• 1979-

  Paul DeanGuitar, vocals1979-

  Doug JohnsonKeyboards1979-

  Mike RenoLead vocals1979-

  Scott SmithBass1979-2000

  Mike FrenetteDrums1979-

  Ken "Spider" SinnaeveBass2000-
• Paul Dean came up with the band's name while flipping through a fashion magazine in 1979. What started as "Covergirl" became "Coverboy" and, finally, "Loverboy."
• The band maintained its original lineup until 2000, when original keyboardist Scott Smith died in a sailing accident.
• The band's hit "Working For The Weekend" was featured in a Saturday Night Live skit. In the skit, Chris Farley and Patrick Swayze did an elaborate dance-off for a position as a Chippendale's dancer - "Working for the Weekend" was the backing music.
• In our interview, Paul Dean explained that the first show the band performed was as an opening act for KISS. Said Dean: "We weren't tight. The bass player was looking at me, a little confused. And this was in front of 15,000 rabid KISS fans. But it was a good show."
• Paul Dean credits Jim Kale, bass player from The Guess Who, with helping him learn to be a serious songwriter. The musician advised him to tie his lyrics together into something meaningful, rather than just string together phrases.
• "Working for the Weekend," written by Paul Dean, was originally called "Waiting for the Weekend." Mike Reno suggested the change.
• Loverboy released four Platinum albums - over a million copies sold for each.
• The founding members were Paul Dean and Mike Reno. The pair met in a warehouse, where Dean was jamming with a new band. Reno stopped by with a mutual friend, belted out a few songs, and the two decided to collaborate formally on the spot.

Comments: 1

• Allen S. from Medicine Hat AbI saw you in Medicine Hat maybe 80/81! One of the most memorable Concerts I had been to , it was Loverboy and Prism. Is Paul Dean from the Windermere Valley? Fan of Great Canadian Bands. Love your tunes.

More Songfacts:

Smuggler's BluesGlenn Frey

Glenn Frey of the Eagles played a bad guy in a 1985 episode of Miami Vice based on his song "Smuggler's Blues."

Open ArmsJourney

"Open Arms" was a pioneering power ballad. Stadium rock bands like Journey shied away from slow songs, but when they reluctantly agreed to record the song, it became their biggest chart hit.

Dust In The WindKansas

The philosophical Kansas song "Dust In The Wind" is inspired by a line of Native American poetry: "For all we are is dust in the wind."

No ScrubsTLC

"No Scrubs" introduced the term "scrub" to the popular lexicon, and defined it in the opening lines ("a scrub is a guy that think he's fine...").

Pink HousesJohn Mellencamp

John Mellencamp considers "Pink Houses" an "anti-American song," laying bare the struggles of the poor and working class.

Live ForeverOasis

The Oasis song "Live Forever" was written in response to "I Hate Myself And I Want To Die" by Nirvana. "Kids don't need to hear that nonsense," said Noel Gallagher.

Editor's Picks

Howard JonesSongwriter Interviews

Howard explains his positive songwriting method and how uplifting songs can carry a deeper message.

90s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

First question: Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson appeared in videos for what artist?

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."

Early Days of MTVFact or Fiction

If you can recall the days when MTV played videos, you know that there are lots of stories to tell. See if you can spot the real ones.

Real or Spinal TapMusic Quiz

They sang about pink torpedoes and rocking you tonight tonight, but some real lyrics are just as ridiculous. See if you can tell which lyrics are real and which are Spinal Tap in this lyrics quiz.