Debbie Gibson was only 16 when her debut single, “Only in My Dreams,” climbed the charts. Nearly 40 years later, she is still coming to terms with how the songs she wrote and occasionally produced in her family’s Long Island home became the soundtrack to other people’s childhoods. “Music was a glorified hobby,” she said. “The industry was a boys’ club. Who was I to believe in my own voice?”
In her new memoir, “Eternally Electric” (out Sept. 9) Gibson, 55, reflects on the success and aftermath of her most famous albums, “Out of the Blue” (1987) and “Electric Youth” (1989). Pressured by the media and her record label to mature quickly, Gibson credits her late mother and manager, Diane, with shielding her from a predatory business.
“I was a late bloomer,” Gibson said via phone. “I was the last virgin in my high school. I wasn’t even comfortable at parties, let alone the Grammys.” She praises a newly empowered generation of female pop stars for dominating the music landscape. “They have creative control,” she said. “They’re lovely and humble. I met Gracie Abrams recently, and she was super generous in letting me know I came first.”
In the decades since she found fame, Gibson has starred in major theatrical productions and toured with similarly big names from her era, including Tiffany and New Kids on the Block. “The party’s still going,” she said. “A lot of people of my generation are celebrating a second act.”
From her home in Las Vegas, Gibson shared the cultural passions and experiences that have sustained her career. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
‘Sex Education’
It was my binge watch on some Canadian tour dates a few weeks ago. I love a glimpse into what high school is like now. So many kids are exploring their sexuality in different ways. I’m so happy that young people have this show to destigmatize the variety of experiences.
Boxing With Beibut Shumenov
My ex Rutledge Taylor put me in touch with a former client of his, Beibut Shumenov, a world-champion boxer from Kazakhstan. I started doing two to three hours with him every day. I got to learn ice-skating from world champion Kurt Browning [for “Skating With Celebrities”] and boxing from Beibut. That is not wasted on me.
Breakfast in Bed With Her Dachshunds
Levi’s a morning person like me. Joey will stick his nose out of the covers and open one eye, like, “What is everybody doing up?” Then they see me and know I’m ordering food. They love sausage patties and egg bites from Dunkin’. My business manager is like, “Is this fraud?” I’m like, no, I used Uber Eats 15 times in two days.
Taking Pictures for Tourists
I just hate when there’s one person missing from a picture, so I always want to help out. Last week in London, it was two moms with their respective kids. I have such a vivid picture of them all lined up on this bench, outside an ice-cream parlor. Sometimes people are like, no, that’s OK. Maybe they think I’m going to steal their phone.
‘Better Man’
I’ve always loved Robbie Williams. “Rock DJ” is the last song on my playlist before I start my nostalgia concerts. I thought that monkey character was symbolic of so many things. I have watched it probably eight times. It goes to show you that if you’re that big, you’re going to find the path to that audience again.
Paris Hotel Las Vegas
People always ask me, “What’s it like to live in Vegas?” I can be in fake Paris in 20 minutes without hopping a flight. You feel like you’re in adult Disneyland.
The RealReal
I style my own live shows and videos. In my video for “Legendary,” you’ll see me in a teal sequin crop top by the New Arrivals that I found on the RealReal. I don’t sell things. I tried that at one point, but I’m so sentimental about costumes. I still have the oversize blue blazer from the “Electric Youth” album cover.
Her Wordle Group
We call ourselves the Way We Wordle. It’s competitive. Yesterday I got “nomad” in two. When I shared my results, I was like, I’m off to play the slots, because when you get it in two, you just know that the gods are on your side.
London’s Notting Hill
I keep visualizing myself walking around there with my fur babies. All the shops are amazing. There’s a French restaurant called Chez Lui where the guy figured out how to make drip coffee for me. I got a Dolce & Gabbana corset dress at Lovers Lane that looks like it fell out of Madonna’s closet.
Interpretive Dance
I never considered myself a dancer. I remember the choreography to the “Electric Youth” video, and it took me five days to learn what everyone else learned in one. But I love putting on music and letting my body do what it wants to do.
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