Corey Mitchell Hart (born May 31, 1962) is a Canadian singer, musician and songwriter known for his hit singles " Sunglasses at Night", " Never Surrender" and the Canadian hit " It Ain't Enough". He has sold over 16 million records worldwide and recorded nine US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Top 40 hits. In Canada, 30 of Hart's recordings have been Top 40 hits, including 11 in the Top 10, over the course of over 35 years in the music industry. Nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1984, Hart is an inductee of both Canada's Music Hall of Fame and Canada's Walk of Fame, and is also a multiple Juno award nominee and winner, including the Diamond Award for his best-selling album '' Boy in the Box''. He has also been honoured by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN).

Early life

Hart was born on May 31, 1962, in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

, Quebec, the youngest of five children of Mina (née Weber) and Robert Hart, both Montreal natives. His paternal grandfather was a Ukrainian Jewish immigrant, while Corey's mother was from a Romanian Jewish family. Hart's parents separated when he was 10 years old. Hart then lived with his mother and older brother Robbie in Montreal. He had an especially close relationship with his mother, to whom his first album ''First Offense'' was dedicated.''First Offense'', liner notes, 1983. Hart had little contact with his father, and this is reflected in some of his compositions, such as the 1998 song "Reconcile". Hart's first experience as a performing artist came at age 11, when he sang "

Ben Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett or Benson, and is also a given name in its own right. Ben (in he, בֶּן, ''son of'') forms part of Hebrew surnames, e.g. Abraham ben Abraham ( he, ...

" for Tom Jones in Miami. He also recorded songs with Paul Anka in Las Vegas during this time period. In 1980, Hart represented Canada in the

World Popular Song Festival The , also known as Yamaha Music Festival and unofficially as the "Oriental Eurovision", was an international song contest held from 1970 until 1989. It was organised by the Yamaha Music Foundation in Tokyo, Japan from 1970 until 1989. The first ed ...

in Tokyo (along with singer

Dan Hill Daniel Grafton Hill IV (born 3 June 1954) is a Canadian pop singer and songwriter. He had two major international hits with his songs " Sometimes When We Touch" and "Can't We Try", a duet with Vonda Shepard, as well as a number of other charti ...

), marking his first public performance of original material. Back in Canada, Hart reached out to

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man (song), Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo ...

who was on tour in the Montreal area at the time. Joel's backup band contacted him and Hart ended up recording several demos with them in

Long Island, New York Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18th ...

. Hart worked with several other Canadian studio musicians on demos before finally signing to the Aquarius Records label in 1982 at the age of 20. Several songs on his first album, including "The World Is Fire", reflect the rejections and difficulties Hart encountered along the path to getting a recording contract.''Phoenix Gazette'', October 3, 1984.

Recording career

"Sunglasses at Night" and ''First Offense''

Hart's debut album, '' First Offense'', was recorded at Revolution Recording Studios in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, England, in the spring of 1982. It was produced by

Jon Astley Jon Astley is a British record producer who has also recorded and released two albums as a singer-songwriter in the late 1980s. His most commercially successful song was "Jane's Getting Serious", later popularized by a Heinz ketchup television ...

, then best known for his work with

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

, and Phil Chapman. Released in 1983, ''First Offense'' featured the US ''

'' Top 10 hit song "Sunglasses at Night" (No. 7) and Top 20 follow-up single "It Ain't Enough" (No. 17). The album went platinum in the United States and quadruple platinum in Canada. ''First Offense'' initially received a modest response upon its Canadian release. It was only after garnering US success in the summer of 1984 that he became well known in his native Canada. ''First Offense'' also featured guitarist

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

on the record's closing track, "Jenny Fey".

Jon (Astley, producer) felt there was one song Eric Clapton would really like. So just out of the blue he sent him the song, and lo and behold Eric Clapton was on the phone saying he wanted to play on it and asking how I would mind if he did. I didn't. Eric was the classic gentleman. Here I was, this Canadian kid in England with big-time producers doing my first album and Clapton tells me, 'It's such a pretty song, so easy to play. The type of thing I'd write myself'.''Georgia Straight'', May 4, 1984.

The Juno-award-winning video for " Sunglasses at Night" (directed by Rob Quartly), which featured a futuristic, Orwellian society, helped propel the popularity of the track. Hart toured the United States and Canada extensively in 1984 and early 1985, first as a supporting act for

Culture Club Culture Club are an English pop band formed in London in 1981. The band comprises Boy George (lead vocals), Roy Hay (guitar and keyboards), Mikey Craig (bass guitar) and formerly included Jon Moss (drums and percussion). Emerging in the New ...

April Wine April Wine is a Canadian rock band formed in 1969 and based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Led by singer-guitarist-songwriter Myles Goodwin since its inception, April Wine's first success came with its second album, '' On Record'' (1972), which reac ...

