Gloria Loring
Encyclopedia
Gloria Loring is an American
singer and actress.
to the Academy Awards
ceremony.
In 1979 and 1980, Loring and then husband Alan Thicke
co-composed the theme songs to Diff'rent Strokes
and The Facts of Life
. The first season of Facts had the cast performing the theme, but the remainder of the run (1980–1988) featured Loring's rendition of the song which remains a strong memory for '80s sitcom devotees. There were two versions of the Facts of Life theme song that Loring sang. One version was used from seasons two through six and a second used from seasons seven to nine.
Her son Brennan was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1979. A year later, she joined 'Days of Our Lives
' and got the idea to create and self-publish the Days Of Our Lives Celebrity Cookbook to raise money for diabetes research. Volume One was published in 1981 and the followup Volume Two in 1983. The cookbooks, along with her recording A Shot in the Dark, raised more than one million dollars for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. She followed that success with three commercially published books, Kids, Food and Diabetes, Parenting a Child with Diabetes, and Living with Type 2 Diabetes: Moving Past the Fear. For the past 30 years, she has served as a spokesperson for JDRF.
In 1980, when Loring joined the NBC
daytime soap Days of Our Lives
as chanteuse Liz Chandler, the show was going through a dry spell at the time, with many veterans shown the door and many new faces alienating longtime fans. Of the nine new characters introduced in the 1980-1981 season, only Liz garnered a fan following, and was the only one to have her contract renewed. For three years, Loring dated Don Diamont
, the actor who played the corrupt, long-lost son of her TV husband Dr. Neil Curtis. (Diamont would go on to find daytime stardom on The Young and the Restless
as Brad Carlton
.)
In 1986, Loring scored a #2 Pop and #1 Adult Contemporary hit record in the United States with "Friends and Lovers
," with Carl Anderson
(also a #1 Country hit in 1986 for Eddie Rabbitt
and Juice Newton
under the title "Both to Each Other"). Loring originally performed "Friends and Lovers" on Days of Our Lives dating back more than a year before the track finally hit the charts. Her performance of the song generated the largest mail response of any song in NBC daytime history. First recorded as a duet with Anderson (who would himself appear on Days of Our Lives to sing the song with Loring) in 1985, the single would have to wait an entire year before its eventual 1986 release, due to legal hassles. Loring left Days that same year and made sporadic film and television appearances over the next few decades. Her main efforts were spent in theater and in her recording career (though "Friends and Lovers" was her only major hit single).
In 2003 Gloria released her first holiday album, You Make It Christmas. More recently Gloria has released "A Playlist" which includes a new recording of the song Friends and Lovers with Carl Anderson. Gloria made this recording just one year before Carl Anderson became sick and died.
Loring is currently completing a spiritual autobiography, Coincidence is God's Way of Remaining Anonymous, and working with musician and producer Ted Perlman on a new recording project.
player. Loring was married to actor Alan Thicke
(Growing Pains
) from 1970 until 1986. The marriage produced two sons, Brennan
and Robin
.
Robin started his own musical career as "Thicke". He has achieved success under his full name as a chart-topping R&B artist, and songwriter and producer for other artists, winning three Grammy Awards in the process. Robin married actress Paula Patton in 2005 after an eight-year relationship. Brennan married Kathleen "Dolly" MacDonald in 2007. They first met on the set of Days of Our Lives in 1985 playing children in the Christmas hospital scene. Brennan's son, Tyler, was born in May 2008, and Robin's son, Julian Fuego, was born April 2010.
In 1994, Loring married production designer René Lagler. They initially met 24 years earlier on the set of Glen Campbell
's variety series
. They met again on a plane in 1993, and Loring said she knew this was the man she was going to marry.
Loring has been honored with the Lifetime Commitment Award from JDRF, and received the Woman of Achievement Award from the Miss America Organization, an honor she shares with past recipients Barbara Bush, Roslyn Carter, and Hillary Clinton. She has been featured in Who's Who in America.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer and actress.
Career
Loring began her music career at age 14, singing with a folk group known as "Those Four". Gloria Loring released her first album in 1968. It was titled "Gloria Loring, Today" on MGM Records. She went on to perform on a wide range of television shows in the 70's, from The Carol Burnett ShowThe Carol Burnett Show
The Carol Burnett Show is a variety / sketch comedy television show starring Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, and Tim Conway. It originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 278 episodes and originated from CBS Television City's Studio 33...
to the Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
ceremony.
