Debbie Gibson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Debbie Gibson
Gibson at the Cinema City Festival in March 2008
Born	Deborah Ann Gibson (1970-08-31) August 31, 1970 (age 54) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Singer songwriter actress television personality
Years active	1983–present
Musical career
Genres	Pop dance-pop pop rock freestyle
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Atlantic SBK/EMI SMEJ Dauman Music

Deborah Ann Gibson (born August 31, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She became famous at a young age. She released her first album, Out of the Blue, when she was just 16 years old. She wrote and produced most of the songs on it. This album had many popular songs and sold millions of copies.

One song, "Foolish Beat", made her the youngest female artist ever to write, produce, and sing a number-one hit song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her next album, Electric Youth, also sold millions and included another number-one song, "Lost in Your Eyes." Debbie wrote all her top 20 hit songs herself. In 1989, she was named Songwriter of the Year by ASCAP, sharing the award with Bruce Springsteen.

Debbie kept making music in the 1990s and 2000s. In 2006, her song "Say Goodbye" with Jordan Knight was popular on adult contemporary radio. In 2017, her duet with Sir Ivan, "I Am Peaceman," became her highest-charting song in over 25 years. Her 2020 song "Girls Night Out" was her first top five hit in 30 years. Besides music, she has also starred in many Broadway shows, like playing Eponine in Les Misérables and Sandy in Grease. She has also worked in television and movies.

Early Life and Beginnings

Debbie Gibson was born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 31, 1970. She grew up in Merrick, New York, on Long Island. She started learning piano from a famous American pianist named Morton Estrin.

Debbie graduated from Sanford H. Calhoun High School.

Music Career Highlights

In 1983, when Debbie was young, she sent a recording of her song "I Come From America" to a radio station contest. She won US$1,000. Her mother helped her get a loan to turn their family garage into a recording studio.

Becoming a Star (1986–1989)

Debbie Gibson in the late 1980s, when her music career began

After writing and producing her own songs for years, a demo tape of Debbie's music was shared with someone at Atlantic Records. Because of her song "Only in My Dreams," she got a record deal. She then started touring clubs across the United States.

Debbie spent much of 1986 and 1987 writing more songs and performing. Even while touring, she kept going to Calhoun High School and graduated with honors. Her mother, Diane Gibson, often went with her on tour.

Her first single, "Only in My Dreams", came out in December 1986. It became a top five hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1987. Because of this success, Atlantic Records and Debbie quickly finished her first album, Out of the Blue.

After "Only In My Dreams" did well, "Shake Your Love" was released and also reached the Billboard top five. The music video for "Shake Your Love" was choreographed by Paula Abdul.

In 1987, while performing in clubs, Debbie recorded Out of the Blue. She wrote, recorded, and produced it in just four weeks with producer Fred Zarr. Four songs from the album became top five hits: "Only in My Dreams", "Shake Your Love", "Out of the Blue", and the number-one hit "Foolish Beat". "Staying Together" also reached number 22. "Foolish Beat" set a record, making Debbie the youngest artist at 16 to write, produce, and perform a Billboard number-one song. This was noted in the 1988 Guinness Book of World Records. She is still the youngest female artist to have done this. Out of the Blue was a huge success, selling millions of copies by the end of 1988. She also had big concert tours in the UK and Asia.

Her music video collection, Out of the Blue, also sold very well. In October 1988, Debbie sang the national anthem for Game 1 of the Major League Baseball World Series.

Her second album, Electric Youth, came out in early 1989. It was number one on the Billboard 200 for five weeks. The first song from the album, "Lost in Your Eyes", was number one for three weeks. This made her the youngest female artist to have both a number-one album and a number-one single at the same time. She shared the 1989 ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Award with Bruce Springsteen. Other popular songs from the album included "Electric Youth" (number 11) and "No More Rhyme" (number 17). The Electric Youth album also sold millions of copies. She then went on a successful world tour.

Later Music and Acting (1990–Present)

Debbie recorded two more albums for Atlantic Records: Anything Is Possible (1990) and Body, Mind, Soul (1993). The title song from Anything Is Possible reached number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991.