Thomas Dolby Thomas Morgan Robertson (born 14 October 1958), known by the stage name Thomas Dolby, is an English musician, producer, composer, entrepreneur and teacher. Dolby came to prominence in the 1980s, releasing hit singles including "She Blinded Me ...

Hall & Oates Daryl Hall and John Oates, commonly known as Hall & Oates, are an American pop rock duo formed in Philadelphia in 1970. Daryl Hall is generally the lead vocalist; John Oates primarily plays electric guitar and provides backing vocals. The two ...

and

Rick Springfield Richard Lewis Springthorpe (born 23 August 1949), known professionally as Rick Springfield, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He was a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971, then started his solo career with his debut ...

, then later as a headline performer. ''First Offense'' was nominated for Best Album of the Year at that year's

ADISQ ADISQ (french: Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la video; eng, Québec Association for the Recording, Concert and Video Industries, link=yes) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the indepen ...

Awards in Hart's native Quebec, where the singer was also nominated for Best New Artist. ''First Offense'' won the ''Félix''.

"Never Surrender", ''Boy in the Box'' and ''Fields of Fire''

Hart's second album was '' Boy in the Box'', released in June 1985, which reached Diamond status in Canada (one million copies sold) by February 1986. It was the second album by a Canadian artist to do so.Hart Hits Diamond Figure, Kirk LaPointe, ''Billboard'', February 22, 1986, pp. 63–64. The album featured the hit single " Never Surrender" which spent nine consecutive weeks at No. 1 in Canada and peaked at No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100, also earning Hart an ASCAP Award as one of the most played songs of 1985. "Never Surrender" was the No. 2 song in the year-end Canadian charts in 1985, finishing second to the Northern Lights charity single "

Tears Are Not Enough "Tears Are Not Enough" is a 1985 charity single recorded by a supergroup of Canadian artists, under the name Northern Lights, to raise funds for relief of the 1983–85 famine in Ethiopia. It was one of a number of such supergroup singles reco ...

" in which Hart had also participated, alongside veteran Canadian artists

Gordon Lightfoot Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music. He is credited with helping to define the folk-pop sound of the 1960 ...

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay ...

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...

and

Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...

. Subsequent singles all charted in the Canadian and US Top 40 ("Boy in the Box", "Everything in My Heart" and "Eurasian Eyes"). In the US, ''Boy in the Box'' peaked at No. 20 on the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart and went platinum. ''Boy in the Box'' was nominated for a Juno Award as well as an

Award for Best Album, taking home a ''Félix'' for Hart in this category. "Never Surrender" won the Juno for Best Selling Single of 1985. Hart was also nominated for the Composer of the Year award at both the Junos and the ADISQ awards, winning a ''Félix'' in this field. He also received nods in the Juno categories of Best Video for "Never Surrender" and Best Male Vocalist of the Year, as well an ADISQ nomination for Concert of the Year. Hart also won the ''Félix'' for the Quebec artist achieving the most success outside Quebec in the Anglophone market, along with Best Male Artist. The following year Hart received Juno nominations for Composer of the Year and Best Selling Single for "Everything in My Heart". In 1984 and 1985 Hart toured extensively in North America and Japan in support of ''Boy in the Box'':

Exhibition Stadium Canadian National Exhibition Stadium (commonly known as Exhibition Stadium or CNE Stadium) was a multi-purpose stadium that formerly stood on the Exhibition Place grounds, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally built for Canadian National E ...

in Toronto, the

Budokan The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. While its primary purpose is to host martial arts ...

in Tokyo, the

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

Scotiabank Saddledome and the

Forum Forum or The Forum (plural forums or fora) may refer to: Common uses * Forum (legal), designated space for public expression in the United States *Forum (Roman), open public space within a Roman city **Roman Forum, most famous example *Internet ...

in Montreal.''Shades'' official fan club newsletter, Vol. 1 No. 1, Fall 1984 and Vo1. 1 No. 3, Summer 1985. He appeared frequently on ''

Good Rockin' Tonite : ''For the song, see Good Rocking Tonight''. ''Good Rockin' Tonite'' was a Canadian television series, which aired on CBC Television from 1983 to 1993."As Good Rockin' Tonite turns 10, CBC video show's host is on a roll". ''Montreal Gazette'', J ...

'' (Canada), ''

Friday Night Videos ''Friday Night Videos'' (later becoming ''Friday Night'' and then ''Late Friday'') is an American music video show that was broadcast on NBC from July 29, 1983 to May 24, 2002. It was the network's attempt to capitalize on the emerging popularit ...

