Honeymoon Suite

Formed in 1981 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Honeymoon Suite was Canada’s response to the Sunset Strip glam metal bands from the mid and late 1980s. Composed of Johnnie Dee (vocals/rhythm guitar), Dave Betts (drums), Derry Grehan (lead guitar), Gary LaLonde (bass), and Ray Coburn (keyboards), the group underwent several lineup changes throughout their career. After winning a band contest put on by Toronto radio station Q107 with the Grehan-penned "New Girl Now," Honeymoon Suite signed a deal with WEA Canada and released their platinum-winning eponymous debut in 1984. The album spawned the singles "Burning in Love," "Stay in the Light," "Wave Babies," and the smash hit "New Girl Now," which peaked at number 23 on the Canadian Charts and reached number 7 on the US Rock Albums chart. Their follow-up, the Bob Rock-produced The Big Prize (1986), featured the band’s biggest US hit, "Feel It Again," which peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also earned the band their first Juno Award for Group of the Year. Following an appearance on the Lethal Weapon original soundtrack, the band traveled to Los Angeles to record their third album in 1987. Postponed by Dee’s involvement in a car accident, Racing After Midnight (1988) featured production by Ted Templeman and backing vocals by Michael McDonald on "Long Way Back." Though not as successful as its predecessor, the LP still climbed to number 6 on the Canadian Albums Chart thanks to the track "Love Changes Everything." Betts, Coburn, and LaLonde left the band during the 1990s, leaving Dee and Grehan as the only remaining members. After the commercial flop that was Lemon Tongue (2002), the band’s classic lineup reunited in 2007 and released Clifton Hill (2008), celebrated by critics as a return to form. In subsequent years, they continued to tour throughout Canada, the US, and the UK, releasing the EP Hands Up (2016) and the singles "Tell Me What You Want" and "Find What You’re Looking For" in 2019. Alive, Honeymoon Suite's first full-length release in 16 years, came out in 2024.