Celebrity

Who Is Joshua Springthorpe? Inside the Quiet Life of Rick Springfield’s Son

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1 hour ago

November 11, 2026

Joshua Springthorpe is the younger son of Australian-American musician and actor Rick Springfield and his wife, Barbara Porter. He was born in 1989, grew up in one of the best-known families in 1980s pop and television, and has since chosen a life away from the cameras. Fans of “Jessie’s Girl” often search for his name, yet reliable information about him is limited because he avoids publicity. This article sets out what trusted outlets have reported about Joshua, explains the family around him, and separates confirmed facts from online guesswork.

Table of Contents

Joshua Springthorpe at a Glance

Detail	Information
Full name	Joshua Springthorpe
Also written as	Joshua Springfield (the stage surname his father uses)
Born	1989 (exact date not public)
Age	Mid to late thirties
Gender	Male
Nationality	American, with Australian family roots
Father	Rick Springfield (born Richard Lewis Springthorpe, 23 August 1949)
Mother	Barbara Porter
Sibling	Liam Springthorpe (older brother, born 1985)
Birth order	Younger of two sons
Reported field	Studying to become a child therapist
Known for	Being Rick Springfield’s son and keeping a private life
Marital status	Not publicly confirmed
Social media	No verified public accounts found
Net worth	Not publicly disclosed

Rick Springfield has two sons and no daughters. Several websites mix up the family details, so the table above uses only information from major outlets such as Hello! Magazine, People, Wikipedia and IMDb.

Who Is Joshua Springthorpe?

Joshua Springthorpe is an adult member of the Springthorpe family who does not work in entertainment. Wikipedia and IMDb both list him as the second son of Rick Springfield and Barbara Porter, born in 1989.

He shares his surname with his father’s birth name. Rick performs as Rick Springfield, but his legal name is Richard Lewis Springthorpe. His sons use the family name Springthorpe, which is why searches for “Joshua Springfield” and “Joshua Springthorpe” lead to the same person.

Joshua does not run a public profile, give interviews or promote himself. Most of what the public knows comes from his father, who speaks about his family in magazine features, podcasts and his memoir.

Early Life and Family Background

Joshua grew up in a household shaped by music and television. His father had a number one hit in the United States with “Jessie’s Girl” in 1981 and played Dr. Noah Drake on the soap opera General Hospital. His mother, Barbara Porter, kept the family steady while Rick toured and recorded.

Rick and Barbara married in October 1984 at his family’s church in Australia. Their first son, Liam, arrived in 1985, and Joshua followed in 1989. The brothers grew up four years apart.

Rick has said that he never pushed either son towards show business. He told Hello! Magazine that his message was simple: “I just want you to be happy. Do whatever you want.” That approach gave Joshua room to choose his own direction.

No reliable source names Joshua’s school, his hometown or his childhood friends. That silence looks deliberate. The family has shared milestones that Rick chose to share and has left the rest alone.

Rick Springfield: The Famous Father

Rick Springfield was born in Sydney in 1949. He started in Australian bands in the late 1960s, moved to the United States in the 1970s, and became a global star in 1981. “Jessie’s Girl” reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and won him a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.

His acting career grew alongside his music. He played Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital from 1981 to 1983, then returned to the show in 2005, 2008 and 2012. He came back again in 2013 for the show’s 50th anniversary, this time with his son Liam.

Rick also writes. His 2010 memoir, Late, Late at Night, reached number 13 on the New York Times bestseller list. Rolling Stone later placed it 23rd on its list of the great rock memoirs. In the book, he writes openly about his lifelong struggle with depression.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame honoured him with a star on 9 May 2014. Joshua attended that ceremony with his parents, and photographers captured the family together. It remains one of the few public moments that shows Joshua beside his father.

Today Rick still tours and hosts a weekly radio show on SiriusXM’s 80s on 8 channel. He regularly describes his wife and sons as the anchor of his life.

Barbara Porter: The Mother Behind the Family

Barbara Porter has been part of Rick’s story since the late 1970s. Wikipedia reports that she worked as a receptionist at the recording studio where Rick made his album Working Class Dog. Songfacts names the venue as Sound City Studios.

The couple married in 1984 and have stayed together for more than four decades. In a 2025 interview with People, Rick explained their guiding rule: they treat most arguments as meaningless and refuse to let small fights grow. He has also said on a podcast that the couple turned to counsellors during rough patches and believes in asking a respected third person for help.

Hello! Magazine quotes Rick calling Barbara his rock. He adds that when one of them struggles, the other steps in. Joshua grew up watching that partnership.

Barbara keeps a lower profile than her husband. She attends occasional events with him, and Rick has praised her cooking in interviews. Like Joshua, she has not built a public brand around the family name.