'' and

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

(US), and ''Music Life'' (Japan), and toured Europe and Australasia.CBC News, February 1985. '' Fields of Fire'', Hart's third album release, came out in fall 1986 and went double platinum in Canada and achieved gold status in the US. It featured the US Top 20 hit single "I Am By Your Side", as well as the Canadian No. 1 single " Can't Help Falling in Love", originally performed by

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

. This was the first recorded cover version of a song Hart had released. The song was also a top 10 hit in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

and Japan. Critics generally agreed that ''Fields of Fire'' displayed a new, more mature direction in Hart's songwriting. ''Fields of Fire'' earned Hart several nominations at the 1987 Juno Awards, in the categories of Best Male Vocalist of the Year, Best Album Graphics (done by Hart's partner Erika Gagnon), and Single of the Year for "Can't Help Falling in Love". The singer was also nominated for Best Male Artist and Album of the Year at that year's ADISQ Awards. Once more Hart launched a world tour in support of the record. He performed sold-out concerts in Japan and made promotional appearances in Europe from fall 1986 through mid-1987. However, Hart's tour had to be halted prematurely in July 1987 after the then 25-year-old singer collapsed backstage from exhaustion after a concert in Canada. After nearly four years of constant touring and recording, he took some time off for rest and recuperation.''Shades'' official fan club newsletter, Vo1. 3, Fall 1987.

''Young Man Running'', ''Bang!'' and ''Attitude and Virtue''

Hart returned to songwriting, leading to the singer's fourth album release, ''

Young Man Running ''Young Man Running'' is the fourth album by Corey Hart, released in 1988. It charted in the U.S., reaching #126, and generated the hit single, "In Your Soul", which reached #38. Track listing All songs written by Corey Hart. #"Don't Take Me ...

''. Featuring the US Top 40 hit "In Your Soul" (which reached No. 2 in Canada), The album included experienced backing musicians, in particular

Ruby Turner Francella Ruby Turner MBE (born 22 June 1958) is a British Jamaican R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and actress. In a music career spanning more than 30 years, Turner is best known for her album and single releases in Europe and North Americ ...

, and was largely produced by Hart himself. Photographer

Herb Ritts Herbert Ritts Jr. (August 13, 1952December 26, 2002) was an American fashion photographer and director known for his photographs of celebrities, models, and other cultural figures throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His work concentrated on black a ...

shot the cover and other photographs for the album. The video for "In Your Soul" featured location footage in

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

and

Moab, Utah Moab () is the largest city and county seat of Grand County in eastern Utah in the western United States, known for its dramatic scenery. The population was 5,366 at the 2020 census. Moab attracts many tourists annually, mostly visitors to th ...

and was directed by Meiert Avis ( U2,

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

). Hart toured extensively in Japan and the

in 1988, as well as in Canada's East Coast and Quebec where he spoke mostly in French.''Hart-Line'' official fan club newsletter, Vol. 1 No. 2, 1989. Hart again sold out the Budokan in Tokyo as well as arenas in other Japanese cities and the Ultra, a 13,000 seat venue outside

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

.Manila ''Bulletin'', December 30, 1988. ''

'' received an ADISQ nomination for Album of the Year. In early 1989 Hart returned to songwriting in preparation for what would be his final album with EMI America, '' Bang!''. Recorded in Los Angeles, the release debuted in early 1990 to positive reviews and airplay on MTV. ''Bang!'' shipped platinum in Canada and hit the Japanese Top 20 two weeks into its release. The first single, "A Little Love", hit the US Top 40 in early 1990 and featured another video by Meiert Avis. ''Bang!'' also reunited Hart with Ruby Turner and featured drummer

Kenny Aronoff Kenny Aronoff (born March 7, 1953) is an American session drummer. Early life Aronoff grew up in Stockbridge, Massachusetts He developed an interest in music at an early age and gravitated to the drums as "drumming was one hundred percent ene ...

(

John Cougar Mellencamp John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrument ...

) on drums and percussion. Despite the success of the first single (a Top 10 hit in Canada), ''Bang!'' was less successful than previous albums in the US; EMI also failed to nominate Hart for any Juno Award categories that year. Hart was released from his contract with the company in August 1990.Hart-Line Official Fan Club newsletter, vol. 2, no. 4, fall 1990. EMI later released a collection of Hart's singles on a compilation album, ''

Singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

'' in 1991. Hart did secure a nomination for Best Male Artist at the 1990 ADISQ awards.

Sire Records Sire Records (formerly Sire Records Company) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Records. History Beginnings The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer ...

co-founder

Seymour Stein Seymour Stein (born April 18, 1942) is an American entrepreneur and music executive. He co-founded Sire Records and was Vice President of Warner Bros. Records. With Sire, Stein signed bands that became central to the new wave era of the 1970s ...

approached Hart at this juncture and eventually signed him to Sire shortly thereafter. What followed was Hart's sole album for the label, '' Attitude & Virtue''. Released in 1992, it appeared on the Top 40 in Canada, and featured several guest musicians including

Jane Siberry Jane Siberry ( ; ; born 12 October 1955) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, known for such hits as " Mimi on the Beach", "I Muse Aloud", "One More Colour" and "Calling All Angels". She performed the theme song to the television series ''Maniac Ma ...

