Grab Your Sunglasses and Meet Corey Hart!

"Craig...Corey Hart just kissed my hand!" Swooning in full effect. Holding out hand: "I am never washing this hand again."

Corey Hart hit it big in 1984 with one of Jersey's Favorite Hits, "Sunglasses At Night." Corey Malcolm Hart was born in Montreal, Canada, May 31, 1962, the youngest of 5 children. He grew up in Montreal, Spain, Mexico City and Key Biscayne, Florida. Hence, he is fluent in English, French and Spanish!  His official biography states that Corey was painfully shy as a child, and sought refuge in music.

Hart's first experience performing came when he was 11, when he sang for Tom Jones in Miami. In 1980, he represented Canada in the "World Popular Song Festival" in Tokyo, the first time he publicly sang original song material. He signed with a major Canadian record label later that year.

Hart's debut album, "First Offense" was recorded in England in 1982, and released in 1983.  At this time, Hart was touring as an opening act for Rick Springfield and Hall & Oates! "Sunglasses At Night" (#7/1984) and "It Ain't Enough For You" (#17/1984) both took time to climb the charts. And, it was only after this U.S. success, that Corey Hart became a star in his native Canada!

The 1985 album "Boy In The Box" featured "Never Surrender," which spent 9 weeks at #1 in Canada, and went to #3 in America.

1984 and 1985 saw Corey Hart selling out stadium-sized concerts all over North America, Japan, Europe and Australia. He was a huge presence on MTV. The songs "I Am By Your Side," a remake of Elvis' "Can't Help Falling In Love," and another original composition "In Your Soul" would follow, rounding out the 1980s.

Corey Hart spent much of the 1990s and early 2000s putting out new songs, and collaborating with fellow Canadian artists.

Last year, Corey Hart relaunched his official site, and beefed up his facebook presence. The sites feature rare photos, concert footage, and live videos of unreleased songs, plus blogs by Hart. Click here for the official fan site!

So, back to 1989. Our afternoon drive jock is taking Corey Hart around to meet everyone at the station. She's in seventh heaven! He's very nice, and very quiet, usually saying little more than hello.  I say the same, we shake hands, and he's moving on to meet the next person on a busy afternoon. Its only after Corey Hart is gone, that she relates the hand-kissing story. Flash-forward to present time. I'm on New Jersey 101.5 doing the Saturday afternoon show, and I notice that she's on the air in Nashville. I briefly tell the story while playing "Sunglasses At Night." Afterwards, on social media, I thank her for the "on-air Corey Hart content." She messages back that she fondly remembers that day long ago...and that she recalls that Corey Hart was wearing a plaid shirt that day!

And...no sunglasses.