Rick Springfield, born Richard Lewis Springthorpe on August 23, 1949 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, is a songwriter, pop singer, musician and actor. Rick Springfield started playing piano at age 9, the guitar at age 13, and writing songs at 14. In 1969. Rick Springfield joined the band Zoot, who became one of the most popular Australian groups of the late Sixties. Rick Springfield relocated to Hollywood, California in 1972, where Capitol Records signed him, and he recorded his first album Beginnings. Because of various issues regarding his recording career, Rick Springfield decided to branch off into acting. In 1978, Rick Springfield became one of the last contract actors signed to Universal Studios, and appeared in several guest roles including The Incredible Hulk and The Rockford Files. Throughout the 1990s, Rick Springfield acted in several several made for TV movies, and had appearances in television shows such as Suddenly Susan. Although his achievements are not well recognised in his homeland, Australia, Rick Springfield has long maintained a large and fiercely loyal fan base in the United States, Canada, and Japan.