Duff McKagan Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan (born February 5, 1964), sometimes credited as Duff "Rose" McKagan, is an American musician. He played bass for twelve years in the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late ...

Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...

Terence Trent D'Arby Sananda Francesco Maitreya (born Terence Trent Howard; March 15, 1962), who started his career with the stage name Terence Trent D'Arby, is an American singer and songwriter who came to fame with his debut studio album, '' Introducing the Hardl ...

and the return of Ruby Turner. Three singles were released from the album: "Baby When I Call Your Name" (released in Canada and the United States), "92 Days of Rain" (released in Canada) and "Always" (released in Canada and the United States). All three singles charted in the Canadian Top 40. "Baby When I Call Your Name" and "92 Days of Rain" were accompanied by videos, the latter helmed by Hart's first director, Rob Quartly. The first song on the album, "Back in the Hand", summed up the prior decade in a celebration of feeling back in control of his musical career. Hart received a Juno nomination for 1992 Best Male Vocalist of the Year. He then took a break from writing and touring ("

Jane Hawtin Jane Hawtin is a Canadian television and radio personality. She has hosted programs on CBC Radio One, CFRB and Q107, including ''Metro Morning'', '' Here and Now'', ''As It Happens'' and the daily television talk show ''Jane Hawtin Live''. She has ...

Live", 1997). He released one single, a cover of

Edith Piaf Edith is a feminine given name derived from the Old English words ēad, meaning 'riches or blessed', and is in common usage in this form in English, German, many Scandinavian languages and Dutch. Its French form is Édith. Contractions and vari ...

's "Hymn to Love", in 1994.

Career rebirth

Julie Masse, ''Corey Hart'', Celine Dion and ''Jade''

Hart presented an award at the

Juno Awards of 1993 The Juno Awards of 1993, representing Canadian music industry achievements of the previous year, were awarded on 21 March 1993 in Toronto at a ceremony in the O'Keefe Centre. Celine Dion was the host for the ceremonies, which were broadcast on ...

in Toronto with

Julie Masse Julie Masse (born June 3, 1970) is a Canadian pop singer. Biography Masse was born in Greenfield Park, Quebec. She released her self-titled debut album in 1990, a French language album that made her a star in Quebec and France, with the singl ...

, a fellow nominee with two platinum selling albums in Quebec, ''Julie Masse'' and ''À Contre Jour''. Upon seeing them together, Masse's manager suggested that Hart work with her on a new English language album. Hart co-produced and wrote five songs for Masse's gold-selling ''Circle of One'', which was released in Canada in 1994 and marked the first time Hart had written and produced songs for an artist other than himself. This also led to their relationship as husband and wife and parents to four children.''Dernier heure (Quebec)'', January 17, 1998. Hart was previously married to photographer/graphic designer Erika Gagnon from 1990 to 1994, and Masse to cinematographer Sylvain Brault from 1993 to 1994. Following his work with Masse, Hart signed a new contract with Sony Music Canada and in 1996 released an eponymous CD ''Corey Hart''. The album was co-produced by

Humberto Gatica Humberto Gatica is a Chilean-born American recording engineer, mixing engineer and record producer, best known for his work with Celine Dion, Chicago, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban and Michael Bublé. Gatica's inter ...

and contained some of Hart's most introspective work, spurred by his personal life changes. Sparked by the success of "Black Cloud Rain" which reached No. 2 on the Canadian Top 40, ''Corey Hart'' went platinum in Canada. The video for "Black Cloud Rain" was directed by Javier Aguilera, a young Mexican filmmaker. He toured across the country for the first time since the cancelled 1987 ''Fields of Fire'' tour, and subsequent singles from the album ("Tell Me", "Third of June" and "Someone") all reached the Canadian Top 40. ''Corey Hart'' also earned Hart more award nominations, including Juno nods for Best Male Vocalist of the Year and Best Producer for "Black Cloud Rain" and "Simplicity", a non-single album track, and Best Anglophone Quebec Artist at the ADISQ Awards. In 1997, fellow Canadian

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

released her ''

Let's Talk About Love ''Let's Talk About Love'' is the fifth English-language and fifteenth studio album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, released on 14 November 1997, by Columbia and Epic Records. The follow-up to the commercially successful '' Falling into You'' ...

'' album, which featured the theme from the film ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...

'', "

My Heart Will Go On "My Heart Will Go On" is a 1997 song recorded by Canadian singer Celine Dion. The song serves as the main theme to James Cameron's blockbuster film '' Titanic'', based on an account of the transatlantic ocean liner of the same name which san ...

". Also on the album were two songs written and co-produced by Hart: the Canadian Top 40 hit "

Miles to Go (Before I Sleep) "Miles to Go (Before I Sleep)" is a song by Canadian singer Celine Dion from her fifteenth studio album, '' Let's Talk About Love'' (1997). It was written and produced by Canadian singer-songwriter Corey Hart. Despite not being released as a sin ...

