Late, Late at Night
By Rick Springfield
Simon and Schuster
Review By David Chiu
If you ever wondered where the personal angst in Rick Springfield’s songs (i.e. “Jessie’s Girl,” “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” “Affair of the Heart”) came from, his new memoir provides the answers to that question. To say this artist had personal issues may be the understatement of the year. Although Springfield has achieved in a career that most aspiring artists would dream of, it didn’t come easy before, during and after the fame. Some of the episodes from Late, Late at Night are pretty provocative and sad to read: Springfield’s attempt at suicide when he was 17, the moments of infidelity/sex addiction committed by him while he was dating and later marrying to his longtime love Barbara; and his depression. His career trajectory is pretty unique in itself: starting out as a teen heartthrob in the ‘70s whose albums bombed and then left in the dust; resurging in the early ‘80s thanks to the Working Class Dog album and his role as Dr. Noah Drake on the TV soap General Hospital; and persevering through the ‘90s and 00’s when the hits dried up. In very honest and blunt language, along with a self-deprecating sense of humor, Springfield lays his soul bare with his frustrations, whether it’s the music business, sexual insecurities or family– it’s amazing that he even got through all of these issues given his circumstances he described. Late, Late at Night is the story of not just an iconic ‘80s figure, but a person who recognizes his own frailties and weaknesses in both his life and art.
NewBeats 