When a Song Brings Old Friends Back Together

Some friendships have a remarkable way of picking up exactly where they left off — even when decades have passed.

Recently, I had the wonderful surprise of reconnecting with my longtime friend and musical collaborator, Charlene, thanks to her friend, Irish singer/songwriter and recording artist iamrianx (Ryan McKenna), who helped reconnect us through social media.

Many people around the world know her as the voice behind the unforgettable global hit “I’ve Never Been to Me,” a song that became a defining moment in her extraordinary career. But to me, Charlene has always been much more than a famous voice—she is a wonderfully talented, warm, and genuine friend with whom I share so many wonderful memories of our close friendship and musical journey together.

Charlene and I eventually got on the phone, and almost immediately, it felt as though no time had passed at all. We laughed, caught up on our lives, and reminisced about so many wonderful and fun times we shared together, including many memories with her husband and manager, Jeff Oliver.

And, of course, our conversation eventually turned to music — and one song in particular.

A Rainy Afternoon in Van Nuys

One of my favorite memories with Charlene goes back to a rainy afternoon in Van Nuys, California. We were spending time at her parents’ home when we went into her home studio and began working on a song together.

That afternoon, “Hold Me Thru Tomorrow” was born.

Charlene and I co-wrote the song, and we later recorded it as a duet for my 1984 album, New Dimensions. At the time, it was simply two friends and fellow artists creating music together. Neither of us could have known that four decades later, the song would become part of the soundtrack to a friendship that would eventually find its way back to us.

There was something especially meaningful about revisiting that memory together — not simply remembering the recording, but remembering the people we were, the laughter, the creative energy, and the friendship surrounding it.

And Now, We’re Both Making Music Again

Perhaps the most wonderful coincidence of our reconnection is that both of us are once again working on album projects.

Charlene is preparing a project for release in 2027 that will feature recordings from her catalog that have never previously been released. I’m equally excited about my own upcoming album, If We Believe - Kevin I. - Then And Now, which I hope to release by the end of 2026.

As the title suggests, my project brings together different chapters of my recording life. It will include newly remastered versions of four songs from my digital EP Love Songs Collection 1980–1985 (2022 Remaster): “If I Love Again,” “Circles,” “Slow Dancing,” and “Next Time I’ll Be Better.”

The album will also feature the new studio recording of “One In Love,” along with new music written by my producer and collaborator Lance Jyo, including “Moments,” which Lance wrote especially for me, and “Back To You,” a duet with my longtime friend and vocalist Rachel Gonzales. The album will also include “Christmas In Our Hearts” as a bonus track.

Rounding out the project are three songs on which Lance and I collaborated: “I’ll Always See You,” “If We Believe,” and “Keep Believin’.”

So here we are, more than 40 years after Charlene and I sat together on that rainy afternoon writing “Hold Me Thru Tomorrow” — both still creating, both still recording, and both preparing to share more music with the world.

Some Connections Are Meant to Last

Our reunion reminded me that while life can take friends in different directions, the bonds created through friendship and music don’t necessarily disappear. Sometimes they’re simply waiting to be rediscovered.

Charlene and I ended our conversation with a promise that this time we won’t allow decades to pass before reconnecting again! We intend to stay much more closely in touch, support one another and our respective music projects through social media, and hopefully arrange an in-person visit sometime soon.

And who knows where that might lead?

For now, I’m simply grateful to Ryan McKenna for helping two old friends find each other again—and grateful that a friendship and musical collaboration that began so many years ago has unexpectedly found a new chapter.

After all these years, it seems especially fitting that the song we wrote together was called “Hold Me Thru Tomorrow.”

Somehow, tomorrow finally brought us back together.

Listen to “Hold Me Thru Tomorrow” on Spotify!