“BTS: Burn the Stage”: Episode 5

I was delighted that Chicago was so beautifully prominent in this episode. Late one night back at their hotel, they’re trying to figure out how to perform on a tiny stage for their first U.S. television appearance. I used to do a little work for JBTV way back when, and I can tell you that the stage is tiny. It’s fine for most of the bands that pass through Chicago. But most bands aren’t BTS.

Go Away With … Rick Springfield

In his recently published memoir “Late, Late at Night” ($26, Touchstone), musician-actor Rick Springfield, 61, reveals a dark side that few fans knew about. He tried to commit suicide when he was 17, cheated multiple times on his wife of 26 years and underwent plastic surgery at the ripe old age of 23 in an attempt to look even more youthful than he already did. Springfield, who wrote the book without a co-author or a ghostwriter, exhibits a humorous and poignant touch as he examines the ebbs and flows of his career.

Go Away With … Juliana Hatfield

Juliana Hatfield had a knack for penning clever songs with her group the Blake Babies. She was an indie sensation. What her fans didn’t know was that Hatfield was battling an eating disorder and depression. With her telling memoir “When I Grow Up” (Wiley, $24.95), Hatfield describes her life as a rock star. She also writes about being filled with self-doubt. Hatfield, who also has a new CD out called “How to Walk Away,” is an avid traveler who got the bug to get up and go at a young age.

Rick Springfield enjoys resurgence in popularity

“Writing songs is like therapy for me,” Rick Springfield said earlier this week from the set of NBC’s “Suddenly Susan,” where he was taping a guest-star role as Brooke Shields’ boyfriend, scheduled to air March 15. “I’ve been working on this album for about the past three years, and it was really something I needed to do.”

Rick Springfield nurtures new son – and a new album

Many pop stars say music is the most important thing in their lives, but Rick Springfield put his beliefs and his career on the line when he took a self-imposed two-year break from the recording business
to reassess his priorities. “I think that of anything success has given me, alleviating the day-to-day money worries has got to be the greatest thing,” Springfield said. “I’ve been in the situation where I’ve had to scrimp to get together the rent and utility money. I know how hard it is, and I know how lucky I am now.”