Canada-born Loverboy's first big gig was opening for Kiss at the Vancouver Coliseum. Emerging in 1979, Loverboy was one Canada's most successful bands of the time, selling more than 10 million copies of its first three albums by '84. Touring the U.S. with Bob Seger, Cheap Trick, ZZ Top and Journey among others, Loverboy's cookie-cut pop-rock appealed to a young, predominantly female audience. Hits like "Working For the Weekend" and "Hot Girls in Love" kept the band on a rigorous touring schedule and on every AOR radio station in North America. 1985's Lovin' Every Minute Of It was a harder-edged album that didn't set well with the fans. Although the band worked into the '90s and released three more albums (one of which was a greatest hits album), Loverboy's clear heyday was the '80s. Tragedy struck the bandmates in late November, 2000 when bassist Scott Smith was swept overboard and presumed drowned while boating along the California coast.