In 1979 and 1980, Loring and then husband Alan Thicke
Alan Thicke
Alan Thicke is a Canadian actor, songwriter, and game and talk show host. He is best known for his role as Jason Seaver, the patriarch on the ABC television series Growing Pains.- Early life :...
co-composed the theme songs to Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986...
and The Facts of Life
The Facts of Life (TV series)
The Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally ran on the NBC television network from August 24, 1979 to May 7, 1988. A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, the series' premise focused on Edna Garrett as she becomes a housemother at the fictional Eastland School, a prestigious...
. The first season of Facts had the cast performing the theme, but the remainder of the run (1980–1988) featured Loring's rendition of the song which remains a strong memory for '80s sitcom devotees. There were two versions of the Facts of Life theme song that Loring sang. One version was used from seasons two through six and a second used from seasons seven to nine.
Her son Brennan was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1979. A year later, she joined 'Days of Our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
' and got the idea to create and self-publish the Days Of Our Lives Celebrity Cookbook to raise money for diabetes research. Volume One was published in 1981 and the followup Volume Two in 1983. The cookbooks, along with her recording A Shot in the Dark, raised more than one million dollars for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. She followed that success with three commercially published books, Kids, Food and Diabetes, Parenting a Child with Diabetes, and Living with Type 2 Diabetes: Moving Past the Fear. For the past 30 years, she has served as a spokesperson for JDRF.
In 1980, when Loring joined the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
daytime soap Days of Our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
as chanteuse Liz Chandler, the show was going through a dry spell at the time, with many veterans shown the door and many new faces alienating longtime fans. Of the nine new characters introduced in the 1980-1981 season, only Liz garnered a fan following, and was the only one to have her contract renewed. For three years, Loring dated Don Diamont
Don Diamont
Don Diamont is an American actor, best known for his long-running portrayal of Brad Carlton on the CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless. In 1990, he was chosen as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by People Magazine, becoming the first daytime drama actor to receive the honor...
, the actor who played the corrupt, long-lost son of her TV husband Dr. Neil Curtis. (Diamont would go on to find daytime stardom on The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
as Brad Carlton
Brad Carlton
Bradley "Brad" Carlton was a fictional character on CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. Actor Don Diamont played the role since May 1985 until he departed the show in 1996 and returned on July 28, 1998. Diamont was temporarily replaced by Russell Todd in 1993. The character has also...
.)
In 1986, Loring scored a #2 Pop and #1 Adult Contemporary hit record in the United States with "Friends and Lovers
Friends and Lovers (song)
"Friends and Lovers" is the title of a popular song from 1986. The song was first recorded as a duet by Gloria Loring and Carl Anderson in 1985. That recording remained unreleased until the summer of 1986, when it was released shortly after a version by Juice Newton and Eddie Rabbitt hit country...
," with Carl Anderson
Carl Anderson (singer)
Carl Anderson was an American singer, film and theatre actor best known for his portrayal of Judas Iscariot in the Broadway and film versions of the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.-Early life:Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Anderson was one of 12 children of...
(also a #1 Country hit in 1986 for Eddie Rabbitt
Eddie Rabbitt
Edward Thomas "Eddie" Rabbitt was an American singer-songwriter and musician. His career began as a songwriter in the late 1960s, springboarding to a recording career after composing hits such as "Kentucky Rain" for Elvis Presley in 1970 and "Pure Love" for Ronnie Milsap in 1974...
and Juice Newton
Juice Newton
Judith Kay "Juice" Newton is an American Pop music and Country singer, songwriter and guitarist...
under the title "Both to Each Other"). Loring originally performed "Friends and Lovers" on Days of Our Lives dating back more than a year before the track finally hit the charts. Her performance of the song generated the largest mail response of any song in NBC daytime history. First recorded as a duet with Anderson (who would himself appear on Days of Our Lives to sing the song with Loring) in 1985, the single would have to wait an entire year before its eventual 1986 release, due to legal hassles. Loring left Days that same year and made sporadic film and television appearances over the next few decades. Her main efforts were spent in theater and in her recording career (though "Friends and Lovers" was her only major hit single).
