[1] Growing up in Calgary, Alberta, Dean first started out playing washtub bass at the age of 12, followed by a plastic wind-up ukulele, which he received for Christmas at 13.

[1] Dean's early musical influences included Duane Eddy, Luther Perkins, Hank Marvin, The Ventures, The Fireballs, Johnny and the Hurricanes, and later Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Boston.

[1][2] Dean's first bands included Cannonball, the Great Canadian River Race, Canada (later known as Canada-Fox) and Scrubbaloe Caine.

[5] Dean, along with singer Kenny Shields, keyboard player Daryl Gutheil, bassist Ken Sinnaeve and drummer Matt Frenette released their debut album Meanwhile Back in Paris in 1978.

In 1982, Dean won the "Composer of the Year" Juno Award along with Reno for writing "Turn Me Loose" from Loverboy's self-titled 1980 debut album.