POP INTERVIEW: Gloria Loring: “Days” Actress Extraordinaire (AKA. Robin Thicke’s Mom!)

Her son, Robin, is riding the Top 40 with his summer hit, “Blurred Lines.” Before he ever joined up with Pharell, his mom ruled the soaps on Days of Our Lives during the 80’s. A singer herself, she had a chart topper with “Friends and Lovers” and guest starred on shows such as Beverly Hills, 90210, Saved by the Bell and Fantasy Island. Loring’s book, Coincidence Is God’s Way of Remaining Anonymous, will be published this fall, and you can download her newest songs and old favorites on GloriaLoring.com.

Why weren’t you in the “Blurred Lines” music video? No sarcasm involved here. You would have been either great dancing or able to do something really funny in embarrassing your son in front of all those pretty women. I would have done the latter had I been in that situation!
I would never have thought of embarrassing my son, because there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. For me the video is about the way men project their fantasies onto beautiful women. Nothing wrong with that as long as they know how to take “no” for an answer. When I saw the video I told Robin how much I loved its playful nature. And I also loved knowing that Paula gave it her approval and that the director was a woman!

Robin appears on your album in a duet. Is it difficult recording a song with a family member?
No, not difficult at all. It was a very happy occasion, and I loved matching his vocal quality, finding the blend.

I never knew until now that you sang “The Facts of Life” theme song. I’m kind of embarrassed: I love singing it every so often when I’m alone. Do a lot of people come up to you and confess how much they love it too? The show is always in reruns gaining young fans.
I know! It’s been on the air more than 30 years. People are often surprised that I had a hand in writing it and that it’s my voice they’ve been listening to all this time.

Will you ever return to soap operas?
My new manager is intent on it! I actually think it would be fun. It’s familiar territory and I know I would enjoy it now as I did then.

Of your many TV guest spots, which was the most fun, and which had the strangest plot?
The most challenging one was the role of the woman who accuses James Brolin of raping her after someone else does. I had to dig deep for the reality of that unbalanced mental state. The most fun was playing Richard Crenna’s wife; he was so funny and kept us laughing between takes.

You were a guest on some very fun shows. Among them, was “Playboy After Dark.” Why do you believe we don’t have a glamorous show like that on the air today? Talk shows now are actually more risqué.
I think there is lots of attention on glamour with award shows, red carpets and fashion commentary. Playboy was a product of its times and seemed adventurous then, but television has pushed those boundaries way past what I could have imagined.

You do a lot for diabetes research. When you began volunteering for this cause, was diabetes fairly misunderstood by the public?
Yes, diabetes was a sidelined disease. All of us who have come forward and promoted the importance of research and educated self-care have brought it into the public’s view, and hastened the day when it no longer is America’s sixth leading cause of death.

What career moves are next up your sleeve?
There’s a new show we’re booking, some new music with my producer Ted Perlman, another book in the works, acting. I welcome all the creative opportunities that come my way. I plan to keep at it as long as I have breath.