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Growing Pains star Alan Thicke dies aged 69
Canadian actor Alan Thicke, best known for his leading role in the 1980s family sitcom 'Growing Pains' and as the father of R&B singer Robin Thicke, died on Tuesday
Alan Thicke was also a popular host for television events, including the Emmy Awards, and a prolific composer of television theme songs (Photo: Reuters)
Alan Thicke, the Canadian actor best known for his role as the father in the 1980s sitcom Growing Pains as well as being the father of singer Robin Thicke, has died at age 69, a source close to the family said on Tuesday.
The Los Angeles Times, quoting Robin Thicke’s publicist, said the actor died of a heart attack.
A source close to the family told Reuters news agency by telephone that Thicke had a heart attack and was transported to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Centre, where he was pronounced dead.
Grammy award nominated Robin Thicke told the Los Angeles Times newspaper that his father was playing hockey with another of his sons, 19-year-old Carter Thicke, when he suffered the heart attack.
“I saw him a few days ago and told him how much I loved and respected him,” Thicke told the newspaper, adding that his father was an inspiration for his own musical career. “The good thing was that he was beloved and he had closure.”
Thicke starred as Dr Jason Seaver in the ABC series Growing Pains, which aired from 1985 until 1992. The Canadian-born actor had a prolific career, including cameos in recent years on the comedy How I Met Your Mother.
More recently Thicke appeared in Fuller House, a remake of the popular 1990s family sitcom.
He was also the composer of several popular theme songs, including the original theme to The Wheel of Fortune, and shows such as The Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes.
