KDSN RADIO News
Rick Springfield to Headline Shellabration 2024
(Fort Dodge, Iowa)- Shellabration Inc. is excited to announce Rick Springfield as headliner for this year’s Shellabration event. The Babys will serve as special guest with the Tank Anthony Band to open.This year’s event will take place on Friday, July 26th in historic downtown Fort Dodge, home of
the Downtown Country Jam. “Given our slightly smaller crowd sizes each of the past three
years, this was the perfect time to use the downtown venue for Shellabration, said Shellabration
President, Jim Reed. Based on our Downtown Country Jam, the venue has a lot of advantages
including tons of hard surface parking close to the entrance points and easier ingress and
egress for the public, especially for patrons with disabilities. It’s also more weather resistant and
self-draining in the event of rain. Most importantly, it’s more cost effective. Given the financial
losses and war chest shrinkage we’ve experienced the last few years, it gives the event the best
chance of continuing. Based on future lineups, we’d go back to Rogers Sports Complex
depending on the anticipated attendance size”, added Reed.
Rick Springfield was born in Australia. A member of the band Zoot from 1969-1971, he then
launched his solo career with the song “Speak To the Sky” which broke into the Australian Top
10 in mid 1972. Moving to the United States, he had a No. 1 hit in both Australia and the US
with “Jesse’s Girl” in 1981. That same year he received a Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal
Performance. He went on to score four more Top-10 hits with “I’ve Done Everything For You”,
“Don’t Talk To Strangers”, “Affair of the Heart”, and “Love Somebody”. Three of those hits
appeared on the “Working Class Dog” album which charted at #7 on Billboard. He would
continue to chart even more hits (17 Top 40 in total) in the 80’s including “Calling All Girls”,
“What Kind of Fool Am I”, “Love is Alright Tonite”, “I Get Excited”, “Human Touch”, “Don’t Walk
Away”, “State of the Heart” and “Rock of Life”. “Having seen Rick Springfield live each of two
times, said Shellabration President, Jim Reed, his live performances are high energy and
dynamic. It’s the perfect fit for Shellabration. It will be a rock show”, stated Reed.
In addition to his prolific music and recording career, Rick Springfield is equally well known for
his acting career. He most notably played the role of Dr. Noah Drake for many years on the hit
TV series, General Hospital. He also played roles and made cameo appearance in many TV
shows including The Six Million Dollar Man, The Rockford Files and The Incredible Hulk, among
many, many others. He also played movie roles in Ricki and the Flash, Traces, and High Tide (a
movie for which he wrote and recorded the soundtrack).
Rounding out the lineup will be The Babys. They achieved their peak popularity from 1977 to
1980. The British based band, formed in 1975, would sign with Chrysalis Records. Their first hit,
“Isn’t It Time”, would reach a peak on the US charts in the #13 position. They would go on to
record the hits, “Every Time I Think of You”, “Head First”, “Back On My Feet Again”, “Midnight
Rendezvous”, and “Turn and Walk Away”. Having recently previewed the artist at a show in
Medina, Minnesota, Shellabration Vice-President, Ted Bodensteiner expressed excitement
about bringing the band to Fort Dodge. “The Babys will rock Shellabration. They deliver a tight,
energetic, engaging set, said Bodensteiner. It took me back in time to when I first saw them at
the Iowa Jam in 1980. Their performance will dovetail perfectly with Rick Springfield’s set”,
added Bodensteiner. Reed echoed the excitement. “They only made five Iowa appearances
between 1978 and 1980, said Reed. They’ve never played our state since the band’s
reformation in 2013. It’s pretty cool that we, Shellabration, get to be the first to bring them to
Iowa in 44 years. Our lineup should make for a good regional draw, claimed Reed.
Tickets for Shellabration 2024 featuring Rick Springfield with special guest The Babys go on
sale Friday, April 26h at 8PM. They will initially only be available online through Ticketweb.com.
Tickets will also be available for purchase locally at Hy-Vee in Fort Dodge beginning on
Saturday, May 25th. Additional local retail outlets will be announced prior to the May 25th date.
They will cost $40 on or before Sunday, July 14th increasing to $50 on Monday, July 15th. If not
sold out in advance, they will be available for purchase as the gate. Kids 12 years of age and
under are admitted free and all tickets are general admission with festival style seating.
Shellabration Inc. is a tax exempt 501(c)4 non-profit organization consisting exclusively of
unpaid board members and volunteers. The organization’s mission is to make a positive
contribution to the quality of life and the economic development of the greater Fort Dodge area
through the delivery of exciting, family-friendly entertainment and performing arts options. In
years when a profit is realized, 100% of the net proceeds remain within the organization and are
used to help stage additional events like Downtown Country Jam, to attract bigger headliners
each year and to perpetuate the organization’s mission in down financial (weather impacted)
years. More information regarding either the event or organization is available on the
Shellabration Inc. Facebook page or emailing Shellabration Inc. President, Jim Reed at
shellabration@frontiernet.net.
