Fans of Days of our Lives are in for a wonderful treat next month. Actress Gloria Loring, who played the role of Liz Chandler in the 1980s and is also one half of the duet team that sang Kim (Patsy Pease) and Shane Donavan's (Charles Shaughnessy) love song, "Friends and Lovers," is releasing an EP called The Best of Me on Friday, September 18.
Loring has been recording the tracks featured on the EP for some time and says that she was inspired to "dig into the vaults" and release these poignant songs to offer a loving musical embrace to everyone affected by the life-changing world events of 2020.
"I feel these songs are right for this time, when everyone is going through difficult times, trying to stay in touch with the best of ourselves and trying hard every day not to get discouraged," she says. "During a time of great fractiousness, they speak to a good-heartedness. No matter how trying the circumstance, we have the opportunity to stop and change our reactive approach and bring the best of ourselves to the moment."
Loring has a long history in the music business, having joined the folk group Those Four when she was fourteen years old. She is co-composer to the television theme songs for Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life, and her song "Friends and Lovers" -- which she sang with the late Carl Anderson -- was a Billboard No. 2 Pop and No. 1 Adult Contemporary hit in 1986. Loring has also performed everything from classic rock and standards to Broadway and pop in clubs, performing arts centers, casinos, and fairs. Among her popular musical presentations were a tribute to the Streisand Songbook with The Palm Beach Pops Symphony and a musical show riffing off her success as a TV theme song writer called TV Tunes. In addition, she has sung on the Emmy Awards, American Music Awards, Golden Globes, and Academy Awards.
In 2003, Loring released her first holiday album, You Make It Christmas, and in 2008, she released A Playlist, which included a new recording of the song "Friends and Lovers" with Anderson, recorded one year before he died.
As for acting, Loring played the role of DAYS' Liz from 1980 to 1986. As fans may recall, the character was heavily involved with the DiMera clan, as she was married to Tony (Thaao Penghlis). She also had a long relationship with Neil Curtis (Joseph Gallison).
Check out a video recording of "Friends and Lovers" below and let us know what you think about Loring releasing new music in our Comments section below.
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