" and "Where Is the Love". As documented in Dion's concert DVD ''

Au cœur du stade ''Au cœur du stade'' (meaning ''At the Heart of the Stadium'') is the fourth live album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, released by Columbia Records on 27 August 1999. It was recorded during two sold-out concerts at the Stade de France in Par ...

'', Dion's team reached out to Hart based on the recent success of ''Corey Hart'' in Canada and asked if he would write and produce for the songstress. He was also nominated for the Juno Award for Best Producer for the Dion tracks. Later in 1999 Hart performed live in the US for the first time since the late 1980s as Dion's guest in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

and

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

.''Billboard'', October 30, 1999. Hart collaborated with Dion again on "Prayer", from her 2002 CD ''

A New Day Has Come ''A New Day Has Come'' is the seventh English-language and eighteenth studio album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, released by Sony Music Entertainment on 22 March 2002. It was her first new studio album since 1998's Christmas album ''These Are ...

''. In 1998, Hart released a second album on Sony, ''

Jade Jade is a mineral used as jewellery or for ornaments. It is typically green, although may be yellow or white. Jade can refer to either of two different silicate minerals: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in the amphibole group of ...

'', featuring a duet with partner Masse on the

Jean-Jacques Goldman Jean-Jacques Goldman (; born 11 October 1951) is a French singer-songwriter and music record producer. He is hugely popular in the French-speaking world. Since the death of Johnny Hallyday in 2017 he has been the highest grossing living French p ...

song " Là-bas". The lead-off single "So Visible (Easy to Miss)" and follow-up release "Break the Chain" both charted in the Canadian Top 40, the singer gained yet another Juno Award nomination (for Best Male Vocalist of the Year) and Hart once again toured Canada in support of the album. After enjoying a comeback in Canada in the late 1990s, Hart again came to a personal crossroads.

All I had ever wanted or known since I was a boy was to be creating music. But I couldn't continue to record or tour if I aspired to be a 24/7 father to our children. The two worlds simply collide.Corey Hart: The boy leaves the box to be a good dad, Brendan Kelly, ''The Gazette'' (Montreal), May 27, 2011.

At the end of the millennium, Hart once again fell largely silent as he and Masse married and relocated to

Nassau, Bahamas Nassau ( ) is the capital and largest city of the Bahamas. With a population of 274,400 as of 2016, or just over 70% of the entire population of the Bahamas, Nassau is commonly defined as a primate city, dwarfing all other towns in the country. ...

, to focus on raising their young family.Columbia's Corey Hart Paints His Pop with a Shade of Jade, Larry Flick, ''Billboard'', November 7, 1998 He returned to Montreal in late 2002 for a two-night stand of concerts with the

Montreal Symphony Orchestra The Montreal Symphony Orchestra (french: Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, or OSM) is a Canadian symphony orchestra based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The orchestra’s home is the Montreal Symphony House at Place des Arts. It is the only orch ...

, performing songs from ''Corey Hart'' and ''

'' as well as older hits to the accompaniment of the MSO.'80s heartthrob Corey Hart making music, being a dad. Serena Kappes, ''People'', August 13, 2002.

New directions

Siena Records and ''Walk in Beauty''

In 2002,

reconnected with Hart. Stein offered Hart a boutique label with Sire/Warner Music Canada, Siena Records. The label, formed in 2003, went through several years of development while Hart pursued a suitable debut artist. He collaborated sporadically on individual songs with French-Canadian artists Garou and Wilfred Le Bouthillier in the mid-2000s, and performed with others including Meggie Lagacé on Quebec television.''Star Systeme'' (Quebec), 2006. After an associate sent Hart a demo MP3 by little-known performer Marie-Christine Depestre, the singer, a Montreal native of Haitian descent, became Siena's first official signing. In May 2011, Marie-Christine released her debut CD, ''Walk in Beauty'', in Canada on Hart's label. Hart executive produced the album and wrote the bulk of the CD's songsCorey Hart Loans 'Sunglasses at Night' to Protégé, Calls in Stevie Wonder Cameo, Lonny Knapp, ''Spinner'', June 9, 2011. ''Walk in Beauty'' features a cameo performance by music legend

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

on the cover track "Keep on Runnin'" as well as a modern reworking of Hart's "Sunglasses at Night", reworked as "Girl in Shades" for Marie-Christine. Hart had refrained from granting interpolation rights to the song for over 25 years, despite requests by Sean P. Diddy Combs and

Nelly Furtado Nelly Kim Furtado (; ; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Furtado has sold over 40 million records worldwide making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. She first gained fame with her trip hop-inspired deb ...

