November 24, 2025 • 31 mins
This week on Tales Over Cocktails, Wendy, Astra, and Danielle are joined by the one and only Debbie Gibson: singer-songwriter, pop icon, Broadway star, and the youngest woman ever to write, produce, and perform a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Debbie jumps in as our guest-host and chats about her incredible career, from “Foolish Beat” to Electric Youth, her Broadway adventures, relationships, inspiring young women, and what it’s like preparing to perform at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
It's four Nassau County Ladies gettin' VERY LAWNG ISLAND!
Expect nostalgia, laughs, and plenty of stories from one of the most enduring names in pop.
It's four Nassau County Ladies gettin' VERY LAWNG ISLAND!
Expect nostalgia, laughs, and plenty of stories from one of the most enduring names in pop.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oh that can't be cocktails. I'm Wendy, I'm Astra, and.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I'm Danielle, and we are Tails over Cocktails, where the
stories are real.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
The laughs are loud, and there's always something to sip on.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Hey, how you doing.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
It's your weekly mix of absolute chaos, cocktails and way
too honest conversations.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Pull up a chair and for something.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
It's about to get fun.
Speaker 5 (00:31):
WHOA all right?
Speaker 4 (00:33):
So this may or may not be a bonus episode.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
I think it kind of is.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
I mean, it doesn't get her bonus than this.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
The one and only Debbie Gibson joins us on this
week's episode of Tails over Cocktails.
Speaker 6 (00:43):
Oh my goodness, and she's from Long Island or should
I say Lung Island Island we are all from.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
This is gonna be wonderful.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
All right, Let's give her a very warm welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Y'alla, I just.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Shake, yalla. I just can't shake your love.
Speaker 5 (01:02):
Shake.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
I just can't shake you.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Love. Shame you, I just can't shake yon.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
Yeah, yeah, good.
Speaker 5 (01:21):
Ah, goodness, Oh my god, you are so misty. The
best caffeine I'm awake.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 6 (01:31):
We couldn't help ourselves off you, so you know, and
that song.
Speaker 5 (01:36):
I'm always like that song just makes people happy. I think, yes,
And every time I do a post and I put
that song in it, right, it's like went in doubt
post shake your love exactly.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
You're trying to talk to you about your book, by
the way, so congratulations.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
Can you do all the other things you've done?
Speaker 3 (01:52):
And I know we were talking with Danielle this morning
saying that you're a prodigy, but not only a prodigy,
now a best selling author.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Thank you? I love that.
Speaker 5 (02:06):
Yeah, I mean listen, writing like it's, you know, nearly
ninety thousand words, it's a lot different than writing a
four minute song. Oh I bet so, you know it was.
It was definitely a process.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
How long did it take you?
Speaker 5 (02:17):
Proud of it? Almost two years?
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Okay?
Speaker 5 (02:20):
Yeah, I mean listen, I could have spent seven years
on it, Like it's unbelievable when you start digging into
your own life. And there were so many things that
I couldn't even put in the book because I've never
stopped working. So every year my life has been eventful
for me. So it's not like, oh yeah, there's that
three year hiatus. No, it was like every year there
(02:42):
was something to write about. So it was pretty wild.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
I mean, everything's so wholesome about your coming up, which
I never realized.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
You know, I grew up idolizing you.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
I remember we got your concert film in the library
and we were just obsessed. But like, the fact is,
you really gave the way for so many of these
younger artists coming up because they didn't know what to
do with these female artists. It's like, wait a second,
we have someone who's very self contained, who can not
only write, but produce and have a say in their
own music.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Like, how did that feel being well by the first.
Speaker 5 (03:15):
Well, that's like, you know, you put it the right
way that the thing about being self contained is it
confuses people, right because there's less for other people to do, so,
especially the male executives who were like or are used
to doing right. You know, it's like, how do we
mastermind this? It's like, oh no, let the artist just
be the artist, you know, and get out of the way.
