Credit: Melissa Ruggieri
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri
[Update Friday: All's well that, uh, ends well. A jury ruled Friday that Springfield's backside did not injure a woman at a concert more than a decade ago. The jury deliberated for an hour. Here are more details from reporter Chris Baker at Syracuse.com.]
BY MELISSA RUGGIERI
Sometimes, the word ridiculous isn’t potent enough.
But it will have to do to describe the legal circus taking place in Syracuse, N.Y., where Rick Springfield is currently standing retrial of an injury lawsuit against him .
His egregious transgression?
Are you ready? Are you sure? Even if you are ready, you’re really not for this one.
Fan Vicki Calcagno claims that during a 2004 (no, not a typo) concert at the New York State Fair, Springfield struck her with his…buttocks while performing in the crowd.
And she was knocked unconscious.
Calcagno's original 2007 lawsuit resulted in a mistrial (ya think?) in 2013.
As a longtime Springfield fan (yeah, go ahead and make fun – whatever), I've seen him in concert dozens of times since the mid-'80s (in fact, his "Tao" tour was my second-ever concert experience) and, as recently as his 2012 concert at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre (I missed his Chastain show last summer), he was wading into the crowd, standing on the backs of seats and letting fans grab him.
Frankly, I’ve always thought that HE was the one in danger. Have you ever seen a few thousand middle-aged women within inches of their teenage crush? It’s not becoming.
So yes, Springfield, 65, goes out of his way to get closer to fans – it’s been a highlight of his concerts for decades. Somewhere, in a dusty box in the back of a closet, I have a great shot I took of Springfield during an early-‘90s concert on Fort Lauderdale beach as he headed into the surf and continued singing, hundreds of ladies in tow.
Talk about the ultimate fan experience. And the potential for the guy holding the mic to get electrocuted.
But now we have Calcagno claiming that more than a decade ago, Springfield’s butt caused "serious, disabling and permanent injuries” and left her disoriented or unconscious for at least 10 minutes.
Now, plenty of women will go on record confirming the appeal of Springfield’s backside – especially a decade ago. But who knew it was powerful enough to be a weapon?
Last summer, Springfield appeared at the Buckhead Barnes & Noble to sign copies of his then-new book, "Magnificent Vibration" and sing a couple of songs acoustically.
Apparently, his decision to stay seated saved us all.
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