.Corey Hart merges from musical hibernation to launch Marie-Christine, Nick Patch, The Canadian Press, May 28, 2011. The CD also featured original compositions by Marie-Christine and its debut single, "Totally Random", became a hit in her native Quebec during the summer of 2011. To mark the launch, she and Hart engaged the media on a short promotional tour of major Canadian markets in May 2011. A second single, "Silence", was released in January 2012 to Canadian radio and a third single from the album, "Port Au Prince", debuted in May 2012.

2011 relaunch

Starting in 2011, Hart began to increase his visibility on social media, appeared in a variety of charity events, and launched an online store featuring previously unreleased recordings.Tout partout en ville. Rodger Brulotte, Journal de Montreal, July 9, 2012 In 2012, Hart's 30th year in the music industry, he collaborated with Canadian DJ 1Love on a remix of the song "Truth Will Set You Free" from ''Young Man Running.'' The single, "Truth Will Set U Free", was released globally to radio, and on Hart's website in June 2012 via Siena Records/Warner Music Canada. The song was Hart's first U.S. single in 20 years and Hart reunited with Meiert Avis for the video. "Truth" was originally penned for friends in the music business who were born gay, according to Hart, and disseminating the message of the song took on new resonance after 1Love approached him for permission to remix it. With the Canadian Top 40 success of "Truth Will Set You Free", Hart made appearances at Pride celebrations in Toronto and London over the summer of 2012. IN September 2012, Hart performed to about 1.000 people at the CHUM FM "Back in the Day Bash" held at Toronto's Masonic Temple. Hart and his daughter Dante also appeared on CTV's "Marilyn Denis" chat show, where the singer performed his hit single "It Ain't Enough" live in the studio. Hart later co-wrote and performed on a track from Canadian recording artist K-OS' album ''BLack on BLonde''. The song, "Like a Comet (We Rollin')", was the first time Hart has performed or written in the hip hop genre. He also reworked his 1984 hit, "Sunglasses at Night", into a new interpretation called "Night Visions" with Chicago-based DJ production team Papercha$er. The single was released in October 2013.

2014–present

In April 2014 Hart released an EP, ''Ten Thousand Horses'', on Tunes; the recording features duets with

and Masse, as well as previously unreleased tracks and a remake of the song "Without You" now called "Falling from Graceland". On June 3 that year Hart marked the 30th anniversary of the release of his first single "Sunglasses at Night" at a farewell concert, "One Night: Three Decades of Music" in Montreal, Canada at the

Bell Centre Bell Centre (), formerly known as Molson Centre (), is a multi-purpose arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Opened on March 16, 1996, it is the home arena of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL), replacing the Montr ...

. The concert was postponed several days because of an NHL playoff run at the time by the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

. Also released at the Montreal show was Hart's autobiography, ''Chasing the Sun: My Life in Music'', which details behind-the-scenes stories of Hart's life and includes about 500 photos. Hart then put his career mostly on hold to focus on parenting and family. However, shortly thereafter he was invited by

Shania Twain Eilleen Regina "Shania" Twain ( , ; née Edwards; born August 28, 1965) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She has sold over 100 million records, making her the best-selling female artist in country music history and one of the best-s ...

to appear as part of

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...

's August 30 Founder's Week celebration. This was Hart's first visit to that province.Corey Hart's first P.E.I. concert 'out of the blue'

CBC News CBC News is a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC.ca. ...

, August 26, 2014 During the show Hart did a cover version of local favorite Stompin' Tom Connors' " Bud the Spud". Also in 2014 Hart released an acoustic version of "Face Brave", a song written for and performed by Jonathan Roy. Roy, the son of hockey player

Patrick Roy Patrick Jacques Roy (; born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey goaltender and executive, who serves as the head coach for the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). In 2017, Roy was named o ...

, appeared onstage with Hart in PEI as well as at the June 3 farewell concert in Montreal. At a private fundraiser in Fort McMurray, Alberta in November 2014, Hart, Roy and backup singer Kim Richardson (along with Hart's band) recorded a live rehearsal performance of U2's 1992 single " One". The video was released on YouTube in November. Roy released an EP in Canada in 2016, ''Mr. Optimist Blues'', featuring several songs written by Hart. In 2016 Hart he performed in Quebec for a national television audience during celebrations on June 24 and again during a local comedy festival on June 26. In October 2016, Hart was honoured with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame. The induction ceremony gala was broadcast on CBC television, and in June 2017, Hart joined his fellow inductees including

Jason Priestley Jason Bradford Priestley (born August 28, 1969) is a Canadian actor and television director. He is best known as the virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–1998, 2000), as Richard "Fitz" Fitzpatrick in t ...

and

Darryl Sittler Darryl Glen Sittler (born September 18, 1950) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from 1970 until 1985 for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Philadelphia Flyers and the Detroit Red Wings. He was ...

at the star unveiling in Toronto's Theatre District. In July 2017 Hart returned to Calgary as a performer at the

Calgary Stampede The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition, and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year and featu ...

