Now, the world don't move to the beat of just one drum,
What might be right for you, may not be right for some.
A man is born, he's a man of means.
Then along come two, they got nothing but their jeans.

But they got, Diff'rent Strokes.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.

Everybody's got a special kind of story
Everybody finds a way to shine,
It don't matter that you got not alot
So what,
They'll have theirs, and you'll have yours, and I'll have mine.
And together we'll be fine....

Because it takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.
Yes it does.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.

Ms Loring transcended time and space. The artistic truth, the implosion and explosion of life in her voice, the inner feelings she shared freely and honestly with her audience, her taste in music and repertoire selection, her perfect interpretation and story-telling style of her songs blend together in utmost charm, up lifting feelings, splashes of hope and ray of dreams coming true and heart touching  illustration of events and moments we recognize, we go through and sense  in our daily lives...They blend perfectly and eloquently. Yet, Ms Loring's eloquence does not alienates us, on the contrary, it invites us to rethink what really counts in our lives, what makes the world breathe around us and over horizons we wish to explore. Ms Loring creates an enchanting world we wish to visit, yet we hesitate for a while, for the beauty, warmth and excellence she molds her songs with, appear for a while as dreams and unreachable fantasy, and we hesitate to go one step further. But that world of Ms Loring is what exactly we need, if we want to explore the depth of the human nature, laugh at the irony of destiny and wait for a brighter sun. Her songs are therapeutic. They heal our wounds and sorrow. Her voice is so truthfully beautiful, beautiful to a point where we begin to wonder " Do all those speeches of politicians and lectures of fake prophets are really necessary and important?", and "Why the world of humans does not feed on affection, truth, beauty and music?" This lady is the prophet, the healer and the supra super Diva of the contemporary American song.

Betty Garrett, Florence Henderson, Roberta Linn and Gloria Loring at the "Fabulous Ladies of Song", concert in 2002.

GLORIA LORING: HER LIFE, BOOKS, MUSIC AND STARDOM

She did it all with class, beauty, intelligence, style, talent, unique creativity, guts  and warmth. And she excelled in everything she accomplished. Grande Dame Loring is a published author, a national speaker, a world-class actress, an international celebrity, a star of the American cinema and television, a leading figure of the American theater and concert halls, a singer, a composer, a lyricist, a songwriter, a producer,  a certified yoga teacher, a member of Who's Who in America and The World Who's Who of Women and a  humanitarian.  This woman is almost 99.99% perfect. This is the kind of people who create and shape the greatness of a nation. This is the vintage of noble souls, warm hearts  and bright minds who  make the sun rise and  shine over the hills, the prairies and the faces of people we love...And this is the kind of human beings who  at every dawn, make the wild roses bloom in the valley and on the landscape of the human psyche.

 Dame Loring is a national treasure at so many levels. But her perfection, beauty, kindness and unsurpassed creativity scare the hell out of me! How true and painfully alarming it is for some people who pause for a moment in their lives,  before the the front head of destiny and drop one single tear wondering what would happen to  the world of human beings, when people Like Gloria Loring are no longer around us. Would the providence, the creator or gods flirt  once again with the sons and daughters of men and send to earth, angels, mecenes and loving  creative artists to nourish the soil of human nature and enrobe our world with beauty, goodness, talents and generosity? I wonder. And  I did wonder a lot every time I met and left people who brought lights and shadow to our eyes, beautiful music to our ears and warm helping hands to all those who needed help and did not ask for it, for their pain and pride were bigger than their sufferings and needs. Diva Loring is one of the most magnificent artists, talented singers/songwriters, humanitarians and loving human beings you will ever meet in your lifetime. Diva Loring is this kind and vintage of people I am talking about and honoring. What a treasure she is! Gloria Loring was born Gloria Jean Goff on December 1946 in New York City to   parents who were musically talented. Her professional singing career began  at the age of 14 with the 60s folk group "Those Four" and  made her acting debut when she appeared on "The Merv Griffin Show", short after  to be followed by hundreds of  singing spots and acting performances on  many and different television stations nationwide, as well as a great number of  talk and variety shows across the country, such as: "The Tonight Show," "The Ed Sullivan Show," "The Carol Burnett Show" , "The Dean Martin Show", the Emmy Awards and the Academy Awards.

