From teen pop princess to skating celeb, Deborah Gibson revisits her foolish beats.
By Brandon Voss
Wouldn’t it have been rad if instead of saying “I wish I knew how to quit you,” Jack Twist turned to Ennis del Mar in Brokeback Mountain and yelled, “I just can’t shake your love!” If you agree, come get lost in Deborah Gibson’s live show Saturday, March 11, at Canal Room. Nearly 20 years after she burst out of the blue and onto the pop charts, I chatted with the 35-year-old theater and reality TV star while she prepared for her intimate local performance. Any chance of Deborah slowing down? Only in your dreams!
HX: Lindsay Lohan also grew up in your hometown of Merrick on Long Island. Is she representin’?
Deborah Gibson: We represent a little differently, but she’s definitely representing. She’s getting Merrick’s name out there again — let’s put it that way.
What can we expect from your Canal Room appearance?
I incorporate my theater stuff, my upbeat pop stuff and my acoustic stuff, so my concerts these days are more of a one-woman show. I’ll be singing part live to track, part with musicians and part just me and a piano. I like to be spontaneous.
You’ll revisit some of the oldies?
I always perform the oldies. A lot of people disown their past, but the thing about those songs is that I wrote them. It’s not like David Cassidy going, Those songs were forced upon me and I was really somebody else. Nope, that was me! So I still love doing them.
Is there any song you’ve retired?
No. Even if I’m not performing something in a serious way, I can perform it in a tongue-in-cheek kitschy way. “Electric Youth” when I’m 80 is certainly going to be a “wink, wink” to the audience.
I remember begging my mom to buy me your Electric Youth perfume when I was 11. Do you think I was gay?
Yeah, I think that if there was any surprise on your parents’ part, you kind of have to wonder.
Which ’80s fashion accessory would you bring back?
Maybe the “Choose Life” T-shirts that George Michael used to wear. And the Electric Youth perfume.
Posing for Playboy or Skating With Celebrities: Which was the bigger career risk?
Playboy, but I was 150 percent at peace with it. They ended up not putting me on the cover because I didn’t show enough; they joked that it was the biggest wardrobe budget they’d ever had for a Playboy shoot. The skating show was physically riskier, but so much fun.
Who’s a more worthy rival: Tiffany or Nancy Kerrigan?
Neither! Rival is not even part of my vocabulary.
But I heard if someone calls you Debbie, you’ll cut the bitch.
Oh God. No, no. But anyone who’s ever known me for more than five minutes has not called me Debbie. If you want to be a total stranger in my life, just call me Debbie.
HX, March 2006.