Rock singer reaches out to troubled teens with his own story of depression

By Staff Writer

The man behind the hit song "Jessie's Girl" suffered from such severe depression as a teenager that he tried to kill himself.

According to New York Daily News, rock artist Rick Springfield recently detailed his past struggles during an interview on ABC's Good Morning America. Springfield, who is now 61 years old, said that his suicide attempt when he was 17 years old changed his life.

It was after his failed attempt that he realized that music was his life's purpose, according to the news provider. Springfield has since garnered fame and fortune, thanks in large part to his 1981 hit single, and he's using his status to reach out to troubled teens.

"You want the pain to stop. Give yourself a year," Springfield told the news provider. "Your life will change. Nothing remains the same. I would have missed out on a lot of amazing stuff in my life."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that approximately 149,000 youth between the ages of 10 and 24 receive medical care for self-inflicted injuries across the U.S.