As a humanitarian and  an author, Ms Loring authored several books, to name a few: "THE KIDS, FOOD AND DIABETES FAMILY COOKBOOK" and  "PARENTING A CHILD WITH DIABETES". Also, Ms Loring created and published "The Days of Our Lives Celebrity Cookbook" to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, where she served as a a national spokesperson. This delightful  cookbook along with  her  album  "Shot in the Dark" raised over $1 million for juvenile diabetes research. Her second book "The Kids, Food and Diabetes family cookbook,  was a national success and was written with the noble intention of raising money for JDRF. An updated version, titled "Parenting a Child With Diabetes", was released last year.  She is very well  known for her role as Celebrity Chairman of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Just recently, a CD ROM version called "Cook'N for Diabetics" was made available, underwritten by a grant from KitchenAid. Her numerous charitable contributions and efforts, particularly on behalf of diabetes research, have been acknowledged  with so many humanitarian awards. In 1999, JDFI recognized her with their "Lifetime Commitment Award" and she was awarded the 1999 "Woman of Achievement Award" by the Miss America Organization and  the "Woman of the Year" award by the Jewelers' Association.

GLORIA LORING: THE SINGER AND SONGWRITER

From T to B: "THE KIDS, FOOD AND DIABETES FAMILY COOKBOOK": This cookbook of over 200 delicious recipes is entirely devoted to the needs of families living with diabetes. The recipes are divided into breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack sections for quick reference. The cookbook was developed with the assistance of a nutritionist and includes calorie counts, nutritional information and food exchanges. "PARENTING A CHILD WITH DIABETES": "This is a superb book that should be of tremendous benefit to all parents of diabetic children. The author presents complex issues in simple but accurate language that everyone can understand and conveys a spirit of hope throughout the book.", wrote  Paul Lacey, M.D., Robert L. Kroc, Professor of Pathology, Washington University School of Medicine. A few months after joining "Days", Ms Gloria Loring noticed that the actors often traded recipes. "I thought a celebrity cookbook would not only be a great souvenir for the fans, but would also be a great way to raise money for research." said Ms Loring. After thirteen months of work, The Days of Our Lives Celebrity Cookbook was born. The first book was such a success that a second volume was published two years later in 1983. Then in 1985, Ms Gloria Loring formed her own record company and released an album for the benefit of JDF. That album, "A Shot in the Dark", along with the cookbooks, raised over $1,000,000 for diabetes research.

As a superb singer and a world-class composer/songwriter: Gloria Loring was born Gloria Jean Goff in New York City to   parents who were musically talented. Her professional singing career began  at the age of 14 with the 60s folk group "Those Four" and  from the time young Gloria Loring started school, she sang in every choir she could find. She took the professional name "Loring" later on, as it just sounded better. With a musician for a mom and a singer for a dad, young Gloria was surrounded by music while growing up. "I'd mimic the singers on TV and we'd always sing songs in the car," she said. "I learned harmonies when I was very young." At 18, she auditioned to sing at the Playboy Club in New York and got the job. An agent then booked her into clubs in the area.

Her break came with an appearance on TV's "Merv Griffin Show." Diva Loring  recorded nine albums. The first one was  in early 1968.  She co-wrote the theme songs to the successful TV sitcoms "Different Strokes" and "Facts of Life." She was applauded and admired by millions and millions around the globe for memorable performances and appearances  on the TV hit  show "Days of Our Lives", where  for six and half years she sang weekly as "Liz Chandler". Ms Gloria Loring is one of the most pure musical talents in mainstream pop today.", wrote Los Angeles Times' Don Heckman. She's been described as having "one of the best vocal instruments in pop music since the salad days of Barbra Streisand." As a singer, doing pop concerts or performing with a symphony orchestra Ms Loring has been recording songs and performing on tours  all over North America, Europe and  Australia and encompassed recordings, concert tours, appearances on stage, television and radio for over three decades.  She toured the U.S. and Canada as "Reno Sweeney" in Cole Porter's musical "Anything Goes." And over the years, she shared the stage with world's celebrities and  giants such as  Bill Cosby, Mel Torme, Frank Sinatra, the Pointer Sisters, and Jazz great, Al Jarreau. And she was superb! First class. La crème de la crème. Her versatile singing voice  and multifaceted songwriting skills  made her a legend in pop music culture. Her song "What've You Got to Lose," co-written with Eric Kaz, was used in the film "Inside Moves.". Her popular song "Friends and Lovers" performed with Carl Anderson on the  "Days of our Lives" show  became an immense national  hit. As a  songwriter, she co-wrote the theme songs for the hit series, "Diff'rent Strokes" and "Facts of Life." Her recordings have featured such great talents as George Duke, Bobby Caldwell, Jeffrey Osborne, Deniece Williams, Howard Hewitt, Bill Champlin (of Chicago) and The Nylons. In 1977, she recorded a song called “Brooklyn” with producer Mike Post. Although it was never intended, the finished record sounded perfect for the country market. To counteract Gloria’s pop image, they released it under the name Cody Jameson. It became a country hit. 1988 saw a return tour of Australia and the release of her second album for Atlantic Records. Produced by George Duke, "Full Moon/No Hesitation" featured some of the finest talents in the music industry as backup for Gloria Loring's vocals. Bobby CaIdwell, Jeffrey Osborne, Deniece Williams, Howard Hewitt, Bill Champlin (of Chicago) and the Nylons added the perfect framing for Gloria Loring's largely self-penned songs."Song of my Father" was written in 1988 with jazz great George Duke. It was previously released on Gloria's CD "Full Moon/No Hesitation." This new version features string quartet "Little Emo," and Larry Steelman, Gloria's pianist/musical director of thirteen years. Larry has also played for Johnny Mathis, Jennifer Warnes, and Natalie Cole. His CD, "Free Zone," is on Primavera Records. Lori has gold and platinum records for songs she's written for Girlfriend and Marta Sanchez, plus she's written for Keb Mo's Grammy Award-winning CD, and world-wide artists such as Trini Lopez, Vanna Vanna, Mark Winkler, and In Motion. Her CD, "Sensuel," is on Cherimoya Records. "Twenty Years Girltime" was written with David Pomeranz. David wrote two major hits for Barry Manilow "Trying to Get the Feeling Again" and "The Old Songs," as well as songs for Bette Midler, Kenny Rogers, Kenny Loggins, and Donna Summer.