(03:38):
And that was the thing that was kind of hard
for them, but that's really how it happened. But yes,
it was confusing at first. Uh, not to me, not
to my mom, but to them. And my mom was
ahead of her time too. It was very much Amy. Yes, yes,
my late great mom Diane really she she really was
speaking back in nineteen eighty three eighty four when we
(04:03):
were like peddling my first demos. She was speaking on
behalf of all young creative female visionaries. So when I
see how many are succeeding and thriving now, I think,
like my mom would be freaking loving Ray right now,
right Like she'd.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Be like, there's an empowered right like it's in my head,
it's a song, it's a song right now.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
It's a song of like a generation in my opinion.
But like you see a powerhouse female artist who knows
who she is in that way, my mom would be
applauding that, celebrating that, you know. But at the time,
and there were many listen Madonna and Cyndi Lauper and
there were so many amazing women, but not under the
(04:53):
age of twenty until Tiffany Chanie Susan town doing doing
the Obama Musical. Right now, Chanise is here, But is
it true your.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Stuff that record for being the youngest.
Speaker 5 (05:03):
Yes, the youngest female to write and produce the number
one Yeah that is in yeah still, which is crazy,
Like I'm always like, come on girls, take my records,
you break my records.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Think about it.
Speaker 6 (05:16):
Back then, it was like the teen Beats, the bops,
That's how we knew about who you guys were. And
now it's the tiktoks, the instagrams.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
They have changed.
Speaker 5 (05:24):
Things have changed. I mean like I would do an
interview for a Bop or a teen Beat and it
would come out three months later, right, you know. And
now everything's in real time, which I love because I'm
I'm a real time kind of gal. Like my manager
is always like, hold that back, that's great content for
when the whatever, Like before the book, when the book,
(05:44):
I'm like, no, I gotta post it right now because
because people feel it right, they fell the energy of it.
And I love that. Like in school, I always loved
Show and Tell, and I'm always like social media is
like a worldwide Show and Tell, right, and I love it.
I love it because it's it's a time where not
only my audience gets to know me in a different
way and all entertainers in a different way. I get
(06:07):
to know them, which I love, you know. I get
to peer in on my diehards and their lives, and
everybody has their own gifts and their own accomplishments and
families and careers and things and and so it's not
just like a sea of faces and an audience anymore.
It's like people really are connected, which I love.
Speaker 6 (06:28):
Would you ever think of remastering or remaking any of
the hits from back then to now?
Speaker 5 (06:33):
I mean, so I do have like my you know,
the re records, which which before Taylor's versions, right, I
was doing that too, a version. Yeah, I was just
doing that quietly. But but yeah, I mean, on one hand, yes,
like sometimes I'll hear songs and reimagine them, or I'll
reimagine them in concert. Let's say, like last year for
(06:54):
the thirty fifth anniversary of the Electric Youth.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
Album Congratulations.
Speaker 5 (07:00):
Tour called Acoustic Youth, so I did the songs broken
down acoustics. So like, I'm always reimagining, but then I'm
also always moving forward. So a lot of times people
will be like, oh, you should remake that or reissue this,
And I love to celebrate anniversaries and reimagine older things,
but like, I live very much in the now and
(07:21):
the moving forward, you know, so I'm already onto the
only the next thing.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Truly amazing how much you've done by the way, because
you know, a lot of us like cap it was
Debbie gibbonson and the pop star, but yes, you're also
a Broadway star and a reality TV star and an actor.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
You know with the sea creatures.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
There's always a.
Speaker 5 (07:40):
Lot of on the sci fi movies are then, yeah
they're sci fi and the Hallmark movies. I love them all,
but yeah, no, the listen the sci fi thing was
so funny because and I write about it in the book.
My agent at the time, David Shapira, he's like, you know,
old school, amazing agent and he was like, he was like,
I know you're like wanting to hone your acting chops
(08:01):
on camera, and I've got this film. And he was
agenting for Lorenzo Lamas at the time, and he was like,
they really came to Lorenzo, you know, but I pitched
you too, and I was like, oh to play what.
