah Drake in "General Hospital." The actor released "Working Class Dog" in 1980, which proved to be his musical breakthrough. The album featured one of Springfield's biggest hits, "Jessie's Girl." Springfield released the second volume of his "Greatest Hits" album in February. He is set to embark on the "I Want My '80s" tour in May.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Richard Marx and Rick Springfield 'Just Bonded' from the First Time They Met: 'I've Always Loved His Music' (Exclusive)
Richard Marx knows he always has a friend in Rick Springfield. The chart-topping, Grammy-winning "Right Here Waiting" creator, 61, sat down with PEOPLE ahead of his co-headlining acoustic performance with Springfield at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville to reflect on the past and look forward to the future, including the major role that his good friend and "Jessie's Girl" singer has played in it. "Rick and I go back," Marx notes. "We've been friends since 1988, and I'm terrible at math, but I'm going to guess that's 37 years." Related: Rick Springfield Shares How He Maintains Abs at 75 — and Why He's a 'Whore' for This Gym Chain (Exclusive) Despite meeting by chance when Springfield "showed up one night at a show I did at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles on my first tour," as Marx recalls, he also maintained that "I was a huge fan of his before that." Of that first interaction, Marx fondly remembers that Springfield "and his wife, Barbara, were just lovely." Afterward, the singer says, "He and I started hanging out together, and we wrote a really terrible song together, but we just bonded." Though that song didn't end up seeing the light of day, it wasn't the last time the two would team up on music. As for what drew them together, Marx notes that he and Springfield "have a very similar sense of humor," evident by their co-stage presence on this round of touring, which is filled with loving and hilarious quips toward one another while still being earmarked by each maintaining a genuine appreciation for the other's contributions to music. Speaking of their tour, dubbed An Acoustic Evening with Rick Springfield & Richard Marx, the latter recalls that the inspiration to perform together originally came about "years ago" when Springfield "was doing these fan cruises." Marx recalls that "one year he called me and he said, 'We do these surveys at the end of every cruise and people write in who would they like to be the guest, and you're overwhelmingly are the number one request, so would you want to do something like this?" His response to the request at the time? "F--- no, I'm not getting on a f---ing boat." However, through laughter, Marx continues that "he talked me into it," thus laying the foundation for a co-headlining synergy that still is in full display to this day. Related: Rick Springfield Shares the Common-Sense Secret to His 40-Year Marriage with Wife Barbara (Exclusive) Then, as Marx recalls, "Maybe seven, eight years ago, we did a bunch of shows where we opened the show with a song together." That morphed into each doing "a set and then we closed the show with a song together." Ultimately, the singer notes that it was Springfield who said, " 'Let's go do a bunch more shows, but let's just do a little show together where we just take turns.' And it really is a really special experience for us and it's a special experience for the audience because most artists who team up don't do it that way.' " And take turns the two stars do, weaving a musical tapestry on stage comprised of both of their greatest hits, peppered with references to their individual pasts and history together as friends. "I won't speak for him, but I really love his songs," Marx says of Springfield. "I've always loved his music. So for me to be up there singing, 'Don't Talk to Strangers' and 'Jesse's Girl,' I have a ball. You can see it in my face." Marx and Springfield's acoustic performances will run until Oct. 8, where they will conclude with a show in Knoxville, Tenn. Read the original article on People