In 1992, she sang "Sleigh Ride" for a charity album called A Very Special Christmas 2. This album was very popular and sold millions of copies.

In 1995, she signed with EMI's SBK Records and released Think with Your Heart. This album featured many piano and keyboard songs, often with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

After leaving EMI, Debbie started her own record label, Espiritu. Her sixth album, Deborah (1997), was a return to pop music. It included the song "Only Words," which became a Top-40 dance hit.

In 2001, she released her seventh album, M.Y.O.B., on her new label, Golden Egg. It featured songs like "What You Want" and "Your Secret."

In 2005, Debbie wrote and recorded "Someone You Love" with the O'Neill Brothers. They also made a new, acoustic version of her hit "Lost in Your Eyes." She toured with them in 2006.

Her song "Your Secret" became popular again on some radio stations in 2006. Also in 2006, her song "Say Goodbye" with Jordan Knight was very popular on adult contemporary radio. That same year, Debbie appeared in the movie Coffee Date and sang a song for its soundtrack called "Sounds Like Love."

In May 2007, a musical called Electric Youth: The Musical opened in Florida. It featured 14 of Debbie's songs. In September 2007, Debbie started Camp Electric Youth, a summer camp for kids who love to sing, act, and dance.

In May 2008, Debbie performed her 1980s hits and Broadway songs in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She also appeared on the cover of Lavender Magazine, an LGBT magazine.

On March 9, 2009, Debbie released a new song called "Already Gone" on her website. It came with a music video.

In 2010, her album Ms. Vocalist, released in Japan, reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Japan chart. On this album, Debbie covered Japanese pop songs and sang a Japanese/English version of "Lost in Your Eyes."

In January 2011, Debbie wrote, sang, and produced the song "Snake Charmer" for the movie Mega Python vs. Gatoroid. In the summer of 2011, she toured with fellow 1980s pop star Tiffany. In June 2011, Debbie appeared in Katy Perry's music video "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" with other guest stars. On August 27, 2016, Debbie starred in a Hallmark Channel movie called Summer of Dreams. She played a former pop star who becomes a choir director. She also recorded a song called "Wonderland" for the film.

In June 2017, her duet with Sir Ivan on "I Am Peaceman" reached number 26 on the Billboard Dance Club chart. In March 2019, Debbie hosted a special show on SiriusXM Radio's '80s on 8 channel to celebrate the 30th anniversary of her Electric Youth album. She played each song and shared personal stories about them.

In May 2019, Debbie joined the Mixtape Tour with Tiffany, Salt-N-Pepa, Naughty by Nature, and New Kids on the Block. On June 7, 2019, Debbie released a new pop song called "Girls Night Out". The music video was filmed in Las Vegas. The song reached number four on the Billboard Dance Club chart. On August 20, 2021, Debbie released The Body Remembers, her first album of new songs in a long time. It included a new version of "Lost in Your Eyes" with Joey McIntyre.

Debbie performed at the 2025 Rose Parade, singing "Electric Youth" as part of the Grand Finale.

Theater Performances

Debbie Gibson first performed on Broadway in 1992. She played Éponine in Les Misérables. Then she went to London and starred as Sandy in Grease in the West End. She was chosen for the role after 800 other people tried out. The show sold a record number of tickets. A song from the show, "You're the One That I Want", which she sang with Craig McLachlan, reached number 13 in the UK.

After returning to the United States, she played Rizzo in the Broadway touring production of Grease. She also played Fanny Brice in a new tour of Funny Girl. Debbie has had many successful roles in theater. She played Belle in the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast from September 1997 to June 1998. She also starred as Louise Hovick in Gypsy with Broadway legend Betty Buckley. She toured in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as the Narrator and played Cinderella in the national tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical Cinderella with Eartha Kitt. In October 2002, she played Velma Kelly in the Boston production of Chicago. In 2003, she played Sally Bowles in the Broadway revival of Cabaret.

In October 2008, Debbie starred as Anna Leonowens in The King and I musical.