When the music lover, the songs connoisseur and the truthful artist think of the great American ladies of song, great names like Nina Simone, Judy Garland, Doris Day, Lena Horne and Gloria Loring shines before your very eyes. Chuck Southcott, Vice President-Programming Music of Your Life Radio Network wrote: "When one thinks of the American ladies of songs, the names Ella, Sarah, Barbra and Judy immediately come to mind. The magical combination of vocal instrumentation, interpretation and tremendous empathy with the audience have become the hallmarks of that greatness. Among the very few who fit that definition today would be Gloria Loring. This lovely lady of song has the amazing ability to not only mesmerize the listener with her sensitivity to the lyric, but also amaze with the power of her vocal instrument. No matter the venue, hearing Gloria Loring is a memorable experience. " Grammy Award winner singer Darlene Koldenhoven  wrote: "Every album you do gets better than the last and I can't figure out how that could be possible. Your singing on this one is so wonderfully sensitive and delicate. Everything fits together. Larry Steelman's playing is the best . . . sensitive to the singer and innovative in conversation. My favorite vocal rendition is song number 2, "Tonight I Celebrate." Also loved the medley arrangement of "How Do I LIve" and "Con Te Partiro."
 

Ms Loring's DISCOGRAPHY: 1-"Gloria Loring" MGM Records, 1968. 2-"And Now We Come to Distances," Evolution Records 1970. 3-"Sing a Song for the Mountain," Evolution Records 1972. 4-"A Shot in the Dark," Only Silk Records, 1983. 5-"Gloria Loring," Atlantic Records 1986. 6- "Full Moon/No Hesitation," Atlantic Records 1988. 7-"Is There Anybody Out There?" Silk Purse 1991. 8-"Turn the Page" Silk Purse Productions 1999. 9-"By Request" Silk Purse Productions 2000 . 10-"Friends and Lovers" Silk Purse Productions 2002. 11-"You Make It Christmas," Silk Purse Productions

The story of her recent CD "By Request":

Grande Dame Loring's most recent CD release (her ninth), “By Request,” features fourteen familiar and well-loved songs recorded in response to email requests from around the world. Beginning with “I Get a Kick Out of You” and culminating with a haunting version of “Winds Beneath My Wings,” this project offers an intimate conversation and a direct warm rapport between Ms Loring  and the listeners.  Each song in her CD, “Turn the Page ”relates to a chapter in her life. How did the album come about? Ms Gloria Loring  explains: " The song list was assembled from dozens of email requests which began, "I loved the song you sang called ... Did you ever record it?" I kept having to say, "no, I didn't record that one." I noticed that the same songs kept getting requested again and again. It was just after the death of my mother last April that the idea popped into my head that I should record the songs people most wanted to hear. I compiled a list of the most requested songs and sent an email asking fans to vote for their favorites.

