Don’t talk to strangers indeed.
It’s been three decades since Rick Springfield topped the charts but he reappeared yesterday, leading a cringe-inducing singalong in the New York City subways.
YouTube videos show the now 63-year-old Australian musician looked far removed from his 80s heartthrob heyday. Wearing dad glasses, a black leather jacket and a five-o’clock shadow, he awkwardly strummed along to his songs — including his mega-hit “Jessie’s Girl” and “Don’t talk to Strangers.”
It’s a cheesy guerilla marketing move for Springfield, who is trying to promote his latest album, Songs for the End of the World.
He teased his Facebook fans Tuesday about his impromptu performance: “Rick’s making you late to work in NYC starting at the 34th Street subway station! Then uptown on the 1 trainwith more stops! Follow Rick on Twitter for real time updates! #ricknyc.” True to his word, he tweeted his every move to his 23,000+ followers.