This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with Mike Reno, lead singer of Loverboy, performing at the Orleans Showroom February 29 at 8 p.m. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Reno talks about how the group was named; his long-term relationship with Paul Dean; the group’s responsibility to the songs; the secret to keeping the band going; the immortality of their songs; and why they respect the music.
Reno fronted other bands, including Moxy, before helping form Loverboy. While still in school in the early 1970s, he joined a cover band called Morning Glory, in which he played the drums and eventually found his way to the cover band Synergy. Later, Reno moved on to a band called Spunk with guitarist Jack Stoltz.
After graduating from Penticton Secondary School, Reno moved to Calgary, Alberta, after which he briefly joined the band Moxy for a single album, Under the Lights, released in 1978. It was something of a departure from the previous Moxy albums, partially because of changes in band members as well as Reno’s different singing style, and did not sell as well as the band’s earlier releases.
Eventually, Reno was introduced to Paul Dean in 1979 at a nightclub called The Refinery and they immediately got together for a jam session, which led to the formation of Loverboy shortly thereafter. Loverboy released its first album in 1980 and the band went on to tour extensively as well as release three more multi-platinum albums.
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