Rick Springfield has an appeal that spans generations. My mother, my wife and my babysitter all were, like, totally excited that Dr. Noah Drake, the dude who sang "Jesse's Girl," is releasing a new album of a very different sort -- lullabies. ParentDish spoke to Springfield about his new CD, his kids and his years on General Hospital.

What can people expect from a Rick Springfield lullaby?
They're like baby pop songs. I wrote them when my kids were first born in the mid-80's.[Liam and Joshua are now 23 and 20, respectively.] I found them recently and was surprised at how charming they were. They brought back a lot of great memories, so I decided to launch it and see what would happen.

Was it difficult to sing lullabies after a rock career?
No, it's stuff that I've written and it came from my heart. I'm a little nervous, because it's so open. I didn't edit them or anything, because I wasn't intending to release them when I first wrote them in 1985. I just did them for my kids, and we gave them to a couple of friends, and that was pretty much it. I'm a little nervous about it.

What does the album mean to you personally?
It's a celebration of my kids. We wanted to have more kids and we should have, but it's a bit late now. [This album is] a cheap and easy way to get that feeling back.

What's it like to see yourself through the years on General Hospital?
It feels like another person. I see scenes and I don't remember doing them. It's kind of bizarre. There's a part of me that doesn't completely click in to the fact that it's me, it looks like I'm watching somebody else. And I've never enjoyed watching myself as an actor. Like when I do something I never watch it again because I'll always pick it apart. But it's kind of bizarre, watching...I looked like a baby when I first joined General Hospital.

What's the most important lesson you passed on to your boys?
I try to pass on the whole thing of persistence in your life and not giving up on anything. I've always told them that "never give up, never give up, never give up" are the three most important things to remember. I've always been very driven as a person, and I think they see that and understand that, though they definitely had a different upbringing than I did. I mean, I was out of school at 16 and out of the house by 17.

It worked out in your case.
Yeah, that's what I said. The thing that I wish for them the most is that they find their passion because everything will follow if you find what you truly love to do, what pulls you out of bed in the morning.

Did you sing "Jesse's Girl" to your kids?
Ha, no. They're proud if it's ever mentioned, and have a good sense of humor about it...I love that.

"My Precious Little One" will be released on March 10 and is available exclusively through Amazon.com for eight weeks; after that, it will be available everywhere. More info is available at RickSpringfield.com.