, playing to a crowd of about 11,000 at Ft. Calgary's Oxford Stomp stage. He performed in Boston a day later at a private event for longtime fans. In August he performed at Atlantic Fest in Newfoundland, his first return to the province in nearly 30 years. A single, "Another December", was released on YouTube November 29, 2018. The song was focuses on Hart's mother and the accompanying video features photos of her with family interspersed among present-day footage of Hart walking through Montreal. The video was a preview for a new EP; the title track "Dreaming Time Again" was released January 16, 2019, with an accompanying video filmed in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

, Cuba featuring Hart's teenage son, Rain. The EP was released in the spring that year in association with Warner Brothers Music Canada, and Hart set out on a cross-country tour, beginning in St. John's, Newfoundland on May 31. The

Canadian Music Hall of Fame The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was established in 1978 by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) to honour Canadian musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The award presentation is held each year as part of the ...

announced Hart's induction to its roster concomitant with the single release. Hart accepted the honour and performed live at the 2019 Juno Awards in London, Ontario, Canada on March 17, 2019. In the same year, he made a stunt appearance on the seventh season premiere of ''

La Voix ''La Voix'' is a francophone Canadian reality talent show as part of the international television series franchise ''The Voice'', based on the original Dutch version of the program created by John de Mol. The series is part of ''The Voice' ...

'', performing his own hit song " Everything in My Heart" as a blind auditioner; he became an honorary member of Éric Lapointe's team, and made a return appearance in the finale, but was not officially a competitor. In May 2020, Hart announced the release of a new version of his 1985 hit " Never Surrender", with the lyrics updated to reflect a message of resilience and hope during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. Hart is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism.

In media

Hart was briefly considered for the role of

Marty McFly Martin Seamus "Marty" McFly is a fictional character and the protagonist of the ''Back to the Future'' franchise. He is portrayed by Canadian actor Michael J. Fox in all three films. McFly also appears in the animated series, where he was voice ...

in the 1985 film ''

Back to the Future ''Back to the Future'' is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis, and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985, ...

''. Producer

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...

sent Hart a copy of the script with an invitation for a screen test – a flattered Hart declined, preferring to focus on music instead of acting. Fellow Canadian

Michael J. Fox Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian-American retired actor. Beginning his career in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ''Family Ties'' (1 ...

eventually starred in the hit film. During the mid-1980s, Hart was approached to record several songs for films. He mostly declined, preferring to write and record his own material; however, he did record the song "Hold On", written for the soundtrack to 1987's ''

Beverly Hills Cop II ''Beverly Hills Cop II'' is a 1987 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Tony Scott, written by Larry Ferguson and Warren Skaaren, and starring Eddie Murphy. It is the sequel to the 1984 film ''Beverly Hills Cop'' and the second ins ...

''. Hart's 1985 single, "Eurasian Eyes" (from ''Boy in the Box''), was featured in the film ''

9½ Weeks ''9½ Weeks'' is a 1986 American erotic romantic drama film directed by Adrian Lyne, and starring Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke. Basinger portrays a New York City art gallery employee who has a brief yet intense affair with a mysterious Wal ...

'' and the final track from ''Fields of Fire'', "Blind Faith", was featured in the January 16, 1987 episode of ''

Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann (director), Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo ...

'' titled "Down for the Count, Pt. 2". In 2002, "Sunglasses at Night" was featured in the award-winning video game '' Grand Theft Auto: Vice City'' for the Sony

PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...

. The song title is also a clue to the mystery in Lior Samson's debut novel, ''Bashert''. Hart's hit single "Sunglasses at Night" was featured on the American horror/comedy show '' Scream Queens'' in 2015 and on the Netflix series ''

Stranger Things ''Stranger Things'' is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as showrunners and are executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Produced by Monkey Massacre Prod ...

'' in 2016. The song was also featured in a Gucci TV ad in 2017 and in the virtual showing of Balenciaga's SS 2021 collection. In 2019, " Never Surrender" was featured in Episode One, Season Three of ''

.'' Also in 2017, "Never Surrender" and "Sunglasses at Night", along with a storyline featuring Hart's 1985 concert tour, were featured in the Seth Rogen-produced comedy ''

Future Man Roy Wilfred Wooten (born October 13, 1957), also known as RoyEl, best known by his stage name Future Man (also written Futureman and known to fans as Futche) is an American musician, inventor and composer. He is best known as a member of jazz ...

'', released on

Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...

on November 14. Hart himself also made a brief cameo in one episode ("Prelude to an Apocalypse") performing "Wolf", an original song written for the show. Hart’s Sunglasses at Night was also featured in Jordan Peele’s 2022 film Nope. in a remixed format.

