Today in Soap Opera History (August 23)

1960: Alan was unhappy with Susan on The Secret Storm.
1984: Jonathan had Nola Star Trek style fantasy on Guiding Light.
2000: Jensen Ackles made his last appearance on Days of our Lives.
2006: Jeffrey Carlson debuted as Zarf on All My Children.

"History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1960: On The Secret Storm, Bryan Fuller (Carl King) was invited over for dinner with Susan (Mary Foskett) and Alan Dunbar (James Vickery), who was less than thrilled about it.

Find out more about The Secret Storm in Remembering Woodbridge: A History of the Late, Great 'Secret Storm'.

Today in Soap Opera History (August 23)

1960: Alan was unhappy with Susan on The Secret Storm.
1984: Jonathan had Nola Star Trek style fantasy on Guiding Light.
2000: Jensen Ackles made his last appearance on Days of our Lives.
2006: Jeffrey Carlson debuted as Zarf on All My Children.

"The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1960: On The Secret Storm, Bryan Fuller (Carl King) was invited over for dinner with Susan (Mary Foskett) and Alan Dunbar (James Vickery), who was less than thrilled about it.

Find out more about The Secret Storm in Remembering Woodbridge: A History of the Late, Great 'Secret Storm'.

'General Hospital' Alum Rick Springfield to Be Honored at Erasing the Stigma Leadership Awards

Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Rick Springfield, Emmy, SAG, Tony and Golden Globe Award-nominated actor Oliver Platt  Los Angeles Chargers Offensive Tackle Joe Barksdale, and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation will be honored at the 22nd Anniversary Erasing the Stigma Leadership Awards on Thursday, April 26, 2018 .

Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, a nonprofit which has provided free mental health, substance use and suicide prevention services for over 75 years, will confer the honors at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

The event is expected to raise over half a million dollars for Didi Hirsch, which helps thousands of families each year from 11 locations and 100 schools throughout Southern California. Didi Hirsch is also home to the nation's first Suicide Prevention Center, and the only one that offers comprehensive services to people affected by suicide.

Today in Soap Opera History (August 23)

1960: Alan was unhappy with Susan on The Secret Storm.
1984: Jonathan had Nola Star Trek style fantasy on Guiding Light.
2000: Jensen Ackles made his last appearance on Days of our Lives.
2006: Jeffrey Carlson debuted as Zarf on All My Children.

"History is a vast early warning system."
― Norman Cousins

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1960: On The Secret Storm, Bryan Fuller (Carl King) was invited over for dinner with Susan (Mary Foskett) and Alan Dunbar (James Vickery), who was less than thrilled about it.

Find out more about The Secret Storm in Remembering Woodbridge: A History of the Late, Great 'Secret Storm'.

Drake Hogestyn and Rick Springfield Pay Tribute to Their Mothers, Who Died in December

Shug Hogestyn, Eileen Louise Springthorpe

As 2016 winds to a close, the list of celebrity deaths continues to grow, including Debbie Reynolds on Wednesday, one day after daughter Carrie Fisher's passing. A current and former soap opera star are also dealing with loss this month. Days of our Lives actor Drake Hogestyn and General Hospital alum Rick Sprinfield took to social media over the past week to reveal they had each recently lost their mothers.

Drake Hogestyn (John Black on NBC's Days of our Lives) posted on Monday that his mother, Shug, had died.

“We’ve all lost some great ones lately,” he tweeted with a beautiful photo of his mom in her bridal gown. “I just lost the greatest. Love you, Mom.”

Springfield (formerly Noah Drake on ABC's General Hospital) tweeted about death of his mother, Eileen Louise Springthorpe, on December 21.

“My mum in Australia has passed away while facing the blue spruce that Dad planted in the yard,” Springfield shared on Twitter.

Our condolences go out to both families.