In 2003 Gloria released her first holiday album, You Make It Christmas. More recently Gloria has released "A Playlist" which includes a new recording of the song Friends and Lovers with Carl Anderson. Gloria made this recording just one year before Carl Anderson became sick and died.
Loring is currently completing a spiritual autobiography, Coincidence is God's Way of Remaining Anonymous, and working with musician and producer Ted Perlman on a new recording project.
Life
Loring was born in New York City, New York, the daughter of Dorothy Ann (née Tobin), a singer, and Gerald Louis Goff, a salesman and trumpetTrumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
player. Loring was married to actor Alan Thicke
Alan Thicke
Alan Thicke is a Canadian actor, songwriter, and game and talk show host. He is best known for his role as Jason Seaver, the patriarch on the ABC television series Growing Pains.- Early life :...
(Growing Pains
Growing Pains
Growing Pains is an American television sitcom about an affluent family, residing in Huntington, New York, with a working mother and a stay-at-home psychiatrist father raising three children together, which aired on ABC from September 24, 1985 to April 25, 1992.-Synopsis:The show's premise is based...
) from 1970 until 1986. The marriage produced two sons, Brennan
Brennan Thicke
Brennan Thicke is the son of former Growing Pains co-star Alan Thicke and singer-actress Gloria Loring. He is also the older brother of singer Robin Thicke. He is married to Kathleen "Dolly" Thicke founder of Dolly Couture and has a son, Tyler Brennan Thicke born 15, May 2008...
and Robin
Robin Thicke
Robin Charles Thicke is an Award-winning American R&B singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and actor. Thicke's albums, which he previously released under the moniker Thicke, are noted for their feature of a predominantly R&B sound. Robin Thicke has penned hits for popular artists such as...
.
Robin started his own musical career as "Thicke". He has achieved success under his full name as a chart-topping R&B artist, and songwriter and producer for other artists, winning three Grammy Awards in the process. Robin married actress Paula Patton in 2005 after an eight-year relationship. Brennan married Kathleen "Dolly" MacDonald in 2007. They first met on the set of Days of Our Lives in 1985 playing children in the Christmas hospital scene. Brennan's son, Tyler, was born in May 2008, and Robin's son, Julian Fuego, was born April 2010.
In 1994, Loring married production designer René Lagler. They initially met 24 years earlier on the set of Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
's variety series
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour was an American network television music and comedy variety show hosted by singer Glen Campbell from January 1969 through June 1972 on CBS. He was offered the show after he hosted a 1968 summer replacement for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour...
. They met again on a plane in 1993, and Loring said she knew this was the man she was going to marry.
Loring has been honored with the Lifetime Commitment Award from JDRF, and received the Woman of Achievement Award from the Miss America Organization, an honor she shares with past recipients Barbara Bush, Roslyn Carter, and Hillary Clinton. She has been featured in Who's Who in America.
Discography
- Today, Gloria Loring - 1968 MGM Records (out of print)
- And Now We Come To Distances - 1970 Evolution Records (out of print)
- Sing a Song for the Mountain - 1972 Evolution Records (out of print)
- A Shot in the Dark - 1984 Glitz Records (out of print) This release includes the full version of "The Facts of Life"
- Gloria Loring - 1986 Atlantic Records (out of print) This release includes the original version of "Friends and Lovers" w/ Carl AndersonCarl Anderson (singer)Carl Anderson was an American singer, film and theatre actor best known for his portrayal of Judas Iscariot in the Broadway and film versions of the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.-Early life:Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Anderson was one of 12 children of...
- Full Moon/No Hesitation - 1988 Atlantic Records (out of print)
- Is There Anybody Out There - 1991 Silk Purse (out of print) This release includes a "solo" version of "Friends and Lovers"
- Turn The Page - 1999 Silk Purse (currently available)
- By Request - 2000 Silk Purse (currently available) This release includes an acoustic recording of "Tonight, I Celebrate my Love for You," the song adopted by Bo & Hope as their theme song on Days of Our LivesDays of our LivesDays of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
. - Friends and Lovers - 2001 Silk Purse (currently available)
- You Make it Christmas - 2003 Silk Purse (currently available)
- A Playlist - 2008 Silk Purse (currently available) Twenty-three years after the original recording of "Friends and Lovers," Gloria and Carl Anderson re-recorded the song for this project, just one year prior to his death.