Who Is Singer Rick Springfield’s Longtime Love? Meet His Wife Barbara Porter
Rick Springfield has known his wife, Barbara Porter, since the late 1970s, and they have been in love for decades.
Though the couple has experienced highs and lows throughout the years, a source exclusively told Closer in September 2024, "There's no bigger winner for him than Barbara."
Through thick and thin, Rick's wife has been at his side. Get to know the singer's longtime love.
How Did Rick Springfield Meet Barbara Porter?
The "Jessie's Girl" singer first crossed paths with Barbara in the late '70s while working on an album at Sound City recording studios in L.A. At the time, Barbara worked there as a receptionist. In 2021, Rick recalled to People, "The English manager brought Barbara in and introduced her to everybody."
However, he explained, "She was only 15 at the time and looked like a mini Brigitte Bardot. I said, 'Too young.' I just thought she was cute, and that was it."
When the singer returned to Sound City to work on his 1981 album Working Class Dog, Barbara was still there. "I eventually split up with my girlfriend, and by the time I did, she was 18," he said. "I'd always thought about her because she worked at Sound City's office. I called her up on one brave moment and asked her out."
Is Rick Springfield's 'Jessie’s Girl' About Barbara Porter?
The song "Jessie's Girl," which eventually became a No. 1 hit, was off Rick's Working Class Dog album, released in February 1981.
Because they had been dating as the song skyrocketed to success, many people thought Barbara was the girl he sang about. "She got asked about it a lot, certainly at the studio because there was a great buzz around the studio when I recorded the song," Rick told People. "But she'd say, 'No, it's not me. I didn't know him back then.'" The woman the song is written about was reportedly the girlfriend of one of Rick's classmates.
Do Rick Springfield and Barbara Porter Have Children?
Rick and Barbara eventually married in October 1984 at his family's church in Australia. One year after tying the knot, he and Barbara welcomed son Liam. They eventually expanded their family again when they welcomed son Joshua in 1989.
Barbara Porter Loves to Cook
Rick has many reasons to be thankful for his longtime love. In August 2023, he told People that he's "fortunate" Barbara is an "amazing chef."
"She's absolutely incredible," he told the publication. "And I'm certainly not a cook. When I was a bachelor, I'd make a big pot of brown rice, chop up an onion and put that in the rice with a can of tuna. I'd have that, a baked potato and salad and live off that for a month. Barbara comes up with these incredible things. She loves cooking."
Rick Springfield and Barbara Porter Have Had Their Ups and Downs
The iconic musician has had a long and troubled history battling depression and the addictions that accompanied his disease. In an interview with ABC News in January 2018, Rick openly discussed a past suicide attempt at 17 years old.
Rick has said that he's thankful Barbara stuck with him through the highs and lows over the years. "You get together with someone to change bad behavior and improve your spirit, and she has really been that person for me," he told People in 2018. "I'm thankful she's hung in there 'cause I've certainly given her reason not to."
Things haven't always been easy, though. Over the years, "we've gone to therapists a couple of times saying we want a divorce," he revealed. "We've always ended up just realizing we really love each other, and that's really the only way not to get divorced is to not get divorced. We still argue and have issues, but when we're at our best, we're at our very best."
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple became increasingly closer. "We like each other," he told People in 2021. "I certainly found that out in the lockdown. We love hanging out and still have a lot of the same interests. It's probably been the deepest thing for me personally in this lockdown. I was lucky enough to get a good one." During that time, Rick revealed that they kept busy with "lots of sex."
"That's about it," he joked. "We played Monopoly the other day with the guy that works at my studio, and that was a trip. I haven't done that in 40 years, and it was hilarious. We had a blast. I never had time for stuff like that before."
In September 2024, a source exclusively told Closer, "He's grateful beyond measure to have gone through those lows to reach these highs, earning 40 years of marriage with his wife is the icing on the cake!"
In celebration of their 40th anniversary, the source said, "They're planning to go away and celebrate their big milestone anniversary." The insider added, "He still can't believe they've been married 40 years, or that he's now 75. He says he still feels like he's in his 20s."
