Rick Springfield Links Brain Injury to Decades-Old Vegas Concert Mishap

Decades after a dramatic tumble off a Las Vegas stage, rock star Rick Springfield has revealed a shocking encore — lasting brain damage.

During an interview with People, the 80s pop sensation disclosed that a recent whole-body MRI scan uncovered lingering brain damage from a fall he suffered 25 years ago.

Rick Springfield’s Harrowing Stage Fall

In 2001, Springfield stepped into the spotlight of EFX, a large theatrical concert featuring various headliners. He took over the show, which had been ongoing at the MGM Grand hotel-casino in Las Vegas since 1995, following the departure of Tony-Award winning singer Tommy Tune.

But early in his run, the “Jessie’s Girl” singer fractured an arm and sprained his wrist in an onstage accident. Despite the mishap, he remained with the show until it closed the following year — unaware at the time of the full extent of his injuries — until his recent scan.

“I fell 25 feet, hit my head and then wood came down and hit my head, and then my head hit the stage again,” Springfield told the outlet. “I thought I had just broken my wrist, but on the scan, I found out I have some brain damage from the fall, so I’m working on trying to repair that.”

Springfield Rocks On: No Quit in This ‘Jessie’s Girl’ Star Amid Challenges

Understanding that many folks “don’t want to know what’s wrong with them” Springfield noted, he’s the exact “opposite.”

“My dad died from not wanting to know. He thought he had stomach cancer for years and never got it checked out” —  and that sent a message he’s always remembered, telling People, “If you want to live long, you have to be prepared for some bad news now and then.”

But given the challenges, giving up isn’t in the cards for Springfield, who recently told NBC 11ALIVE.com, “I tell my kids the three most important things are — never give up, never give up, never give up.”

“The key is, is persistence,” he added. “That’s one probably my best attribute, I would say, would be that I’m persistent.”

Besides he’s got work to do. Rick Springfield’s “I Want My ‘80s Tour” featuring Tom Waite, Wang Chung, Paul Young and John Cafferty begins May 28 and runs through August 10 at venues across the country.