Medeiros originally released the song on a small independent label at the age of 16 in 1986, after winning a local radio talent contest at KIKI in his hometown of Honolulu. Jay Stone, the program director and future producer of the song convinced Glenn to record it and make it his first release as Benson's "The Greatest Love Of All" had been a No. 1 hit for Whitney Houston earlier that year. Guy Zapoleon, program director of KZZP in Phoenix was on vacation in Honolulu where his friend Jay Stone asked him to listen to the song on KIKI. Guy loved the song and took the record back to Phoenix, where it debuted on KZZP in October 1986. By January 1987 the song hit No. 2 for four weeks, then through word of mouth to other program directors, the airplay spread with other stations having top 5 success with the song and by June 1987 the song had become a national hit.