Rick Springfield turned 77 on August 23, and apparently nobody told him he was supposed to slow down.
Performing at Mountain Music Festival in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Springfield hit the stage shirtless for “Jessie’s Girl” — and judging by the reaction online, plenty of people noticed more than the song.
We caught the moment on video.

Springfield has been performing “Jessie’s Girl” for more than four decades, but there’s nothing particularly nostalgic about the way he still delivers it live. The 1981 hit remains one of those songs that needs little introduction — the opening guitar is usually enough.

And the energy isn’t limited to the stage. Earlier in the set, Springfield made his way into the audience during “Human Touch,” continuing a longtime concert tradition that puts him right in the middle of the crowd. By the time “Jessie’s Girl” arrived — and the shirt came off — he had already spent the show proving he wasn’t there simply to revisit the hits.

“Jessie’s Girl” gave Springfield his only No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned him the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. It also became permanently tied to a career that has never fit neatly into one category.

By the time the song became a hit, Springfield was also becoming a television star as Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital. That combination of rock star and soap-opera heartthrob made him one of the most recognizable faces of the early 1980s — and helped create a fan base that has stayed remarkably loyal.

Decades later, Springfield continues to tour, work his way directly into the crowd and deliver the songs people came to hear with the kind of energy that made him a live draw in the first place.

And judging by the reaction to this particular performance, taking off the shirt hasn’t exactly hurt.

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