Today in Soap Opera History (August 23)

1960: Alan was unhappy with Susan on The Secret Storm.
1984: Jonathan had Nola Star Trek style fantasy on Guiding Light.
2000: Jensen Ackles made his last appearance on Days of our Lives.
2006: Jeffrey Carlson debuted as Zarf on All My Children.

"If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree."
― Michael Crichton

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1960: On The Secret Storm, Bryan Fuller (Carl King) was invited over for dinner with Susan (Mary Foskett) and Alan Dunbar (James Vickery), who was less than thrilled about it.

Find out more about The Secret Storm in Remembering Woodbridge: A History of the Late, Great 'Secret Storm'.

Today in Soap Opera History (August 23)

1960: Alan was unhappy with Susan on The Secret Storm.
1984: Jonathan had Nola Star Trek style fantasy on Guiding Light.
2000: Jensen Ackles made his last appearance on Days of our Lives.
2006: Jeffrey Carlson debuted as Zarf on All My Children.

"History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again."
― Maya Angelou

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1960: On The Secret Storm, Bryan Fuller (Carl King) was invited over for dinner with Susan (Mary Foskett) and Alan Dunbar (James Vickery), who was less than thrilled about it.

Find out more about The Secret Storm in Remembering Woodbridge: A History of the Late, Great 'Secret Storm'.

NEWS: Lisa LoCicero, Drake, Jeff Kwatinetz, Terrence Evans, Rick Springfield, Kathy Brier

Lisa LoCicero back on-screen at General Hospital next week
LoCicero will be back on-screen as GH's Olivia next week, after a maternity leave that the actress, who gave birth to daughter Verity on May 30, says "flew by." LoCicero tells Soap Opera Digest she doesn't know much about the show's storyline intentions for Liv, but acknowledges, "The writers really got hit with a double whammy in terms of this storyline. You’ve got a burgeoning romance, one of them gets knocked up and the other one [Wally Kurth, ex-Ned; Justin, DAYS] leaves unexpectedly [laughs]! It’s kind of like, ‘Uh, good luck coming up with something smooth for this!’ "

Drake reunites with his former Degrassi co-stars
Before being known as Drake, Aubrey Graham made a name for himself as a Canadian actor starring on Degrassi: The Next Generation. The rapper played Jimmy Brooks on the series, a basketball player who ended up in a wheelchair after a school shooting left him paralyzed.

Drake met up with a trio of his former costars on Wednesday night at the Toronto screening of the new series "We Are Disorderly." At the event, he was seen taking photos with Daniel Clark (Sean Cameron), Adam Ruggiero (Maro Del Rossi) and Lauren Collins (Paige Michalchuk).

Stage and Screen Actor Terrence Evans Has Died at 81
Evans appeared as Irwin Stubbs on Days of our Lives for 14 episodes in 1989. His other credits included Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager and Terminator 2.

Rick Springfield on What It’s Like to Jam with Meryl Streep
The General Hospital alum has a co-starring role opposite Meryl Streep in the new Jonathan Demme film, Ricki and the Flash, in which Streep plays the lead singer of a Southern California bar band who returns to Indiana to make peace with the ex-husband and three children she left to pursue—not very successfully—her muse.

"She brought that character to life" Springfield says of Streep. "It had nothing to do with [musical technique]—I mean it mattered that it looked like she could really play the guitar. But what really sells it to me is that she was incredibly brave and that she was that character. She’s not Meryl Streep when she sings."

Empire Creator Confirms Young Cookie Spinoff Plans: 'There's Ripe Story'
“There is going to be a spinoff from Empire, without question,” he said. “There’s so much ripe story that we’ve talked about already— about Cookie’s family, what makes her her. That in itself is fascinating to me.”

Patrick Duffy and Anne Archer have joined the cast of Will Wallace’s directorial debut Trafficked
The stars join previously announced cast members Kelly Washington, Ashley Judd, Jessica Obilom and Efren Ramirez.