Film and Television Appearances

Debbie Gibson co-hosted Nickelodeon's first Kids' Choice Awards in 1988 with Tony Danza. She starred with Lorenzo Lamas in the movie Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus, released in 2009. The movie was very popular on Syfy. Its trailer became a huge hit online. The movie premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Debbie and Tiffany also starred in a Syfy movie called Mega Python vs. Gatoroid, which aired in 2011. Debbie played Emma McNeil again in the 2014 movie Mega Shark Versus Mecha Shark.

In 2015, she starred in the Up TV movie The Music in Me and sang an original song called "Promises" for it. In 2003, Debbie was a judge on American Juniors, a spin-off of American Idol. In 2006, she was on the show Skating with Celebrities on Fox Television, where she skated with former world-champion figure skater Kurt Browning. She also competed on the fifth season of The Celebrity Apprentice in 2012. She won $50,000 for her charity, Children International.

In 2017, Debbie was a contestant on the 25th season of Dancing with the Stars. She danced with Alan Bersten. In September 2018, Debbie starred in the Hallmark Channel movie Wedding of Dreams, a sequel to Summer of Dreams. In 2019 and 2020, Debbie was a judge on Nickelodeon's America's Most Musical Family.

Debbie made a guest appearance on the Netflix series Lucifer in 2021. In the episode, she played a mother who sings with Lucifer Morningstar. In 2023, she competed on The Masked Singer as "Night Owl."

Image and Influence

When her second album Electric Youth came out in 1989, Debbie also launched a perfume called Electric Youth with Revlon. She also had other makeup products for young girls.

Debbie's fashion trademark was her hats, especially a black pork-pie style. She also made popular wearing tight, rolled-up jeans, vests over a T-shirt, friendship bracelets, and two Swatch watches. She was inspired by artists like Madonna and Olivia Newton-John, and she admires Elton John and Billy Joel. Debbie appeared on the covers of many teen magazines like Tiger Beat.

Personal Life

Debbie Gibson has experienced panic attacks since she was 16.

Debbie has never married and does not have children. She considered having children before being diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2013. This illness caused her to lose a lot of weight. In 2014, she shared with her fans that she had developed symptoms of Lyme disease in early 2013.

Discography

Studio albums

• Out of the Blue (1987)
• Electric Youth (1989)
• Anything Is Possible (1990)
• Body, Mind, Soul (1993)
• Think with Your Heart (1995)
• Deborah (1997)
• M.Y.O.B. (2001)
• Colored Lights: The Broadway Album (2003)
• Ms. Vocalist (2010)
• The Body Remembers (2021)
• Winterlicious (2022)

Filmography

Film

Television

Music Videos

Documentary

Awards and Nominations

• 1988: Billboard Year-End – Top Pop Album Artist Female
• 1989: Debut Album of the Year – Out of the Blue – New York Music Awards
• 1989: Debut Artist of the Year – New York Music Awards
• 1989: ASCAP Songwriter of the Year (tied with Bruce Springsteen)
• 1989: Nominated for Best Pop Female Vocalist – American Music Awards
• 1989: Billboard Year-End – Top Pop Album Artist Female (runner-up)
• 1990: Nominated for Favorite Female Music Performer – People's Choice Awards
• 1990: Rock Producer of the Year – American Songwriter Awards
• 1990: Artist of the Year – New York Music Awards
• 1990: Song of the Year – "Lost in Your Eyes" – New York Music Awards
• 1990: Best Pop Female Vocalist – New York Music Awards
• 2014: Inductee – Long Island Music Hall of Fame
• 2015: Nominated for Best Supporting Actress (Comedy) in Acting Dead – Indie Series Awards
• 2015: Lifetime Achievement Award – The PATH Fund's Rockers on Broadway
• 2018: 425th Golden Palm Star – Palm Springs Walk of Stars
• 2018: Named one of Billboard's Top 60 Female Artists of All-Time
• 2019: Recipient of the NGLCC/American Airlines ExtrAA Mile Award
• 2024: Honoree – Women’s International Music Network She Rocks Awards

Images for kids

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  Debbie Gibson at LA Pride 2007

See also

In Spanish: Debbie Gibson para niños