x dismiss this message
Did you know you can edit this page?
-
Sign Into Shelfari
-
Choose something to edit
-
Save your contributions
see page history
Description edit
In a searingly candid memoir which he authored himself, Grammy Award-winning pop icon Rick Springfield pulls back the curtain on his image as a bright, shiny, happy performer to share the startling story of his rise and fall and rise in music, film, and television and his lifelong battle with... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Characters/People edit
- Barbara Porter: Originally a receptionist at Rick's at-the-time recording studio, she is now Rick Springfield's wife and mother of their two children.
- Liam Springthorpe: The oldest child of Rick Springfield and Barbara.
- Diana: The girl Rick dated before meeting Barbara. He lived with her family for a time, and it was thought that he and Diana would marry at some point in the future.
- Ronnie: AKA Lethal Ron. Rick Springfield's dog. He was featured on the cover of the Working Class Dog album.
- Joe Gottfried: One of Rick's managers--one who was willing to represent him when no one else was interested. He is also the owner of a recording studio which employs Barbara Porter and is where Rick records at that time.
- Jessie: Add a description of this character.
- Amy: Mother of Sahara--a young fan of Rick's.
- Stein
- Robie
- Pete Watson: An early influence in Rick's musical life. He's the one who changed Rick's last name from Springthorpe to Springfield.
- Gomer: A dog owned by Rick.
- Elton John: A singer/musician from the United Kingdom whose path intersects with that of Rick Springfield on several occasions.
- Keith Olsen
- Elvis: A dog owned by the Springthorpe family while Rick was growing up. He was given to a friend when the Springthorpe family relocated to England for Mr. Springthorpe's job.
- Michelle
- Doug
- Mike
- Cleo: A dog owned by the Springthorpe family while Rick was growing up.
- Rick Springfield: Singer/songwriter born Rick Springthorpe. Name change suggested by Pete Watson. He is the author of this memoir and details his battles with depression and sexual addiction.
- Josh Gibson: The second son of Rick Springfield and Barbara Porter Springthorpe.
- Paul
- Lynne
- Steve Binder
- Richard
- Linda
- Jack White: A fellow musician and friend of Rick Springfield. He has a recording studio on his home's premises and offers to let Rick record there.
- David Cassidy: A teen idol to whom Rick Springfield was compared in his early musical career. Industry people wanted him to become "the next David Cassidy"
- Shannon: Husband of Amy and father of Sahara.
- Mr. Darkness: The name Rick Springfield uses to refer to his depression--that little voice of self-doubt that reared its ugly head over and over again throughout his life.
- Ricky
- Noah Drake: The character Rick Springfield played on General Hospital. Noah Drake was a doctor.
- George
- Ernie
- Hank: A musical idol of Rick Springfield's. He had the first red Fender Stratocaster guitar Rick had seen in Australia. Rick eventually gets to meet his idol.
- Rodger
- Pat Benatar: A female singer. She sang "I Love Rock & Roll" among other songs.
- Heather
- Ivan
- Sahara: A young fan whom Rick Springfield befriends. She is the daughter of Amy and Shannon.
Setting & Locations edit
- Australia: The country where Rick Springfield was born (as Rick Springthorpe).
- England: The Springthorpe family relocates to England as part of Mr. Springthorpe's job.
- America: Rick comes to America to pursue a music career.
- Melbourne: The city in Australia where the Springthorpe family lived during some of Rick's growing up years.
- London: The City in England where Mr. Springthorpe learns about computers for his job.
- Las Vegas: Rick Springfield headlined a show in Las Vegas for 2 years.
- Hollywood: A city in California, USA.
- General Hospital: The soap opera on which Rick Springfield played Dr. Noah Drake. It is set in the fictional town of Port Charles. Rick also played a rock star character named Eli.
- Malibu: The California city where the Springfields/Springthorpes reside.
- Europe: A continent--Rick Springfield has had several hit songs in Europe and has toured there.
- New York: A state in the Eastern United States.
- New Zealand
- Glendale
- United States: Country to which Rick Springfield emigrated when he decided to pursue a music career.
- Los Angeles: A city in California, USA
- Vietnam: Rick Springfield did a music tour in Vietnam when he was a member of a band early in his Australian music career.
- Sydney: A city in Australia where Rick spends some of his youth and also plays a tour date there much later in life.
- Brisbane: A city in Australia where Rick Springfield has a tour stop.
- Japan: Country RIck Springfield travels to several times for tours.
- Sound City: Studio owned by Joe Gottfried, a man who is willing to manage Rick when no one else wants to. This studio also employed Barbara Porter as a receptionist.
- California: A state on the west coast of the USA. It contains Hollywood and Los Angeles for acting and Malibu, where Rick and family make their home.
- Saigon: City in Vietnam.
- Woking: Pronounced Whoa-king, it is a city in Australia where the Springthorpe family lived while Rick was growing up.
- Beeb
- High Tide
- Belgium
- Perth: A city in Australia that Rick describes as being "the most out of the way big city". Rick has a tour stop here during his Australian tour.
First Sentence edit
So here I am, seventeen years of age, feeling as ugly as the ass end of a female baboon at mating season, unloved, very much in need of a good caressing by some attentive young woman, and, right now, swinging by my neck at the end of a very thick twine rope like some pathetic B-Western movie bad guy.
Table of Contents edit
Prologue: A Swingin' Teenager
1. Three Wishes
2. My Golden Childhood
3. Girls, Guitars, and Glory
4. The Ugliest Kid in the World
5. Not Your Regulation USO Tour
6. Back Through the Looking Glass
7. Fame and Famine
8. Illegal (Hollywood Sex-Rat) Alien
9. America on $180 a Month
10. The Americanization of Ricky
11. So Long, Chickens: Thanks for the Eggs
12: What's the Point of Being a Doctor if Everybody Dies?
13. We Have Ignition
14. Sex, More Sex, and Rock and Roll (No Real Drugs to Speak Of)
15.My Depression
16. Of Hawks and the Island of the Long White Cloud
17. A Better Destination
18. How Bad Could It Be? Pretty Fucking Bad, Actually
19. Darkness at Noon
20. Healing to Do
21. Big Boys Do Cry
22. Where It All Began
23. In Overdrive
Authors & Contributors edit
- Rick Springfield (Author)
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: Touchstone
Country: United States
Publication Date: October 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4391-9115-6
Page Count: 323
Publisher: Touchstone
Country: United States
Publication Date: October 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4391-9115-6
Page Count: 323
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
- Dewey: 782.42166092
Links to Supplemental Material edit
We’re hiding the errata, movie connections, books that influenced this book, books influenced by this book, books that cite this book and books cited by this book sections. If you would like to add content to them, you must first make them visible.
