Springfield is back after 24-year hiatus

LOS ANGELES TIMES
A FAMILIAR FACE IS ROAMING THE HALLS OF ABC'S DAYTIME SOAP "GENERAL HOSPITAL": RICK SPRINGFIELD.
THE 56-YEAR-OLD ACTOR-SINGER IS REPRISING HIS ROLE AS DR. NOAH DRAKE ON THE LONG-RUNNING DRAMA. SPRINGFIELD STARRED ON THE SERIES FROM 1981 TO 1983. DURING THIS STINT, HE ALSO BECAME A GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING POP STAR WITH HIS BESTSELLING ALBUM "WORKING CLASS DOG" AND ITS NO. 1 HIT, "JESSIE'S GIRL."
SINCE LEAVING "GENERAL HOSPITAL," SPRINGFIELD HAS APPEARED ON SUCH SERIES AS "THE HUMAN TARGET" AND "HIGH TIDE" WHILE RELEASING ALBUMS AND TOURING. ON HIS LATEST COMPACT DISC, "THE DAY AFTER YESTERDAY," HE PERFORMS SONGS BY HUMAN LEAGUE, FOREIGNER AND MISTER MISTER.
SPRINGFIELD, WHO BEGAN HIS RETURN ENGAGEMENT ON "GENERAL HOSPITAL" LAST WEEK, WILL CONTINUE ON THE SERIES THROUGH THE FIRST WEEK IN JANUARY. WORD HAS IT, THOUGH, THAT HE MAY RETURN FOR MORE EPISODES.
WHAT BRINGS DR. DRAKE BACK AFTER ALL THESE YEARS?
"THERE IS A MAIN CHARACTER THAT NEEDS A NEUROSURGEON, AND ONE OF THE DOCTORS WHO IS ATTACHED TO HIS CASE GOES LOOKING FOR THIS GREAT SURGEON WHO USED TO BE IN PORT CHARLES TO COME BACK AND SAVE THIS GUY," SAID SPRINGFIELD.
"SHE FINDS HIM IN A BAR. HIS LIFE HAS GONE TO HELL. HE HAS A SON WHOM HE DOESN'T HAVE A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH. HE'S DIVORCED, AND SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED TO THE FAMILY."