Born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Thicke cut his teeth hosting game shows and daytime talk shows in Montreal. He got his break in Hollywood from Norman Lear who hired him to produce the short-lived satirical talk show Fernwood 2 Night. He also co-wrote the TV theme songs of The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes with his first wife singer Gloria Loring. Many decades later their son Robin Thicke would enjoy chart success with the song "Blurred Lines".
Thicke became a nationally known public figure as the host of the daytime talk show The Alan Thicke Show which aired on CTV from 1980-1983. On the strength of The Alan Thicke Show, Hollywood came beckoning again as he was invited to host the syndicated Thicke of The Night in the fall of 1983. Unable to compete against Johnny Carson, Thicke was out of a job in June 1984.
A year later, Thicke rebounded as the star of the ABC-TV series Growing Pains in which Dr. Jason Seaver joined the pantheon of TV Dads. The show made a star of Kirk Cameron and also launched the career of a young child actor named Leonardo DiCaprio.
Over the past quarter century, Thicke made appearance in numerous TV shows. Among his last appearances were in the pilot episode of the NBC TV series This is Us and the NetFlix series Fuller House.
Just over a week ago, Thicke offered words of wisdom to anti-Trump protesters urging them not to clog freeways. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter Thicke said, "But just to march in the streets and clog up traffic on a freeway in L.A. so people can't get hom, to me that not only sends the wrong message of disorganization and anarchy, but it's annoying and you lose people, you lose your base." Thicke went on to suggest that people organize through social media as Trump did.
The best way to end this is on a happy, cheesy note. Here is Thicke singing "Sweaty & Hot" at the 1988 Crystal Light Aerobic National Championship. R.I.P.
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