Mike Reno
Mike Reno (born January 8, 1955) is a Canadian drummer/musician and the lead singer of the rock band Loverboy. He is reported to have played the guitar, being self-taught. He fronted other bands, including Moxy, before helping form Loverboy. Reno has a son from his first marriage, Alex Reno, who was born on January 23, 1988.
While still in school in the early 1970s, Reno joined a cover band called Morning Glory, in which he played the drums and eventually found his way to the cover band Synergy.
After graduating from Penticton Secondary School, Reno moved to Calgary, AB and joined a band called Spunk with guitarist Jack Stoltz, then on to Toronto ON, and a brief stint with 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. Shortly after, Mike returned to Calgary, where he 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.
Reno has also contributed to various film soundtracks. In 1984, he performed a duet with Ann Wilson of Heart, “Almost Paradise”, for the movie Footloose. With Loverboy, the band contributed “Heaven in Your Eyes” for the movie Top Gun, in 1986. Reno contributed the song “Chasing the Angels” for the soundtrack to Iron Eagle II in 1988 along with the song “Whenever There’s a Night” for the movie Dream a Little Dream in 1989.