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DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK

 

Former pop princess keeps busy with new projects

 

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 06/1/07

BY BILL CANACCI

STAFF WRITER

 

She came "Out of the Blue" and won over pop music in the late '80s by writing, singing and producing hit records. The Long Island native faded in the '90s, but soon found herself on Broadway, the West End and, two years ago, in Playboy magazine. While continuing to tour and make records, the girl that was Debbie Gibson became known as Deborah Gibson.

 

Twenty years after she first hit the scene, Gibson, 36, is working on a new album, a new musical — and last month visited Orlando, Fla., to see the world premiere of "Electric Youth," a musical featuring Gibson's songs.

 

Talking from a coffee shop in Los Angeles, where she has lived the last four years, Gibson spoke about her career (she has sold 16 million albums), her solid gay fan base (she's headlining Sunday's gay pride event in Asbury Park), Britney Spears and "American Idol."

 

"I have so many die-hard fans who come to all of the shows that I try to change it up," said Gibson, who performed in March at the Colosseum in Sayreville. "I always feel like the gay audience understands the whole scope of what I do, which is really awesome . . . I do a lot of gay pride festivals. I can be extra creative and nothing gets lost on that audience — so it's my chance to do anything and everything."

 

Gibson certainly has been keeping busy. For the last three years, she has performed consistently on weekends. But because this is the 20th anniversary of "Out of the Blue," which in addition to the title track had the Top-10 songs "Only In My Dreams," "Shake Your Love" and "Foolish Beat," Gibson is focusing more on the hits this time around.

 

One song that may be on her setlist Sunday is "I Enjoy Being a Girl (Flower Drum Song)," which was on 2003's "Colored Lights," Gibson's Broadway album.

 

Hello, "Goodbye"

 

 

It's also possible she could play "Say Goodbye," the Top 40 adult contemporary record she made last year with Jordan Knight of New Kids on the Block fame.

 

Outside of performing, Gibson has a new musical, "The Flunky," with a book by actor Jimmy Van Patten (Dick Van Patten's son), music by Gibson and lyrics by both of them. The two met at the Playboy mansion in 2005 and the show recently had a reading in Los Angeles.

 

"It's like a dark comedy," Gibson said. "It's kind of a satire about people in L.A. who basically want to be associated with stardom so much they'll do anything. It's kinda like "Entourage' the musical in a way — it's very different. It's one of those quirky musicals that you can kind of categorize with an "Avenue Q' or a "Rocky Horror' — one of those shows that people are going to love or hate, but we don't want to change a thing about it. We love how offbeat it is."

 

She cannot take credit for the musical "Electric Youth," which was slated to open last week at the Starlight Theater in Orlando. Featuring 14 of Gibson's songs, the show follows the adventures of a young couple from New York."

 

"This guy (the show's writer) was so passionate about it," Gibson said. "It's a very cute — like "Footloose,' "Mamma Mia'-type jukebox musical. I just thought, you know what, with things like "High School Musical' and I think people are kinda craving . . . that good-old fashioned, traditional form of musical, and that's what this is."

 

As for her new album, she is working on some songs but is not sure when it will be released. She's working with a producer named Neil Pogue, who is known primarily as a mix engineer. He did OutKast's "SpeakerBoxx/The Love Below" in 2004 and also has worked with Pink, Mystikal and TLC. "He (Pogue) is amazing," she said.

 

Still searching

 

 

Gibson said she's also "doing stuff on my own. I'm at a point in my career where . . . I'm really trying still to find where I want to be. I look at the women out there who are my age and even older, you take Mariah, Gwen Stefani, J.Lo, they're all 36, 37, 38, and still very youthful. And people like Sheryl Crow, who are 40 and who basically have settled in and gone, "You know what, I don't want to have to worry about image, I just want to play my music.' And I really think I fall somewhere in the middle to tell you the truth. I live in both worlds. I do have this very theatrical side, I do have a very youthful side, and then I have a side of me that just likes to sit at the piano. And I'm really finding, for the first time in my life, I'm really not sure what I want to do next. So I'm really just going to the studio without analyzing it and letting it take its own shape."

 

Gibson is a fan of "American Idol," but thinks the most recent season was rather weak. She liked beatboxer Blake Lewis and Phil Stacey among the guys and Melinda Doolittle and LaKisha Jones for the gals, but Jordin Sparks won the crown.

 

Some people have compared Britney Spears with Gibson, since they both first hit the pop charts as teenagers. But the two have taken different paths, to say the least. Gibson, who is not married, has no children and stays out of the tabloids, had sympathetic words for troubled young celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan and Spears, whom she predicts will make a big comeback.

 

"People always seem to think that show-biz people are so in control of their own schedules and their own lives," she said, "but you have big machines behind you that are spending millions of dollars on you — so you are accountable to a lot of people, even more so than working 9 to 5. There's a different level of responsibility. And if you don't work, your manager, your agent, your business manager all lose money."

 

 

I hope she tries to do a record, she is one of my favorite artists from the eighties! :D

she needs to sing with a major record label and hoohk up with timbaland

and she will be back on top again

I hope so, there would be plenty of interest in it! All she has to do is put the slightest bit of effort into it and I can guarantee it would go top 5 in America :lol:

Ooh, I love her. I hope she makes a record as well. :)

 

Gibson is a fan of "American Idol," but thinks the most recent season was rather weak. She liked beatboxer Blake Lewis and Phil Stacey among the guys and Melinda Doolittle and LaKisha Jones for the gals, but Jordin Sparks won the crown.

 

She has good taste as well. :)

I love Debbie Gibson !! I remember buying all the 7'' singles from her first two albums way back when they were new releases.

 

I have a few of her albums too ,but kinda lost track of her since the release of the fabulous 'Deborah' cd ,back in.....(** goes and look at back of cd case**)...blimey was that really as far back as 1997 !? Sounds like I have a bit of catching up to do. lol.

 

She really does have an amazing voice that deserves to be heard !

http://images.eonline.com/eol_images/Profiles/20060929/244.gibson.deborah.092706.jpg

DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK

 

So is the comeback the point where you do your Playboy cover.

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/images/296415.jpg

 

and remember this magazine says Blender and will be sold in wal*mart, so no kettle calling here

 

 

Some people have compared Britney Spears with Gibson, since they both first hit the pop charts as teenagers. But the two have taken different paths, to say the least. Gibson, who is not married, has no children and stays out of the tabloids, had sympathetic words for troubled young celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan and Spears, whom she predicts will make a big comeback.

 

She gives advice but I suppose Playboy would be too upmarket for Spears and Lohan now :lol: