Gwinnett Daily Post

Special Photo Rick Springfield will perform Saturday at Wild Bill’s in Duluth. 

You can take a step back in time Saturday night at Wild Bill’s when ’80s icon Rick Springfield takes the stage. The former soap star and singer of hits like “Jessie’s Girl” comes to Duluth having more fun as a performer than he did in the early days.

“I’m enjoying (playing my music) a lot more now than I did then. Back then, it was kind of a circus. Now, I’m humbled by my fans,” Springfield said. “I used to think it was all about me. I get now that it’s about them.”

The singer and his band seem to have it figured out, how to have fame, a home, a family and peace of mind.

If You Go

• Who: Rick Springfield

• When: 9:30 p.m. Saturday

• Where: Wild Bill’s, 2075 Market St., Duluth

• Cost: Tickets range from $30 (general admission) to $200 for VIP side stage seats

• Info: Visit www.ticketmaster.com or call 678-473-1000

“We tour all year, but we only tour on weekends. We go home during the week and spend time with family,” Springfield said.

The singer and his band will go from Duluth to Texas, then Oklahoma and then on to Japan. The show at Wild Bill’s will include a mix of his old hits as well as some new material.

When asked whether he has any memories of playing past shows in Atlanta, Springfield laughed.

“Oh yes, sure. I remember playing in an outdoor arena,” he said. “It was pouring rain, and it was very humid. It was great.”

What inspires Springfield?

“Life. Always life,” he said. “And reading. I keep my eyes open.”

Springfield’s two sons, ages 21 and 24, also inspire the singer. About his notoriety, Springfield said that his boys “think it’s cool. They’re proud of that. They do laugh sometimes at the hairstyles, but so do I.”

Springfield said musically he listens to “absolutely everything, from classical to rock. I think an artist has to do that.”

In November, Springfield and his band embark on the Fourth Annual Rick Springfield and Friends cruise.

“It’s the best thing we do all year. It’s five days of music and fans and friends, just a big party,” he said.

This year Jamaica is the destination. More information about the cruise can be found at www.rickspringfield.com.

In July 2008, Springfield released his latest album “Venus in Overdrive,” a return to the artist’s pop/rock roots. According to reviews, the music is the same raw, honest, gritty material that marks Springfield’s from-the-soul music.

A documentary about Springfield’s life — “Affair of the Heart” — will be finished this year. The singer’s memoir, “Late, Late at Night,” is both a New York Times and LA Times bestseller. The paperback version will be available in June.