He's like, you know, a scientist and you drive a submarine.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
And I'm like what.
Speaker 5 (08:18):
I'm like, Okay, this sounds so crazy that I have
to do it now, right, And he's like it's not
a lot of money, and like it's really going to
be like a cult following kind of thing, like, not
a lot of people are going to hear about it,
so you'll just get to experiment and have a good time.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
You know.
Speaker 5 (08:32):
That's the Dayler came out and the shark was eating
the Golden gate Bridge.
Speaker 4 (08:39):
People were like, because we love that stuff.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Oh my god.
Speaker 5 (08:42):
It was like half a million a million, like all
these hits on YouTube, and I was like, so much
for under the Radar, but it was so much fun.
It was so much fun. Like when else am I
going to get to drive a submarine?
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Exactly right, that's pretty cool.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
I have to say we are also a dating podcast. Well,
I guess would you say dating Daniel? Jump in here?
Speaker 5 (09:00):
You doing?
Speaker 2 (09:02):
I mean, I think we're all things, you know, relationships.
We talk about what's going on in our lives. Just
a female.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Personal, relatable you know.
Speaker 6 (09:12):
I love it dating, non dating, married, not married, kids,
no kids.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
So you actually said something in the book It really
resonated with me. I'm going to read it back here.
Speaker 5 (09:20):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
I've designed my life in a way to always have
options that aren't defined by age or by anyone else's perceptions.
Speaker 5 (09:29):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
That's wow, that's deep.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
I feel like it took one, two, three of us
to get there by making a million mistakes, and you've
always seemed very true to yourself.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
How did you get that?
Speaker 5 (09:41):
You know? I think that, like, I'm just I can't
do anything that doesn't feel authentic. And again, even in
the moment, because like I literally found my high school
yearbook yesterday in storage. It's true story and in it,
I'm like, I want to get married and I want
to have kids. And I'm like, well that changed, and
it changed because I didn't get stuck on a concept.
(10:04):
You know. I think that that's great if you find
that person you want to partner up with and do
that with, and you're in that time in your life
where you want to do that and you're healthy enough,
and that's the thing that's like, yes, this is my calling, right.
And once I kind of got a little into that
part of my life where that might have been true
for me, it it wasn't right. I just was like, oh, okay,
(10:27):
so now I'm just gonna like repaint my picture. But
the picture changes all the time.
Speaker 6 (10:32):
Things constantly change. I mean, based upon any decisions that
you make in life.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
That's whah.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
I start to feel.
Speaker 6 (10:36):
I mean, I want to get married and have kids too,
and I froze my eggs and I've been holding on
to that and I'm like, I just love my my
like singleness, and I love being alone and I love
doing what I want and do I want to like disrupt.
Speaker 5 (10:47):
That right, And there's no shame in saying that, and
that doesn't like I think that sometimes people paint women
as being shrewd or selfish or whatever. If that's like.
But by the way, I have two doctions, and that's
my mothering experience. I've run camps for kids, I mentor kids.
That's a mothering experience. I think there's a lot of
ways to be maternal. I'm an aunt ten times over.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
You can give them back and you can take care
of homeless cats exactly.
Speaker 5 (11:17):
Yes, by the way, I love that.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
Oh thank you.
Speaker 5 (11:21):
I love that. Yeah, with one I open on Instagram
all the time.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
Yeah, I just I love how you're It's like what happened.
Speaker 5 (11:29):
In my bank balance? Oh right, ten dogs got saved
this week. But like, I love that so much. I
love that you do that.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
And the cat food. But I mean just the fact
that you don't take anybody else's boxes, and it is
so hard as a woman. I think when people have
these expectations like you're supposed to be married at this
certain age, I'm supposed to have Like what if I
don't want to? And I think even like you really
have paved the way for so many not just musicians
coming up, but just females.
