# Mike Reno
**Mike Reno** (born Joseph Michael Rynoski in 1955, in [New Westminster](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-westminster), British Columbia) is a Canadian musician best known as the lead singer of the rock band Loverboy[1](https://loverboyband.com/pages/mike-reno). Although known chiefly as a vocalist, he began as a drummer, taking up the instrument at age 12 and later teaching himself guitar[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mike-reno-mn0000491596/biography). His soaring vocals, red leather pants, and trademark headband made him one of the most recognizable frontmen of 1980s arena rock[3](https://www.vwmusicrocks.com/an-interview-with-mike-reno-of-loverboy/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name and date | Joseph Michael Rynoski, 1955, New Westminster, British Columbia[1](https://loverboyband.com/pages/mike-reno) |
| Pre-Loverboy work | Cover bands Morning Glory and Synergy; the Calgary band Spunk; lead vocals on Moxy's fourth album *Under the Lights* (1978)[1](https://loverboyband.com/pages/mike-reno) |
| Loverboy role | Lead singer from the band's formation in Calgary in 1979, alongside Paul Dean, Scott Smith, Matt Frenette, and Doug Johnson[3](https://www.vwmusicrocks.com/an-interview-with-mike-reno-of-loverboy/) |
| Signature hit | "Almost Paradise" (1984), a duet with Ann Wilson of Heart for the film *Footloose*, which reached number seven on the US pop chart and topped the adult contemporary chart[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mike-reno-mn0000491596/biography) |
| Band honors | Canadian Music Hall of Fame (2009); Canada's Walk of Fame (2023); a record six Juno Awards in 1982 as a Loverboy member[4](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/loverboy/) • [5](https://canadianmusichalloffame.ca/inductee/loverboy/) |
| Later activity | Continues to tour with Loverboy, which averages 60 to 80 shows a year across North America[5](https://canadianmusichalloffame.ca/inductee/loverboy/) |
## Early life and first bands
Reno grew up in [British Columbia](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-columbia) and, while still in school in the early 1970s, joined a cover band called Morning Glory, in which he played drums, before moving on to another cover band, Synergy[1](https://loverboyband.com/pages/mike-reno). After graduating from Penticton Secondary School, he moved to Calgary, Alberta, and joined a band called Spunk with guitarist Jack Stoltz, then went on to Toronto[1](https://loverboyband.com/pages/mike-reno).
In 1978 he replaced the lead singer of the Toronto-based hard rock band Moxy, singing on the group's fourth album, *Under the Lights*[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mike-reno-mn0000491596/biography). Guitarist Earl Johnson of Moxy later recalled that Reno was brought in because the band's singer was having vocal problems, and that a demo tape of Reno's singing showed a voice reminiscent of [Paul Rodgers](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-rodgers)[6](https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/earl-johnson-moxy-and-tommy-bolin). The album departed from the band's earlier sound, partly because of lineup changes and Reno's different singing style, and did not sell as well as its predecessors[1](https://loverboyband.com/pages/mike-reno).
## Formation of Loverboy
After the Moxy stint, Reno returned to Calgary, where he was introduced to guitarist Paul Dean in 1979 at a nightclub called The Refinery; the two immediately jammed together, and Loverboy formed shortly afterward[1](https://loverboyband.com/pages/mike-reno). The classic lineup paired Reno with Dean on guitar, Scott Smith on bass, Matt Frenette on drums, and Doug Johnson on keyboards[3](https://www.vwmusicrocks.com/an-interview-with-mike-reno-of-loverboy/).
Rejected by all the major US record companies, the band signed with Columbia Records Canada and recorded its self-titled debut with producer [Bruce Fairbairn](https://www.edgepedia.org/bruce-fairbairn) and engineer [Bob Rock](https://www.edgepedia.org/bob-rock)[4](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/loverboy/). Released in 1980, the album sold more than 700,000 copies in Canada, more than 2 million in the United States, and four million worldwide, and produced the hits "Turn Me Loose" and "The Kid Is Hot Tonite"[4](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/loverboy/) • [5](https://canadianmusichalloffame.ca/inductee/loverboy/).
