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There was something moving about seeing Corey Hart put away his sunglasses for good at his hometown Bell Centre.
The '80s and '90s pop star held his final concert on Tuesday night, accompanied by his longtime band and his spouse of 20 years, singer Julie Masse.
Their four children walked a red carpet at the arena prior to the farewell concert.
Teenagers India, Dante and River, and their little brother Rain, might have discovered for the first time just how much fans still love their dad, even after more than fifteen years in the shadows.
The concert opened with a video clip showing Hart singing from behind the wheel of a car.
Red laser beams flashed across the audience and then Hart, as fit and youthful as ever at 52, made his long-awaited appearance to the sound of his 1986 ballad Can't Help Falling in Love.
The song was barely audible amid the deafening bust applause from the 12,000 in attendance.
Twenty-eight years have passed since the song graced the charts, but Hart's fans hadn't forgotten the lyrics.
He followed it up with a rendition of his 1985 smash single Boy in The Box as the big screen flashed multiple newspaper and magazine covers chronicling the rock star's impending retirement.
A couple of songs later, Hart addressed the crowd.
"I want to thank everybody for coming tonight," said the rock star, who wore a black shirt, tie and pants accented by a glittering silver jacket.
"This is a very special night for me, and for my band, for everyone in my family," he continued. "I want to thank fans who came from all over the world to come see this last show of mine. I'm very, very touched."
Hart admitted last week that he was disappointed his farewell concert got bumped by a Canadiens-Rangers Game 7 that was never played after the Habs were eliminated in Game 6.
The singer-songwriter had found his smile again by Tuesday evening, making the most of every minute behind the microphone.
It's not every night that a rock star bids farewell to his fans.
Hart seemed fully aware of the weight of the moment, entertaining his faithful followers with a 38-song marathon that clocked in at nearly four hours.
All the hits were there: his signature new wave smash Sunglasses at Night (1984) and the popular power ballads Never Surrender (1985) and It Ain't Enough (1984).
He even turned back the clock, exciting the crowd with a cover of the Edith Piaf classic L'hymne a l'amour (Hymn to Love).
Julie Masse joined him onstage to finish the song that fits the story of the two longtime lovebirds.
If the couple's vocals were occasionally rusty, the thousands on hand didn't seem to mind. Their enthusiasm was palpable, even though they remained in their seats for nearly the entire show.
The concert really took off in the second half when Hart moved to the piano to play Billy Joel's 1973 anthem Piano Man. Hart seemed moved, as did the audience.
In a sign that Corey Hart is first and foremost a family man, he had his mother Mina Weber take the stage where he serenaded her, guitar in hand, with the touching tune That's Alright Mama.
Earlier in the show, Hart's niece, a young ballet dancer, danced onstage to Hart's 1990 piano instrumental Balade for Nien Cheng, which he had never before performed in public.
As the end drew near, the rock star seemed on edge. When he sang his final song, the audience finally stood up to enjoy a live dose of Corey Hart for the final time.
The show finally wrapped up after midnight to a frenzy of screams and applause. The goodbyes were loud and emotional.
"Thank you for allowing me to achieve my dreams for 30 years," said the singer, wiping away tears.
Then the lights were shut off one last time, with Corey Hart sitting by himself behind his piano.
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