“The Masked Singer” judge and singer Robin Thicke paid tribute to his late father, actor Alan Thicke, in the most special way.
The singer performed the “Growing Pains” theme song, “As Long As We Got Each Other,” as he kicked off the Wednesday, Oct. 5, episode of the show. Robin’s father starred in the family sitcom from 1985 to 1992.
In the video shared before the episode, Robin sang the song as part of the episode’s “TV Theme Night.” The performance is a nod to the show’s opening credits and shows throwback photos of the singer, as well as his “Masked Singer” co-stars Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong, Nicole Scherzinger and host Nick Cannon.
As the stars stood on stage, a photo of a young Robin with his father as Dr. Jason Seaver on the set of “Growing Pains” is shown on the big screen behind them. Robin had previously shared that same photo in 2021 after he released his album, “On Earth, and in Heaven.”
After his performance, McCarthy hugged him and said, “Robin, that was so good.” Cannon also added, “Give it up for my man Robin Thicke one more time, with an amazing tribute to America’s dad, and Robin’s dad, the unforgettable Alan Thicke.”
Alan died Dec. 13, 2016 after he suffered a heart attack. He was 69. The actor portrayed the Seaver family patriarch on “Growing Pains” for seven seasons, becoming a beloved figure in Hollywood.
Over the years, Robin has honored his late father on his birthdays and anniversary of his death. On Father's Day, he shared a photo of his dad carrying him when he was a young boy.
“Happy Father’s Day! Miss you Pops. Wish you could carry me home tonight. Haa,” he captioned his Instagram photo.
In February 2021, the “Blurred Lines” singer opened up how losing his father inspired his music.
“It’s cathartic for me. It’s therapeutic,” Robin told the Associated Press. “It helps me get through my tough times. It definitely helped me. If it helps me, then maybe it’ll help somebody else. Maybe it’ll comfort them.”