**Commercial peak.** The follow-up, *Get Lucky* (1981), sold four million copies and contained "Working for the Weekend," which became an anthem for 1980s working audiences[4](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/loverboy/) • [7](https://www.loudersound.com/features/loverboy-canadian-band-story). At the 1982 [Juno Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/juno-awards) the band won a record-setting six trophies in one night[5](https://canadianmusichalloffame.ca/inductee/loverboy/). Through 1987 the band released four multi-platinum albums, including *Keep It Up* (1983) and *Lovin' Every Minute of It* (1985), and toured with Journey, ZZ Top, Cheap Trick, and [Def Leppard](https://www.edgepedia.org/def-leppard), among others[4](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/loverboy/). The 1987 album *Wildside* sold poorly, which Dean attributed to MTV's shifting away from the band's style, and Loverboy disbanded in 1988[7](https://www.loudersound.com/features/loverboy-canadian-band-story) • [5](https://canadianmusichalloffame.ca/inductee/loverboy/).
## Soundtrack and solo work
Reno's biggest moment outside Loverboy came in 1984, when he recorded "Almost Paradise" as a duet with Ann Wilson of Heart for the film *Footloose*. The ballad climbed to number seven on the US pop chart, topped the adult contemporary chart, and became a recurring theme at high school proms[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mike-reno-mn0000491596/biography). With Loverboy he recorded "Heaven in Your Eyes" for the 1986 film *Top Gun*; he also contributed "Chasing the Angels" to *Iron Eagle II* (1988) and "Whenever There's a Night" to *[Dream a Little Dream](https://www.edgepedia.org/dream-a-little-dream-film)* (1989)[1](https://loverboyband.com/pages/mike-reno). In 1984, Loverboy recorded "Nothing's Gonna Stop You Now" as the United States team theme for the Summer Olympics[3](https://www.vwmusicrocks.com/an-interview-with-mike-reno-of-loverboy/).
## Reunion and later career
Loverboy reunited after a benefit concert for musician Brian MacLeod and released the albums *Six* (1997), *Just Getting Started* (2007), *Rock 'N' Roll Revival* (2013), and *Unfinished Business* (2014)[5](https://canadianmusichalloffame.ca/inductee/loverboy/) • [3](https://www.vwmusicrocks.com/an-interview-with-mike-reno-of-loverboy/). The band was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 2009 Juno Awards in Vancouver and into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2023[4](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/loverboy/). It continues to tour at an average of 60 to 80 shows a year, with Reno, Dean, Johnson, and Frenette joined by bassist Ken "Spider" Sinnaeve, who replaced the late Scott Smith[5](https://canadianmusichalloffame.ca/inductee/loverboy/) • [4](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/loverboy/).
Reno has also worked in broadcasting, co-hosting the morning show on CFMI Rock 101.1 in Vancouver with Jake Edwards[8](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1198237/bio/).
## Voice and image
A 1986 Los Angeles Times profile described Reno as a first-rate rock ballad singer whose voice soars when the tempo slows, while noting that his up-tempo delivery is smooth and emotional rather than gritty[9](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-04-10-ca-3272-story.html). His visual trademarks, the red leather pants from the *Get Lucky* album cover and the sweatband worn across his forehead, date from the early 1980s; the headband first appeared in photographs around the release of *Get Lucky*[7](https://www.loudersound.com/features/loverboy-canadian-band-story) • [10](https://www.classicrockrevisited.com/show_interview.php?id=176).
## References
1. [Mike Reno – Loverboy (official band biography)](https://loverboyband.com/pages/mike-reno)
2. [Mike Reno Biography by Tom Demalon – AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mike-reno-mn0000491596/biography)
3. [An Interview with Mike Reno of Loverboy – VWMusic](https://www.vwmusicrocks.com/an-interview-with-mike-reno-of-loverboy/)
4. [Loverboy – Canada's Walk of Fame](https://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/loverboy/)
5. [Loverboy – Canadian Music Hall of Fame](https://canadianmusichalloffame.ca/inductee/loverboy/)
6. [Moxy's Earl Johnson interview – Guitar World](https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/earl-johnson-moxy-and-tommy-bolin)
7. [The rollercoaster story of Loverboy – Louder (Classic Rock)](https://www.loudersound.com/features/loverboy-canadian-band-story)
8. [Mike Reno – Biography – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1198237/bio/)
9. [Mike Reno: The Invisible Rock Star of Loverboy – Los Angeles Times (1986)](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-04-10-ca-3272-story.html)
10. [Mike Reno of Loverboy interview – Classic Rock Revisited](https://www.classicrockrevisited.com/show_interview.php?id=176)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Rock, metal, and popular-band musicians › Hard rock and glam metal*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license