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After
hitting the top of the pop charts in the 80s and early 90s, you
began a stage acting career. What brought about the apparent change
in career?
The
real change was going from theater in my childhood to pop in my
teens! The change back, or integrating the two, was a natural
progression. I simply missed theater.
How
have you enjoyed your stage acting career by comparison?
Stage
kept me sane at a time when the music I was writing |
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did
not fit the angst-ridden, hippie chick radio mold.
What
is the biggest challenge of being a Broadway performer?
Staying
still and focused while performing as opposed to feeding off the
hyper energy of a pop audience.
Of
the characters you've portrayed, which has been the most satisfying
role--and why?
Probably
Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl." I got to use a lot of my own
experiences in that role in addition to going beyond my years and my experiences.
In
addition to your Broadway career, people don't realize that you've
been steadily releasing new music. What has prevented your music from
being more widely accepted?
I
can take you through it album by album. "Body, Mind, Soul"--I
don't think people were ready for me to be funky and edgy even
though a lot of it was tongue-in-cheek. Also, there was a burn-out
factor in terms of the public needing me to go away for a minute!
"Think With Your Heart" was an all orchestral, adult
contemporary album. It came out at a time when Jewel and Sarah
McLachlan were not yet in the mix. People considered this kind of
music to be for a limited audience. That said, it was a dream to make
a recording like that one. "Deborah" was done independently
and just as it was picking up momentum, the distribution filed
Chapter 11!!! Bummer! Suddenly, our promotional efforts became legal
efforts, and that is not how we planned on spending our time and
money! But everything happens as it should, and I feel more ready
than ever to bust it wide open again!
There
is currently a resurgence in 80s artists--from the New Kids on the
Block releasing solo work to a new album from fellow teen-queen
Tiffany. You, too, have a new album in the works. Tell us about that.
What kind of music should we expect from Deborah Gibson?
It's
me--older. Lyrically and musically it's more sophisticated, but
still youthful. It reflects who I am at 30, which is part 12-year-old
and part 70-year-old!
What
are the chances that a song by Deborah Gibson will ever achieve the
level of success a "Debbie Gibson" song did?
I'm
glad you sit and think about these things so I don't have to! I just
make the music and persevere!
Is
this album going to reposition you as an adult artist--no longer
shackled by the perceptions that come with being a "child star"?
After
six albums and seven musicals, I sure hope so!
Did
you change your name to help in overcoming that? What exactly
prompted you to do that?
No.
Actually, the change was from "Deborah" to
"Debbie." "Debbie" was a stage name, but
"Deborah" is truly me.
Your
mother has guided your career since the beginning. When your
popularity began to wane, did you ever think you might be better off
getting new management?
Never!
If I ever were to sit and interview managers, I'd look for undying
faith in me as an artist, loyalty, honesty, and above all, true
concern for me as a person. Careers (especially in pop) are roller coasters!
How
"in touch" do you feel you are with the sound of music
that is prevailing today--and is this new disc going to play into that?
I
am always influenced by a contribution of what I hear on the radio
and what I feel in my gut. I am an avid music fan, and a 30-year-old
Manhattan girl. I feel quite "in touch."
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Do
you feel it is necessary to "distance yourself" from your
image in the 80s?
No.
I will never disown my past. I am proud of every accomplishment and
how those "cheesy pop tunes" fit into many people's lives.
On
an appearance on the Howard Stern show, he discussed with you the |
possibility
of posing for adult-oriented magazines such as "Playboy"
as a means of "distancing yourself." Have the magazines
ever approached you? And, if so, why have you never accepted an offer
to pose?
Yes,
they have! I considered it momentarily, but felt it wasn't enough
"on my terms." I think leaving a bit to the imagination is sexier!
Given
your feelings about posing nude, I'm sure you're aware that there's
a porn site out there that has pictures of your face added onto the
nude bodies of other women. How does someone doing something like
that make you feel?
It's
ludicrous and laughable! Does my fake bod look good???
The
recent crop of teen sensations--such as Britney Spears and Christina
Aguilera--have drawn a great deal of comparison to the perceived
"rivalry" between Tiffany and you in the late 80s. To what
extent did that rivalry actually exist?
Not
at all. It would be like comparing two artists as diverse as Whitney
and Madonna simply because they're in the same age group. There's
room for everyone!
How
did it feel to have Britney Spears be so publicly upset about a
comparison "Rolling Stone Magazine" made between her career
and yours?
I
actually met her and spoke with her and we hit it off really well.
No one likes comparisons of any kind, and again, musically we're
completely different.
Tiffany
recently made the cover of "Billboard Magazine" for the
first time in years discussing her new album. Inevitably the
comparison between the two of you is going to pop up again--since you
are each releasing "comeback" albums at the same time. Have
you heard her disc? And, if so, what are your thoughts?
I
was at the studio for a bit of the recording and I'm really proud of
the steps she's made in earning her own niche in terms of style. This
album is truly her own. I support her completely.
If
you had to name the worst part of growing up in the limelight, what
would that be?
Rumors,
speculation, expectations. Although, these are what I would call
"happy problems," problems that exist as a result of using
my gifts and talents and doing what I love to do.
What
is your favorite part of your life right now?
Doing
everything, both personally and professionally on my own terms. I
love performing for tons of people, then coming back home to my dogs.
I love that I've learned to balance my life. It took years!
Lastly,
where can fans expect to see Deborah Gibson in the future?
Music,
of course. A new musical "Skirts," which I've written the
songs for, and a VH1 movie tentatively called "Teen Queens"
spoofing a lot of what we discussed about supposed teen rivalries.
Click
to go to the OFFICIAL Deborah
Gibson Website
Click
here to purchase the "My
Girlfriend's Boyfriend" from Amazon.com
Click
here to purchase Deborah's CDs from Amazon.com
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