Gloria Loring facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gloria Loring
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Loring in 1969
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Gloria Jean Goff
December 10, 1946 New York City, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1961–present |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2, including Robin Thicke |
Gloria Loring-Lagler, born Gloria Jean Goff on December 10, 1946, is a talented American singer and actress. Many people know her for playing the character Liz Chandler on the TV show Days of Our Lives. She was on the show for six years, from 1980 to 1986, and returned briefly in 2024.
Gloria also had a very popular song called "Friends and Lovers". She sang this duet with Carl Anderson. It became a huge hit in 1986, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart.
Contents
Early Life
Gloria Jean Goff was born in New York City. Her mom, Dorothy Ann, was a singer. Her dad, Gerald "Buzzy" Goff, was a professional trumpet player. He played with famous bands like the Tommy Dorsey big band.
Music and TV Career
Gloria Loring started her music journey when she was just 14 years old. She sang with a folk group called Those Four. Her first album, Today, came out in 1968. She released several songs, but they didn't become big hits at first.
Early TV Appearances
In the late 1960s and 1970s, Gloria appeared on many television shows. She was on The Carol Burnett Show and even performed at the Academy Awards ceremony. In 1977, she released a song called "Brooklyn" under the name Cody Jameson. This song became her first to appear on the music charts.
Theme Songs and Collaborations
In 1978 and 1979, Gloria and her husband at the time, Alan Thicke, wrote theme songs for popular TV shows. They created the catchy tunes for Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. Gloria sang two different versions of the Facts of Life theme song during the show's run.
Helping Others with Diabetes
In 1979, Gloria's son, Brennan, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. This inspired her to help raise money for diabetes research. She joined Days of Our Lives in 1980 and had an idea. She created and published the Days Of Our Lives Celebrity Cookbook.
These cookbooks, along with her song "A Shot in the Dark", raised over $1 million. This money went to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). She also wrote three more books about living with diabetes. For over 30 years, she has been a spokesperson for JDRF.
Days of Our Lives Role
When Gloria joined Days of Our Lives in 1980, she played the character Liz Chandler. Her character quickly became a favorite among fans. She stayed on the show as a main character until 1986. She even returned for a guest role in December 2024.
"Friends and Lovers" Success
In 1986, Gloria had a huge hit song called "Friends and Lovers". She sang it as a duet with Carl Anderson. This song reached number two on the pop charts and number one on the adult contemporary charts in the U.S.
Gloria first sang "Friends and Lovers" on Days of Our Lives. Fans loved it so much that NBC received a huge amount of mail about the song. Even though she recorded it in 1985, it took a year for the song to be released as a single.
After leaving Days of Our Lives in 1986, Gloria focused more on theater and her music. While "Friends and Lovers" was her biggest hit, she continued to release albums. In 2008, she released A Playlist, which included a new recording of "Friends and Lovers" with Carl Anderson, just a year before he passed away.
Her Book
In 2012, Gloria released a book called Coincidence Is God's Way of Remaining Anonymous. It's a spiritual autobiography that shares how amazing coincidences changed her life.
Film and TV Shows
Gloria Loring has appeared in several movies and television shows throughout her career.
Movies
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Once Upon a Coffee House | Betty's Friend | Feature film |
| 2016 | Heavenly | Johnnie | Short film (independent) |
Television Shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | The Carol Burnett Show | Herself - performed Goin' Out of My Head" | Episode: "Lucille Ball, Tim Conway and Gloria Loring" (S1:E4) |
| 1968 | The Carol Burnett Show | Jennifer (Valley of the Dollars sketch) | Episode: "Dionne Warwick and Jonathan Winters" (S1:E19) |
| The Ed Sullivan Show | Herself - performed "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" | Episode: Unknown | |
| 1977 | The Bobby Vinton Show | Herself - performed "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" with Bobby Vinton | Episode: Unknown (the show was syndicated in the U.S.) |
| 1980–1986, 2024 | Days of Our Lives | Liz Chandler Curis | Daytime serial (contract role 1980-1986); (guest role 2024) |
| 1984 | Fantasy Island | Charlene Hunt | Episode: "Mermaid and the Matchmaker/The Obsolete Man" |
| 1985 | Hotel | Adrianne Fitzpatrick | Episode: "Distortion" |
| 1987 | Convicted: A Mother's Story | Kate Devers | TV movie (NBC) |
| Mike Hammer | Marian Collins | Episode: "Deadly Collection" | |
| Police Story | Kate Devers | TV movie | |
| Another World | Herself | Episode: #5970 | |
| 1989 | Murder, She Wrote | Margo Bowman | Episode: "Weave a Tangled Web" |
| Freddy's Nightmares | Ellen Kramer | Episode: "Heartbreak Hotel" | |
| Living Dolls | Liz Wyler | Episode: "The Flash Is Always Greener" | |
| 1993 | Saved by the Bell: The College Years | Mrs. Burke | Episode: "The Homecoming" |
| 1994 | Burke's Law | Sam | Episode: "Who Killed the Starlet?" |
| Silk Stalkings | Sable Shannon | Episode: "... Wars" | |
| 1995 | Renegade | Melissa Dixon | Episode: "Sins of the Father" |
| 1996 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Mrs. Cleveland | Episode: "Fearless" |
| Renegade | Melissa Dixon | Episode: "For Better, For Worse" | |
| 1997 | Renegade | Melissa Dixon | Episode: "The Bad Seed" |
| 2014 | Correcting Christmas (original title was Back to Christmas) | Robin | TV movie |
| 2016 | Growing Up Viral | Gram | TV movie (Disney XD) |
| TBA (pending) | I Love You But | Ruby | TV series |
Music Videos
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Friends and Lovers (Gloria Loring and Carl Anderson song) | Duet with Carl Anderson |
Personal Life
Gloria Loring was married to actor Alan Thicke from 1970 to 1986. They have two sons together: Brennan and the singer Robin.
Gloria has received special awards for her work. She was honored with the Lifetime Commitment Award from JDRF. She also received the Woman of Achievement Award from the Miss America Organization.
Music Albums
Here are some of the music albums Gloria Loring has released:
- 1968: Today (MGM Records)
- 1970: And Now We Come to Distances (Evolution Records)
- 1972: Sing a Song for the Mountain (Evolution Records)
- 1984: A Shot in the Dark (Glitz Records)
- 1986: Gloria Loring (Atlantic Records); includes "Friends and Lovers" with Carl Anderson
- 1988: Full Moon/No Hesitation (Atlantic Records)
- 1991: Is There Anybody Out There (Silk Purse); includes a solo version of "Friends and Lovers"
- 1999: Turn The Page (Silk Purse)
- 2000: By Request (Silk Purse); includes an acoustic recording of "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love"
- 2001: Friends and Lovers (Silk Purse)
- 2003: You Make It Christmas (Silk Purse)
- 2008: A Playlist (Silk Purse); she and Carl Anderson re-recorded "Friends and Lovers" for this project