Speaker 5 (11:55):
Thank you. I feel like I feel like starting with
the fact that I was doing very traditionally male things
as a young girl, right right, I was always living
unconventionally and a little bit out of order. Again the
order that people they panned on us, right, So I
(12:17):
didn't go to college. Even now, like I talk to
people and somebody's like, you know, oh, and your niece
or your nephew, and are they in college and are they?
And I'm like, well, this one is and this one isn't.
In like, people just forget to see individuals as individuals
and their experiences are going to be different. And like
in the arts, I mean, I think there's a doing
(12:41):
of the craft that is college. And I didn't want
the I didn't want the dorm life. Like some kids
are already like advanced in their artistry, but they want
the experience of having a roommate a dorm right right.
They want that I didn't want.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
That, right, I never wanted to leave, and I did.
Speaker 6 (13:00):
It's the commuting thing because I was like, I can't
leave my husand I never wanted to move out of
New York.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
I still to this day have never.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
Moved out right by the way, And again it's different
for everybody.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
We are all Nasau County gals. I love that. I
love that. I was actually in North Merck on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
My cousins went to Calhoun and you know, she's a
hosta gal over there, and we actually went to.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
The same orthodontist, doctor Harwitz.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
Oh my god, nice teeth. I love how you said that.
Oh my god. That was just.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
So excited. Not to bring it back, but I was
so excited because your picture was always hanging in the
eating room. And I love that we have the same orthodontists.
I love it.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
And I had the inside invisible braces because I was
the TV commercials.
Speaker 6 (13:53):
Because I was commercials, I did the clear because I
didn't want anyone to see that.
Speaker 5 (13:56):
I love it. And the agents were like, You're never
going to book a commercial even with the because I
was doing TV commercials. They were like, even with the
inside braces, they're gonna see them. And then I was
doing a Commodore computer commercial where I was at the
At that time we were called extras, but now it's
background actors, respectfully, and so I was a background actor
(14:16):
and they moved me up into a principle like on
the spot, right, and I was like asked to do
It's out there somewhere on YouTube where I'm tapping my
teeth with a pencil like taking a test, and it's
literally a close up like on my mouth.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
And you can't see. Such a good job, Hary.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
God, that is so fu Island name drops in the book.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
I mean, shout out to Hicksville where you took piano
lass with Billy joels In Martin Estron and and also
United Skates.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
I used to do.
Speaker 5 (15:03):
That is so funny. Moroki Lanes Gables Movie Theater. When
I was again a background actor in Ghostbusters, we all
went to Gables and like screamed for the two seconds
you saw me on the screen. The whole family went Yeah.
I mean, growing up on Long Island and the Showmobile,
you can count on an elf. In fact, Jerry Diefenback,
who I'm pulling my phone over here because he's somebody
(15:27):
He was the director and writer of that production of
The L's and the Shoemaker when I was eight, and
he he texted me because we went to the same
voice teacher in our adult lives, so he had my numbers.
So he texted me recently and he was like, oh
my god, thanks for the shout out for the Els
and the Shoemaker. You can indeed count on an elf.
(15:48):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Oh my god.
Speaker 5 (15:51):
But Long Island for the arts was so great. It
was so great. But going back to to what we
were talking about, because I do think it's great for
people to hear this, and I think more and more
women are realizing, like, you can want to be in
a relationship, but it's not the same need anymore.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
Right we don't need them to survive anymore.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Right now is the most horrific it's ever been.
Speaker 6 (16:14):
So it's like it's just stay single.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
There's a lot of communication issues amongst men. For hours
at least, you're always like I need a translator, Like
people like Crown ass men are texting. I'm like what
I'm like, Heather, do you know what? Can you understand
what this means? This person's here, they're not here? They
want me to they what are they?
Speaker 6 (16:37):
What?
Speaker 3 (16:38):
Yah? Yeah, you actually cover even when you were you know,
first starting off dating like covering very modern themes love bombing, ghosting,
which I think.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
Is still yeah no listen before they were actually.
Speaker 5 (16:52):
I'm not going to say any names on this, but
like this just this past year, somebody very high profile.