Discography

* '' First Offense'' (1983) * '' Boy in the Box'' (1985) * '' Fields of Fire'' (1986) * ''

'' (1988) * '' Bang!'' (1990) * '' Attitude & Virtue'' (1992) * '' Corey Hart'' (1996) * ''

'' (1998) * ''Ten Thousand Horses'' (2014) * ''Dreaming Time Again'' (2019)

Awards and nominations

* Canadian Music Hall of Fame, 2019 inductee for lifetime achievement in music. * Canada's Walk of Fame, 2016 inductee for lifetime achievement in music. * Canadian Recording Industry Association Diamond Award, ''Boy in the Box'', January 1986 (over 1 million units sold). Hart was only the second Canadian artist to achieve this honor and BITB was the fastest-selling Diamond album to date at that time. * Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) "Classics" Awards for songs with over 100,000 plays on radio: "Sunglasses At Night", "It Ain't Enough", "Never Surrender", "Everything In My Heart", "I Am By Your Side", "In Your Soul", "Tell Me", and "Third of June". "Boy in the Box", "Eurasian Eyes" and "Black Cloud Rain" are also very close to passing this historic mark, likely around the end of 2012. * In the US ''First Offense'', ''Boy in the Box'' and ''Fields of Fire'' are all gold certified (500,000 copies of each sold). ''Boy in the Box'' is also certified platinum. In Canada ''First Offense'' went triple platinum (300,000 copies sold), and Hart achieved the aforementioned Diamond award for ''Boy in the Box'' (1 million), with a double platinum certification for ''Fields of Fire'' (200,000 sold), and platinum for ''Young Man Running'', ''BANG!'' and ''Corey Hart'' (100,000 of each sold). Hart has also been awarded with several gold selling single awards for "Everything in My Heart", "Can't Help Falling in Love" and "Boy in the Box" and a platinum single award for "Never Surrender".

Juno Awards

* 1984 – Nominated: Best Male Vocalist of the Year, Composer of the Year (Sunglasses At Night), Single of the Year (Sunglasses At Night), Best Video (Sunglasses At Night). Won: Best Video (Sunglasses At Night) * 1985 – Nominated: Best Male Vocalist of the Year, Composer of the Year (Never Surrender), Album of the Year (Boy in the Box), Best Selling Single (Never Surrender), Best Video (Never Surrender). Won: Best Selling Single (Never Surrender) * 1986 – Nominated: Composer of the Year, Best Selling Single (Everything In My Heart) * 1987 – Nominated: Best Male Vocalist of the Year, Best Album Graphics (Erika Gagnon for Fields Of Fire), Single of the Year (Can't Help Falling in Love) * 1993 – Nominated: Best Male Vocalist of the Year * 1997 – Nominated: Best Male Vocalist of the Year, Best Producer (Black Cloud Rain, Simplicity) * 1998 – Nominated: Best Producer ("Miles to Go (Before I Sleep)" and "Where Is The Love" for Celine Dion) * 1999 – Nominated: Best Male Vocalist of the Year * 2003 – Nominated: Dance Recording of the Year (Sunglasses At Night 2002, Original 3 featuring Corey Hart)

ADISQ Awards

* 1984 – Nominated: Album of the Year (First Offense), Best New Artist. Won: Album of the Year (First Offense) * 1985 – Nominated: Best Anglophone Quebec Artist, Composer of the Year (Never Surrender), Best Male Artist, Album of the Year (Boy in the Box), Concert of the Year (Le Spectrum Live ). Won: Best Anglophone Quebec Artist, Composer of the Year (Never Surrender), Best Male Artist, Album of the Year (Boy in the Box) * 1986 – Nominated: Best Male Artist * 1987 – Nominated: Best Male Artist, Album of the Year (Fields Of Fire) * 1988 – Nominated: Album of the Year (Young Man Running) * 1989 – Nominated: Best Male Artist * 1990 – Nominated: Best Anglophone Quebec Artist * 1997 – Nominated: Best Anglophone Quebec Artist

Other awards and nominations

* Gemini Awards, 1988 – Nominated: Best Variety Program and Best Performance in a Variety or Performing Arts Program or Series, Corey Hart Special, CBC TV * Favorite Male Star, Pepsi-Cola Canada National Poll, July 1986 * CASBY Award, Male Vocalist of the Year, 1987 * Golden Gate Award, 1988, San Francisco International Film Festival – Best Variety or Performing Arts Program, Corey Hart Special, CBC TV

References

External links

*
Official Corey Hart Facebook page
* *
Artists Against Racism website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hart, Corey 1962 births Living people 20th-century Canadian male singers Anglophone Quebec people Capitol Records artists Canadian expatriates in the Bahamas Canadian expatriate musicians in the United States Canadian male pianists Canadian male singer-songwriters Canadian new wave musicians Canadian people of Romanian-Jewish descent Canadian people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent Canadian pop pianists Canadian pop singers Canadian rock keyboardists Canadian rock singers Singers from Montreal Juno Award for Single of the Year winners 21st-century Canadian pianists 21st-century Canadian male singers Félix Award winners Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees