Growing Pains star Alan Thicke, was a major turning point in his life.
The singer tells PEOPLE in this week s issue, on newsstands Friday, that losing his father due to a heart attack in 2016 made him decide to put everything aside in order to focus on his then 6-year-old son Julian, whom he shares with ex-wife Paula Patton. Get push notifications with news, features and more. + Follow
Following You ll get the latest updates on this topic in your browser notifications. I wasn t in a good place when he passed, and I wasn t in a better place right after, Thicke says. However, a few months later, I decided to dedicate my time to raising my son, and that really was a big turn for me. Instead of focusing on my music, I focused on my son. That s how I got through that period.