Columnist Kate Maddox: Zealous fan picks on Rick

Kate Maddox

Friday, May 11, 2001 | 6:05 a.m.

Kate Maddox's column also appears Tuesdays and Fridays in the Las Vegas Sun. Reach her at 259-2309 or kmaddox@lasvegassun.com.

Rick Springfield should probably heed the words of one of his hits this week: Don't talk to strangers.

Springfield, who has one of the largest and most devoted fan clubs in the world, reportedly has a stalker.

The woman in question claims to be a law student at UNLV and has reportedly been hanging around the MGM Grand, hoping to run into the object of her affection. Springfield stars in the MGM's "EFX Alive."

The fan, labeled as a stalker by sources within the hotel, has followed Springfield to his home in Las Vegas on more than one occasion and has also allegedly turned up at his home in the Los Angeles area. She recently even tailed him when he went to get a haircut in town.

Springfield is apparently so concerned about the situation that one insider said the star is trying to gather more information on the obsessed fan in case he has to file a restraining order.

When contacted in Los Angeles, Springfield's manager, Ron Weisner, said he "didn't know anything about it." He then added angrily: "You people are the ones responsible for spreading stuff like this."

I don't stalk them sir, I just write about them. But at least I'm finally part of "you people." I was starting to worry.

Weisner said he would look into the story and asked me to please get back to him if I heard anything else.

I said I'd have to check with my people first.

Wacky Margaret Rudin attorney (rather, ex-attorney) Michael Amador says not having to go before District Judge Joseph Bonaventure in future trials has helped his career, not hurt it.

On Thursday Amador told KSFN 1140-AM DJs Johnson & Tofte that following Bonaventure's decision to recuse himself on any of Amador's cases, Amador now gets calls from people who have other lawyers, but who don't want to appear in Bonaventure's courtroom. "Now (they) want to hire me ... It's an entire avenue for new business."

As for the movie and book rumors, Amador joked (?) that Richard Gere and Andy Garcia are arguing over who gets the plum role of portraying Unpredictable Attorney. "I don't know how to deal with these guys ... The promises, the flowers. The flowers are bothering me." Ha.

And the book? "I've been contacted by Stan Lee of Marvel Comics. There's definitely a comic book deal in the works."

In December former teen star David Cassidy announced at a Rio press conference that he was close to signing a new record deal with a major label. He added that he was headed into the studio to record a double album set for release this summer.

Now it looks like those dreams of a pop comeback are on hold, at least for the near future. Cassidy has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against his record company, Arista/BMG. The singer is asking that his recording agreement with BMG/Arista be terminated.

One Las Vegas duo got to sit in Regis Philbin's hot seat last week. Locals Vince and Tori Cannata were contestants for an upcoming episode of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," playing on a special couples edition of the game show.

In a true test of marriage, the Cannatas were asked the regular questions but were allowed to confer with each other on the correct answer. I'll only reveal that they won the fastest finger contest and made it to the chair. See how far they got when the show airs Tuesday night at 8 on KTNV Channel 13.