The winners include :I Get a Kick Out of You. Tonight I Celebrate My Love For You.  Here, There and Everywhere . As Time Goes By.  Once Upon a Time . You Were Always on My Mind . Quiet Please, There's a Lady on Stage . How Do I Live Without You/Con Te Partiro . Wind Beneath My Wings. The biggest challenge for Ms Loring  in making this particular recording was selecting what didn’t end up on the final release  of the track. . She explains that in the era of email, many of her fans contacted her directly to ask about certain songs she had performed on "Days". Often it was the same songs that were requested. This CD, is a direct result of those requests for recordings of those performances.  Because of the number of requests that didn’t make it onto this CD, Ms Loring intends  that a forthcoming  CD might satisfy the requests of her fans around the world.  Ms Loring adds: It's the first project I've ever done from requests. Also both my mother and father passed on around the time I was working on this and it gave several songs a special poignancy. "Con Te Partiro" (Andrea Bocelli's version) was played at my mothers' funeral just two weeks after I performed it for the first time at a symphony concert in Washington, DC. "Wing Beneath My Wings" is for my dad, who struggled for twenty years with Parkinson's disease. He was a trumpet player in the big band era and so I featured a trumpet solo on that song. Each song evokes deep feelings in me. Asking Diva Loring  of all the songs she sung over the years, which ones are dearest to her heart, Ms Loring replied: Probably "Friends and Lovers" because it was such a struggle to get it released as a record and so the joy of seeing it hit #1 will always be with me ", "Quiet Please", and "There's a Lady on Stage" because it reminds of the night I saw Judy Garland "rise to the occasion" and triumph over a skeptical audience. "Always on My Mind" is a favorite too, because it so beautifully captures the sadness of regret.

Loring's life in her songs in "Turn the Page". A singing style nourished with warmth, beauty and unsurpassed talent.

The songs written by Ms Loring are very personal and intimate. They  reflect  her direct relationships with  meaningful events  in her life. They have deeply influenced her musical talent and repertoire selection. Those events were the major source of  inspiration for her overwhelming artistic creativity. Life with its blows, sorrow and joy. Life with its daily ups and downs and deeply rooted memories  asking the artist to acknowledge them and send them free on sheets of music materialize with candor, bleeding truth, refined musical virtuosity and a  Ms Loring's voice out of this world. There is so much depth, human substance, inner feelings and sublime artistic and vocal talents in the songs of Diva Loring.

As a television and stage actress and celebrity, in 1980, she landed the role of Liz Chandler on the NBC's daytime soap opera "Days of Our Lives" for six and a half years. And this was  her first acting job. During that time, she secured a place in the hearts of the daytime audience. Her weekly singing on "Days" generated a non-stop flow of fan mail and her acting talent enabled her to become one of the most popular actresses in American daytime TV history. In 1986, "Days" fans assisted in giving Gloria a #1 record, "Friends and Lovers," a duet with Carl Anderson.  She starred in several shows such as: "Blame it on the Movies," winning the hearts  of audiences and  rave reviews across the nation, the San Francisco production of "Star Dust," directed by Tony Award winner Henry LeTang, the "Queen of the Soaps," which won a DramaLogue Award in Los Angeles, the Tony Award winner George Furth's "Music Minus One." On television, Grande Dame Loring has been a special guest star on numerous shows and movies-of-the-week on all the major networks. She also hosted the television series, “From the Heart” along with joining the Pointer Sisters in a Showtime TV Special, and helped create the good vibrations of the “Beach Boys 25th Anniversary Special”. Also, she appeared in 2002, on “CD HWY,” the hot new music show on 154 PBS stations across the nation. In 1987, Ms Gloria Loring co-starred in two movies for television with Richard Crenna and Ann Jillian, joined the Pointer Sisters in a Showtime TV Special, and helped create the good vibrations of the Beach Boys 25th Anniversary Special. From there, Diva Gloria Loring went to Australia for her first concert tour of 27 sold-out shows. Her acting appearances include: Starring Roles Days of Our Lives (1965) - Liz Chandler (1980-1986). Guest Starring Roles Beverly Hills, 90210 - Mrs. Cleveland - Fearless (1996). Silk Stalkings - Sable Shannon - Whore Wars (1994), Saved by the Bell: The College Years - Mrs. Burke - The Homecoming (1993). Murder, She Wrote - Margo Bowman - Weave a Tangled Web (1989). Police Story - Kate Devers - The Freeway Killings (1987). American Bandstand - Guest - Gloria Loring & Carl Anderson (1986). Hotel - Adrian Fitzpatrick - Distortions (1985). Fantasy Island - - The Mermaid and the Matchmaker / The Obsolete Man (1984). Circus of the Stars - Performer - SPECIAL #7 (1982). The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson - Guest - 760527 (1976). The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour - Herself - Ray Charles, George Gobel, Gloria Loring (1970). The Ed Sullivan Show - Herself - Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass / Engelbert Humperdinck / Tiny Tim (1968). Kraft Music Hall - Herself - Ed McMahon / The Turtles / Flip Wilson (1968). The Carol Burnett Show - Herself - with Soupy Sales, Gloria Loring (1968). The Carol Burnett Show - Herself - with Richard Chamberlin, Gloria Loring (1967). The Carol Burnett Show - Herself - with Lucille Ball, Tim Conway, Gloria Loring (1967). The Carol Burnett Show - Herself. Crew Credits: The Facts of Life (1979) - Music. Diff'rent Strokes (1978) - Music.