Liam Springthorpe: Joshua’s Older Brother

Liam Springthorpe was born in 1985 and works as an actor and musician. His career gives the best contrast with Joshua’s quieter path. Liam has appeared on screen and played alongside his father, including a return to General Hospital in 2013.

The brothers took different routes despite the same upbringing. Liam chose performing, which suits a family with deep roots in music and television. Joshua moved towards a caring profession.

Both brothers appear in their father’s stories, and both receive the same message of support. Rick has told reporters that he and Barbara encourage each son to follow his own path.

Sources describe a close-knit family, although none of them share private details about how the brothers spend time together. People described the sons as 39 and 36 in its 2025 feature, which confirms the four-year age gap.

Joshua Springthorpe’s Career and Education

Hello! Magazine reports that Joshua is studying to become a child therapist. People repeated the same detail in 2025, and later features cite that report. Rick told Hello! that Joshua has a big heart and that the work suits him. He added that he feels proud of his son’s choice.

That career path matters for two reasons. First, it shows that Joshua has stepped away from the entertainment world that surrounds his family. Second, it fits a family history in which mental health plays an open role, since Rick has spoken for years about depression and the value of counselling.

Beyond that single detail, reliable outlets give no further information. They do not name a university, a clinic, an employer or a qualification date. The report also does not confirm whether Joshua has finished his studies.

Some low-quality websites claim that Joshua works as an assistant director or in another film role. No major outlet supports those claims. Readers should treat them as unverified.

Growing Up With a Famous Father

Children of celebrities face attention they never asked for. Photographers, fans and online forums often treat them as extensions of a parent’s brand. Joshua’s family appears to have limited that effect by sharing little and by presenting a calm, ordinary picture of home life.

Rick took a break from music after his first son was born, according to Wikipedia. He stepped back to spend more time with his family and to deal with depression that had followed him since his teenage years. That decision shows how highly he valued home life, even at the height of his fame.

Joshua also grew up around an artistic culture. His father records albums, writes books and performs live. His brother acts. Even so, Joshua chose a field that centres on listening to children and helping families.

Rick has described his sons as a source of pride. In every interview where he mentions them, he talks about their character rather than their careers.

Why Joshua Springthorpe Stays Private

Joshua has not courted publicity, and his choice makes sense. Public figures accept scrutiny as part of their work. A private adult who trains for a helping profession has no reason to invite the same attention.

Therapy and counselling also demand discretion. A person who builds a career around working with children benefits from a low online profile. Parents and young clients expect professionals to protect confidentiality, and a quiet public image supports that trust.

Searches for his name return no verified social media accounts. Many articles online use stock images or old event photos, so readers should question any profile that claims to be official.

Respecting that privacy also protects the family. Rick has shared his own struggles and successes in public, but he leaves his sons’ lives for them to describe if they ever wish to.

What Is Known and What Remains Unknown

Confirmed facts about Joshua are few but consistent. He was born in 1989. He is the younger son of Rick Springfield and Barbara Porter. He attended his father’s Walk of Fame ceremony in 2014. Major outlets report that he is studying to become a child therapist.

Several details remain unknown. His exact birth date, his place of residence, his education history, his relationship status and any income figures have not appeared in reliable reporting. Websites that publish a net worth figure or a marriage story for Joshua usually have no source.

Readers can check any claim by asking three questions. Does a major outlet report it? Does it name a source? Does it match what Rick has said himself? Claims that fail those tests deserve doubt.

Conclusion

Joshua Springthorpe stands out in a famous family by choosing a quiet life. Trusted reports show that he was born in 1989, has an older brother named Liam, and is studying to become a child therapist. His father supports that path and calls it a fine fit.

The public record stays short, and respect for his privacy keeps it that way. Readers who want more should follow Rick Springfield’s interviews and memoir, since they remain the most reliable source on the family.

Frequently Asked Questions About Joshua Springthorpe

Who is Joshua Springthorpe?

Joshua Springthorpe is the younger son of musician and actor Rick Springfield and Barbara Porter. He was born in 1989 and lives a private life outside show business.

Is Joshua Springthorpe really Rick Springfield’s son?

Yes. Wikipedia, IMDb, Hello! Magazine and People all identify him as Rick Springfield’s son. Rick’s birth surname is Springthorpe, so the family name differs from his stage name.

How old is Joshua Springthorpe?

Joshua was born in 1989, which makes him in his mid to late thirties. People listed his age as 36 in 2025. His exact birth date is not public.

Who are Joshua Springthorpe’s parents?

His father is Rick Springfield, born Richard Lewis Springthorpe in Sydney in 1949. His mother is Barbara Porter. The couple married in October 1984.

Does Joshua Springthorpe have siblings?

Joshua has one older brother, Liam Springthorpe, born in 1985. Liam works as an actor and musician and appeared with their father on General Hospital in 2013.