Honeymoon Suite

Honeymoon Suite formed in 1981 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, with the band name referencing the city's status as a honeymoon destination. The founding members were vocalist Johnnie Dee and guitarist Derry Grehan, who were introduced by manager Stephen Prendergast in 1982. They initially included drummer Dave Betts, who had previously played with Grehan in the Toronto-based group Steve Blimkie and the Reason, along with various keyboard players and bassists during the early period.

The band's commercial breakthrough occurred in 1983 when they entered "New Girl Now" in Q107 Toronto radio station's Homegrown Contest and won. This victory led to A&R president Bob Roper at WEA Canada signing the band to a multi-album worldwide deal. By this time, the lineup had stabilized with Ray Coburn on keyboards and Gary Lalonde on bass guitar.

Their self-titled debut album was released in June 1984, produced by Tom Treumuth. The album was certified Triple Platinum in Canada in 1990, having sold over 300,000 copies. Four singles from the album charted in Canada: "New Girl Now," "Burning in Love," "Wave Babies," and "Stay in the Light," with "New Girl Now" becoming their first top-50 hit in the United States. The band toured extensively in 1984 and 1985, opening for acts including Billy Idol, April Wine, Jethro Tull, The Kinks, and Bryan Adams.

Their second album, "The Big Prize," was released on Valentine's Day 1986 and achieved platinum status in Canada almost immediately. The album produced four Canadian hits: "Feel It Again," "What Does It Take," "Bad Attitude," and "All Along You Knew." In 1986, the band won the Juno Award for Group of the Year and performed at the World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo, where Ray Coburn's composition "Those Were the Days" won a gold award. During this period, they opened for major acts including Heart, .38 Special, ZZ Top, Journey, and Starship.

For their third album, the band traveled to Los Angeles in winter 1987 to record with producer Ted Templeman, known for his work with Van Halen and The Doobie Brothers. "Racing After Midnight" was released in 1988, featuring the Canadian hits "Love Changes Everything" and "Lookin' Out for Number One." A compilation album, "The Singles," was issued in 1989 and included "Still Lovin' You," which became a modest domestic hit.

The band underwent various lineup changes during the 1990s, with Johnnie Dee and Derry Grehan remaining as the core members. They released "Monsters Under the Bed" in 1991, followed by several other albums throughout the decade. In 2004, Johnnie Dee released a solo album titled "Songs in Dee," featuring backing by other Honeymoon Suite members and guest musicians including Kim Mitchell and Rik Emmett.

In June 2007, the classic lineup of Johnnie Dee, Derry Grehan, Ray Coburn, Gary Lalonde, and Dave Betts officially reunited. They toured Canada extensively in 2007 and 2008, then recorded "Clifton Hill," produced again by Tom Treumuth and named after the tourist landmark in Niagara Falls. The album was released in September 2008 in Canada on Koch Records and internationally on Frontiers Records. However, Ray Coburn departed the band again in September 2009, with Peter Nunn returning to replace him.

The band continued touring and released a 9-track EP titled "Hands Up" in November 2016, their first new music in eight years. In September 2019, they released the single "Tell Me What You Want." Work began on their ninth studio album in 2019 with producer Mike Krompass near Nashville, Tennessee. "Alive" was released in February 2024, with the single "Find What You're Looking For" reaching the Billboard Top 30 in 2020, marking their first chart appearance in 19 years.

Throughout their career, Honeymoon Suite has sold over 1 million units worldwide. Their first three albums each exceeded Canadian sales of 200,000 copies. The current lineup consists of Johnnie Dee, Derry Grehan, Dave Betts, Gary Lalonde, and Peter Nunn, and the band continues to tour and record new material.