DALLAS, TX.- Grammy-award winning singer, songwriter, actor and best-selling author Rick Springfield is opening his personal collection of rare guitars for a special charity auction to benefit habitat destruction caused by Australian wildfires.

Springfield is partnering with Heritage Auctions to hold The Rick Springfield Collection Benefiting Steve Irwin's Wildlife Warriors of Australia March 6 on HA.com. This auction features stage and studio played guitars from the personal collection of Rick Springfield whose career includes 17 Top 40 hits, such as the #1 smash hit "Jessie’s Girl", "Don’t Talk to Strangers", "Love Somebody", and "I've Done Everything For You", along with thousands of live performances for millions of fans worldwide. Heritage Auctions also is donating all assorted fees to the charity as well.

“Animals will always be my charity of choice and these brutal fires have destroyed native Aussie species as well as their habitat,” Springfield said. “These creatures exist nowhere else on this planet. I am honored to partner with Wildlife Warriors and Heritage Auctions to benefit my homeland’s precious fauna.”

A native Australian, Springfield has become an activist raising awareness and funds for Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors of Australia. Wildlife Warriors. The non-profit is leading the charge to help rescue and rehabilitate the half a billion animals that have been impacted by the wild fires, as well as supporting conservation efforts and defending the most threatened wild life species and their natural habitats.

The guitars from Springfield’s collection include:

• A 2010 Martin D-41 Custom Sunburst Acoustic Guitar, which the artist played during his Stripped Down solo tour for five years.

• His stunning, 2014 Gibson Les Paul Supreme Turquoise Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar, personally given to Springfield by Gibson Brands, Inc. Springfield played the Gibson USA 120th Anniversary limited run Les Paul Supreme on stage in Nashville, Tennessee.

• Springfield's pre-Fender Gretsch White Falcon 6136 Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar, a classic which the singer played in concert for two years in the Las Vegas MGM Grand EFX show.

• A rare, limited run 2004 Hank Marvin/The Shadows model Burns of London Electric Guitar, a prized possession which Springfield had hung on his wall for a number of years.

• A 1993 Warmoth Strat Natural Solid Body Electric Guitar, which Springfield used extensively in the studio and in his writing room for demos and writing songs.

• The 2008 Stage Played Fender Telecaster Sunburst Solid Body Electric Guitar played extensively on live shows for the past five years. This guitar is also featured in the main mat used for concert advertising.

• A classic 1960s Framus Hollywood Solid Body Electric Guitar, which Springfield purchased because it is the same model as the very first electric guitar he bought at age 15.

• A beautiful 2018 Eastwood Airline Turquoise Solid Body Electric Guitar, used exclusively in his studio and on tracks in the Las Vegas MGM Grand EFX show.

“I am very appreciative for Rick Springfield’s generosity to help Wildlife Warriors assist animals in need during Australia’s bushfire crisis,” said Terri Irwin, owner of Australia Zoo in Beerwah, Queensland. “Not only are we providing care for wildlife affected by the fires, but also animals that have been injured or orphaned trying to escape. Having been a fan of Rick’s music for many years, donating his guitars is incredibly special.”

Bidding is now open for The Rick Springfield Collection Benefitting Steve Irwin's Wildlife Warriors of Australia, with the auction concluding March 6 on HA.com. For more information, visit HA.com/RickSpringfield for high-resolution images and full descriptions of each instrument.