Rick Springfield

At the age of 14, Richard Springthorpe saw The Beatles performing in Melbourne, an event that had a life-changing impact on him as he then began to prepare for his own transformation into the pop/rock star Rick Springfield. When his father, who was in the Army, was stationed in England, Rick learned guitar, joined various English bands and started to make his mark with the bands Rockhouse and MPD Ltd. Returning to Australia he formed Wickedy Wak and then became lead singer, guitarist and occasional songwriter with established band Zoot, who hit on the gimmick of all dressing in pink satin, a gambit that gave them a strong female following, but did little for their rock credibility.

When they split in 1971, Springfield launched his solo career with the hit single 'Speak to the Sky', followed by his debut album 'Beginnings' recorded in London. He then moved to the US, signed to Columbia and released his second album 'Comic Book Heroes'.

Establishing a parallel career as an actor, he starred in various TV series, including 'High Tide', 'True Detective' and 'General Hospital' and published his autobiography in 2010. In 2015 he starred alongside Meryl Streep in the movie 'Ricki and the Flash but returned to music in 2016 with the album 'Rocket Science' the 16th studio album of his career.