Question: In Light of Day, who played siblings and band mates Joe and Patti Rasnick?
Last Question: What future talk-show host helped pen the theme song for The Facts of Life?
Answer: Alan Thicke
Tag Archives: Alan Thicke
Episode 7: Remembering Alan Thicke, George Michael, and Carrie Fisher
2016 was a notoriously brutal year as we have lost several entertainment icons of the ’80s. Unfortunately, the year ended with a flurry. Alan Thicke suddenly passed away on December 13. We were planning on doing a segment on him for the next podcast. The day before our planned recording, we received the news that George Michael died. So, we decided to do an episode on both stars. Then the following day, Carrie Fisher died. Now, what we have here is a tribute to 3 awesome entertainers. I should also note that moments after we finished recording this, we received news that Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher’s mother, had died. So, let’s Return to the ’80s and relive some happier times and memories. And please send us your thoughts about these stars in the comments below or you can email us at Returnto80s@gmail.com.
Alan Thicke (3/1/47-12/13/16)
Of course we know Alan Thicke as Jason Seaver on Growing Pains. However, he was also a songwriter for many shows, including Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life.
The multi-talented Thicke also hosted the game show Animal Crack-Ups, and also wrote and performed the theme song. Here is an opening segment of that show:
George Michael (6/25/63-12/25/16)
George Michael had a very successful career as both a member of Wham! and as a solo artist. Some of his highlights we cover are”
Wake me up Before You Go-Go
Careless Whisper
Last Christmas
One More Try
The day following George Michael’s death, this special tribute was made at a soccer match:
George Michael also had a great sense of humor. Here he is on the first ever, Carpool Karaoke with James Cordon:
Carrie Fisher (October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016)
Of course we know Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia from the Star Wars movies. She also starred as Meg Ryan’s best friend in When Harry Met Sally and played Tom Hanks’ wife in The ‘Burbs.
She was also a successful writer, publishing Postcards from the Edge in 1987, and just recently published The Princess Diarist.
There are a couple of interviews with Carrie Fisher on Late Night with David Letterman. The first part is from May 30, 1983, promoting Return of the Jedi. The second is from August 27, 1987, promoting her new book Postcards from the Edge.
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We’ll Be Right Back – Clips of Alan Thicke, George Michael, and Carrie Fisher
Hi Everybody, After all the devastating news over the past week, Robert and I have been preparing a special podcast episode. The regular Remember That Song and Quote of the Day segments will be back in 2017. In the meantime, here are a few videos of a happier time. Enjoy.
Although he was mainly known as Jason Seaver in Growing Pains, Alan Thicke also starred in this show, Animal Crack-Ups, which aired while he was still on Growing Pains. Not only did Thicke host this show, he wrote and sang the theme song. Here is the opening segment of an episode:
I’m sure all of you have been listening to a lot of Wham! and George Michael songs lately. Here is something a little different. James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke is enormously popular these days. As it so happens, George Michael appeared in the very first Carpool Karaoke. This is from Comic Relief in the U.K. in 2011. At the time, James Corden was best known as Smithy from Gavin and Stacey.
This scene begins with “Smithy” receiving a call from Lenny Henry at Comic Relief who asks him to head to BBC Television Centre to help record a charity single. For U.S. readers who may not know, Lenny Henry is a legendary comic in the U.K. Of course Corden is hilarious. But, this clip really shows George Michael’s sense of humor. ’80s fans may possibly recognize the songs that get played here…
Last but not least, here are a couple of appearances by Carrie Fisher on Late Night. These interviews are from:
May 30, 1983: promoting “Return of the Jedi”
August 27, 1987: promoting her new book “Postcards from the Edge”
Her interviews are always funny and honest (to say the least).
Follow @returntothe80sR.I.P. Alan Thicke (March 1, 1947 – December 13, 2016)
2016 has been absolutely brutal! I know that every year major celebrities, we grew up with, die. But, it seems like there have been an excessive amount of huge names that we lost this year. Alan Thicke is now the latest. Sadly, he passed away yesterday. What makes this even worse is that he suffered a heart attack while playing hockey with his 19 year old son Carter, and died at the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California. He was 69.
Obviously, we all know Alan Thicke from his role as Jason Seaver in the awesome family sitcom, Growing Pains. He was an awesome dad. He was funny and cool, but could still be strict. He was a great role model, and Alan Thicke really made this character shine. My earliest memory of him was in the second episode of the series when he went to a Bruce Springsteen concert with his son Mike (Kirk Cameron). Coming out of the concert, they were stopped by a television reporter who asked if they were father and son, and Jason embarrassed Mike by giving him a noogie on live TV.
Starring in Growing Pains was not his only television credit at the time. The multi-talented Thicke was also a TV theme song composer, along with his then-wife Gloria Loring. The songs he composed were iconic. He composed the themes for Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life.
He also composed game show theme songs, such as The Wizard of Odds (on which he also sang) The Joker’s Wild, the original theme to Wheel of Fortune, and several others.
He also wrote the song and appeared in the television show, Animal Crack-Ups from 1987-1989.
Thicke co-hosted the Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade (now the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade) with Joan Lunden from 1983 to 1990, when he was succeeded by Regis Philbin.
Over the years he has guested on several shows. Most recently, he had a guest spot on the new smash hit show, This Is Us.
Alan Thicke seemed like a class act, and all-around good guy.He will be sorely missed.
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