One Life to Live alum Kathy Brier starring in "Gypsy" on Staten Island
The show opened last night at the Harbor Lights Theater Company, and runs two weekends through August 16th in an exciting new partnership with the historic St. George Theater in Staten Island.

Brier, who played Marcie on OLTL, stars as Electra.

Jeff Kwatinetz to telaunch The Firm management and production company
Kwatinetz is bringing back The Firm, almost seven years after the management and production company folded following his exit as CEO. Kwatinetz, who went on to launch Prospect Park with ex-Walt Disney Studios president Richard Frank, will be relaunching The Firm, which he originally established nearly two decades ago.

Netflix renews Sense8
August 8 is the birthday of all eight lead characters, so Netflix picked today to announce that Sense8 will be “reborn" for a second season.

NEWS: Rick Springfield Gets Star on Hollywood Walk Of Fame; 'Revenge' Finale; 500 People Had to Keep 'Good Wife' Secret; Chris Carmack Revisits the Past

Rick Springfield. Photo Credit: Getty Images

Former 'General Hospital' actor Rick Springfield gets star on Hollywood Walk Of Fame
Springfield now finds himself among other musical icons along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Springfield received his Walk of Fame star along Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Live Nation building Friday. GH's Jason Thompson (Patrick) and Y&R's Doug Davidson (Paul) were among those in attendance.

The "Jessie's Girl" singer says he owes the fans for his career in show business. He said he walked along the Walk of Fame as a youngster and hoped to one day be successful enough to merit a star. He also dedicated his star in the memory of his father, who Springfield said unfortunately passed away just as Springfield's career was taking off.

CBS Remains The Broadcaster To Beat In An Ever-Changing Media Landscape
Ed Martin writes: "CBS has also experienced uncommon growth in daytime (especially with The Young and the Restless and The Talk)and remains a vital player (and one that continues to demand much attention) in late night. (In addition, it is entering the summer programming arena with great gusto, not by filling it with cheap reality shows and Canadian pick-ups, but by producing scripted series such as “Under the Dome” and “Extant” that are custom designed for escapist summer viewing."

Soap stars get Sapphic in web series 'Beacon Hill'
Alicia Minshew: "The difference is the budget for one. The TV studios have more money. However, I am proud of how high end and beautiful Beacon Hill looks! Another difference is that we are on location, which gives it more of a film feel instead of being in a studio like on TV. The pace is the same…QUICK!"

Today in Soap Opera History (August 23)

1960: Alan was unhappy about Susan's dinner guest on THE
SECRET STORM. 1984: Jonathan fantasized about getting rid of
Nola STAR TREK style on GL. 2000: Jensen Ackles left DAYS.
2006: Jeffrey Carlson debuted as Zarf on AMC.

"Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times."
-Machiavelli

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1960: On THE SECRET STORM, Bryan (Carl King) was invited over for dinner with Susan (Mary Foskett) and Alan (James Vickery), who was less than thrilled about it.

Deidre Hall & Rick Springfield To Get 2014 Stars On Hollywood Walk of Fame

The Hollywood Walk of Fame committee chairman David Green announced next year’s list of honorees Thursday at a ceremony where Jennifer Lopez received her honor, with Tupac Shakur and Phil Hartman set to be lauded posthumously.

In the film category, those scheduled to receive a star in 2014 are: Orlando Bloom, Ray Dolby, Sally Field, Jack Harris, Jessica Lange, Matthew McConaughey, Liam Neeson, Paul Mazursky and Tom Sherak.

