Canadian singer Corey Hart is to give his first public performance in more a decade during Toronto’s Gay Pride events in a collaboration with the Kingston, Ont., DJ 1Love.

Hart has fielded requests from numerous artists, including Sean (P. Diddy) Combs and Nelly Furtado, to create new versions of his hits such as Sunglasses at Night and Never Surrender, but has seldom agreed.

However, a letter from 1Love asking for a shot at remixing Truth Will Set U Free into a cool club mix hit a nerve with Hart, who dropped away from the music business more than 10 years ago to raise a family with his wife, Julie Masse.

The song, Truth Will Set U Free, from Hart’s 1988 album Young Man Running, was written with two gay friends in mind, Hart said.

“Truth Will Set U Free is about honesty. My philosophic belief that ultimately being true to yourself is liberating, with every individual’s inalienable right to be who they are without fear or recrimination,” he said.

“Above these universal themes Truth Will Set U Free is also a song composed for those who were born gay. I am a straight man so I do not profess to understand or know what a LGBT person experiences but I do recognize injustice when I see it.”

Now Hart has returned to the studio to record with DJ 1Love, creating his first single in 12 years and he will perform at Gay Pride events around the world.

Hart talked to CBC’s Zulekha Nathoo about his return to the spotlight and why 1Love’s story convinced him it was time to step up.

"I'm looking forward to it, but I'm nervous about it because I haven't done it in a long time. So I'm hoping it's like riding a bicycle. Once I get back on, I'll be fine," he said.