Rock

Rock star, teen throb and matinee idol Rick Springfield. Springfield, who starred in the popular daytime soap "General Hospital," has a new album, his first in three years.

Irish rock musician Pierce Turner. His first band, The Major Thinkers, became popular with New York's East Village crowd and had a hit song in "Avenue B." Turner's debut album, "It's Only a Long Way Across," was produced by minimalist composer Phillip Glass.

Lyricist and songwriter Robert Hunter. He's best known for his 28-year collaboration with Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, writing the lyrics to the classics "Uncle John's Band" and "Truckin," and the recent hit "Touch of Grey." He has a new solo album titled "Liberty."

Bob Geldof, the star of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats and organizer of the Band Aid and Live Aid benefit concerts to aid starvation victims in Africa. His autobiography is titled Is That It?

Rock Critic Ken Tucker. It's another in the continuing series of interviews with Fresh Air's contributors. Ken tells us how a frustrated college poet found himself in crowded clubs listening to punk bands and being paid for it.

Rock singer, songwriter and record producer T-Bone Burnett. He's produced the work of musicians like Marshall Crenshaw, Los Lobos, Roy Orbison and Elvis Costello. In 1975, Burnett travelled and performed with Bob Dylan's "Rolling Thunder Review." Burnett's new solo album, which he produced and wrote the songs for, is titled "The Talking Animals."

Fresh Air's rock historian Ed Ward discusses the roots of his own musical tastes.

Rock singer and songwriter Bryan Ferry. In the 1970s, he was the lead singer and principal songwriter for the British band Roxy Music, the band that also launched the career of Brian Eno.

Guitarist Ron Wood. He spent 12 years as a member of the Rolling Stones, seven years with Rod Stewart's Faces and five years with The Jeff Beck Group. A book of his paintings and drawings has just been published. It's titled Ron Wood by Ron Wood: The Works.

Rock Critic Greil Marcus. His new book is a compilation of the writings of the late rock critic Lester Bangs, who, from 1969 until his death in 1982, wrote prodigiously for publications such as Rolling Stone, Creem and The Village Voice. Marcus is also the author of the highly-acclaimed Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock 'n Roll Music.