January 27, 1986 : Corey Hart in Edmonton

30 years ago yesterday, I was on my way to Northlands Coliseum with my mom and sister to see Corey Hart. I have included the above clip for those who weren't there or who have trouble remembering. For a time, Hart and Bryan Adams were running neck-and-neck in popularity in the mid 1980s, and the fact that Adams might be better remembered today might be due to the fact that Corey has ostensibly retired from the business to spend time with his wife and kids in the Bahamas.

But on this night 30 years ago, he was huge, and my sister and I bought into the music and hype hook line and sinker. We had been to Corey's Coliseum show the previous August, and my mom, seeing what a good time we had at that show, and after making sure that Never Surrender wasn't some punk rant against authority but rather a song about triumph over adversity, gave us tickets for Christmas. This was not easy for her to do as a single mother, and we appreciated it very much. The show was very much as represented in the clip above and the other two that go with it, and it was a blast.

So thank you Corey.

Thank you Mom (who, unbeknownst to me, added a few lines to a fan letter I had written to Mr. Hart, to better my chances of getting a response. Which I did, in the mail that night, from his mother Mindy.)

And thank you Jacquie.





MTMG