Nurses Ball 2013: Rick Springfield Sings "Jessie's Girl" (Video)

Noah Drake (Rick Springfield) arranged for Rick Springfield to sing his 1981 smash hit "Jessie's Girl" at the Nurses Ball on Monday's episode of GENERAL HOSPITAL. Noah later scoffed when Bobbie suggested he looked like Rick. Watch "Jessie's Girl" below:

WATCH: KATIE's GENERAL HOSPITAL Extravaganza

On Thursday, KATIE aired a special episode honoring the 50th anniversary of GENERAL HOSPITAL. Watch the entire episode below:

PHOTOS: GENERAL HOSPITAL Stars Greet Fans After Taping KATIE

Genie Francis signs an autograph for a fan after taping KATIE - Photo: Sue Coflin/Max Photos

GENERAL HOSPITAL stars Anthony Geary (Luke), Kin Shriner (Scott), Genie Francis (Laura), Finola Hughes (Anna), Kelly Monaco (Sam), Rick Springfield (Noah) and Jason Thompson (Patrick) taped an episode of Katie Couric's talk show, KATIE, on Tuesday morning in New York. After the show was finished, they greeted fans who were excited to see their favorites on the east coast. Check out some photos below:

Rick Springfield Returning To GENERAL HOSPITAL

Rick Springfield confirmed to People magazine that he will return to GENERAL HOSPITAL as Noah Drake for a short run in April in conjunction with the show's 50th anniversary.

Springfield, who last appeared on the show in March 2012, says the good doctor has a lot of personal baggage to deal with.

"He lost his wife and became a drunk and regretted all these terrible, sinful ways and then cleaned his act up when he almost died from the alcohol," says Springfield. "Now he disappears all the time, going to Doctors Without Borders and going around the world helping people. I guess he's gone from a drunk to being incredibly altruistic. I'm not nearly as altruistic as Noah Drake is."

Springfield's son, Liam Springthorpe, has also landed a GH gig and will appear as an undercover cop.

Today in Soap Opera History (August 23)

On this date in...

1966: On ANOTHER WORLD, Danny Fargo (Antony Ponzini) and Missy Palmer (Carol Roux) were married.

1974: Patty Weaver debuted as Trish Clayton on DAYS OF OUR LIVES.

1989: On GUIDING LIGHT, Sarah (Audrey Peters) warned Reva (Kim Zimmer) that adopted children sometimes look for their birth mothers.

NEWS ROUNDUP: SAG-AFTRA 'Message F---in' Delivered'; Hillary B. Smith Among Hollyweb Winners; Gay Cowboy Mark Deklin

Ex-AFTRA President to Merger Opponents: 'Message F---in' Delivered'
That 82 percent is "a major 2-by-4 across the mule's head," John Connolly told THR.

Second man arrested in EASTENDERS' Gemma McCluskie murder probe
Detectives investigating the killing detained a 35-year-old man on Friday on suspicion of being concerned in the murder. Today, he was released on police bail pending further inquiries until a date in May.

Rick Springfield Making Brief Return To GENERAL HOSPITAL

Rick Springfield will bring his GENERAL HOSPITAL character, Dr. Noah Drake, back to the show for a few episodes beginning in March. Noah back in Port Charles to see his son Dr. Patrick Drake (Jason Thompson).

Springfield will tape his appearance in February. He began his first run on GENERAL HOSPITAL in 1981 (pictured here with Elizabeth Taylor and Gloria Monty). He has been on and off the soap a few times over the past decade.

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- Rick Springfield on the Entertainment Weekly Hit List
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NEWS ROUNDUP: Cameron Mathison Makes Broadway Debut, Rick Springfield, VENICE, Kroger, Marcy Rylan

Rick Springfield on the "demise of the soap opera on American TV"
"I think it’s really a statement of the times we’re living in. People are much more interested in shows that claim to be 'reality.' They are the new soap operas, and capturing the ever-shortening attention spans that we have."

Cameron Mathison makes Broadway debut in "Mary Poppins"
Mathison made a cameo role in "Mary Poppins" at the New Amsterdam Theatre. Mathison's performance will be shown as a part of a special GOOD MORNING AMERICA segment celebrating the 5th anniversary of "Mary Poppins" on Broadway, airing Monday, November 7th at 7 a.m. on ABC.

Today in Soap Opera History (August 23)

On this date in...

1989: On GUIDING LIGHT, Sarah warned Reva that adopted children sometimes look for their birth mothers.