Grammy Winner Behind a Heartbreaking '80s Classic Turns 82 Today

Billy Vera, the singer-songwriter behind one of the most emotional songs of the 1980s, is turning 82 today.

Born May 28, 1944, Vera spent decades building a career as a performer, songwriter, producer, actor and music historian before his signature hit, "At This Moment," finally turned him into a household name in 1987.

Long before that breakthrough, Vera was already deeply connected to the music industry. During the 1960s, he wrote songs for artists including Barbara Lewis, Fats Domino, The Shirelles and Ricky Nelson.

He also found success as a recording artist alongside gospel singer Judy Clay with "Storybook Children," which is widely considered one of the first interracial love songs to chart in the United States.

But Vera's biggest moment arrived years later with "At This Moment."

The song was originally released in 1981 by Billy Vera & The Beaters and barely cracked the charts, peaking at No. 79 on the Billboard Hot 100. Everything changed after the song was featured during an emotional breakup storyline on Family Ties involving Alex P. Keaton, played by Michael J. Fox, and Ellen Reed, played by Fox's future wife, Tracy Pollan.

The episode that featured the song was the season 5 episode called "Starting Over" and it aired on October 2, 1986.

Viewers flooded NBC and radio stations asking about the song, leading Rhino Records to re-release it. In January 1987, "At This Moment" climbed all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts.

In a 2010 interview, Vera explained that the song was inspired by heartbreak after a relationship ended.

"I put the song away and, a year later when she dumped me, I knew how the song would end," Vera recalled.

Vera later said he realized something extraordinary was happening after the famous Family Ties episode aired.

"NBC told Rhino they'd never had as many calls on a song in the history of the network," said Vera.

The success of "At This Moment" opened even more doors for Vera. He appeared in films and TV shows including The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai, Blind Date and Beverly Hills, 90210, while also performing theme songs for shows including Empty Nest and The King of Queens.

Over the years, Vera also became highly respected as a music historian and archival producer. In 2013, he won a Grammy Award for Best Album Notes for Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles, a box set celebrating Ray Charles.

Today, "At This Moment" is remembered as one of the most iconic breakup ballads of the 1980s.

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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 7:13 AM.