I Wish That I Had ...Gary's Girl?

Let’s journey back to Pasadena, California, in 1979. The rockstar wannabe, Rick Springfield is taking a stained-glass course in the hopes he’ll have something to secure his future, in case music doesn’t pan out. This is where he first lays eyes on the stunning woman who would later inspire his 1981 breakthrough single, “Jessie’s Girl” – except this woman’s boyfriend isn’t named Jessie …it’s Gary.

Without getting into a laundry list of reasons why “Gary’s Girl” would’ve made a less desirable title, suffice it to say Springfield made the right choice in changing the name to Jessie. The song went on to become a number-1 hit in 1981 and earned Springfield a Grammy for “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.”

In the late 2000s Oprah Winfrey and her team went looking for the real Jessie’s Girl. They managed to track down the art class but, in the end, had no luck in finding her. The fate and whereabouts of Gary and his girlfriend may not be known, but the song still remains a classic 80s tune – the soundtrack to countless first kisses and air guitar solos, from a time when guitar driven power-pop ruled the music charts.

Julien’s Auctions will be offering up a sweet memento of this classic track in the form of a Fender acoustic guitar adorned with lyrics to "Jessie's Girl," hand-written and signed by Rick Springfield himself. The guitar is being offered as part of our Music Health Alliance auction this November 14th.