This is the thing about ghosting. I wasn't looking for
anybody to give me any attention, but then this guy
like gives me all this attention and then disappears. But
it all happened within like.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Like a short amount of time, right like over like.
Speaker 5 (17:12):
Was at an event, Da da da, and like conversation
and get the number and take the picture and I'm like, god,
we look so cute together. And I got the next
morning I reply to the last gone yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
I feel like it's an eag for that.
Speaker 5 (17:26):
But then I'm also like, I don't need to date you,
but it's so disrespectful to not to do that. But
you know he's going to someone in and then cut
them off. I'm like, I don't pull someone in. I
wasn't going to this event looking for.
Speaker 6 (17:39):
Going around telling the story. Guess who I was talking to?
Making this whole big thing Meanwhile, you talk to me
for twenty four hours, buddy, keep it moving, and I.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Right, right, you didn't even respond.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
And these are like grown men. It is crazy. Yeah,
so I'm not and by the way, but there's also
really but I will say, there's also really great men
out there, and there are men that are like doing
the right things and wanting to connect. But I'm also like, okay, right,
behavior but still not the best. But I'm just very
(18:11):
like I'm not I'm not walking around with all this
free time and energy. Like what's really funny is people
see me on Instagram with all this energy, they do
not see the other eighty percent of the time where
I'm napping. I hibernate so much right to be able
to do the output that I do. That if I
am going to like kind of carve out time for
(18:33):
someone and be in a relationship of it has got
to really be giving.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
To me, and it's got to be worth it.
Speaker 5 (18:40):
It's got to be giving something. In your book, you're
very I don't need just companionship.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
You don't need That's what these guys are.
Speaker 5 (18:48):
There are, Yeah, there are a lot of them. Yeah,
But my thing mainly is like I think that like
my life is so fulfilling that that part of my
life is so specific for me. So it's just it's
not that like I think I'm I'm the greatest thing. No,
I'm at a friend recently saying, no, you're a niche market,
like a niche thing, right, Like it's going to be
(19:10):
a very particular person and I'm an energy person. It's
just got to be like this magical connection. And everything
in my life again is designed like to be the
highest caliber and magical, So why would I just don't
want anything less than that in the connection? So I
feel like, you know, I'll know it when I see
it next, when I feel it next.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
So in the meantime, friendships, friendships, family, and obviously your career, which,
by the way, we have to mention the Macy's.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Bring up talking about magical and energy. That's okay. So
lowing on the streets, I can't scoop you're going to
be on.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
The surta float.
Speaker 5 (19:49):
Yes, And they don't want me to say what I'm
singing yet, so oh.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Can I ask you this is it going to be
a Christmas song?
Speaker 5 (19:56):
I feel like they don't want me to say anything.
We can't. It's like, literally come to us three times,
and I don't say, I guess. There's just so few
surprises in the world and they just want to keep you.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
No, it's and it's worth getting a surprise every now
and then.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Yeah, yeah, I'm so excited for you.
Speaker 5 (20:11):
But I'm so excited.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
This is because it is on this I know.
Speaker 5 (20:16):
It's such a cute flow too, and it's their debut
and it's their twenty fifth birthday of counting sheep. Wait,
is the sheep over there? They sent me sheep they
send me for thirty fourth Street on them, So I've
been just carrying them around.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Do you know what you're wearing yet?
Speaker 5 (20:32):
The other day I did. I don't know if you
saw my Instagram, I sang, foolish sheep.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Oh my god, oh my god.
Speaker 5 (20:39):
Yeah, so I think I know what I'm wearing. But again,
in true fashion part of the punt, I have what
I'm wearing, and I'm like, I'm second guessing. It's so
I'm probably gonna run around later.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
And find you should go to Macy's. But back in
the day, there you go, there you go.
Speaker 5 (20:55):
I just feel like there's I'm always looking like top
what I yeah like And also the and I wake
up on the day if I have some options, you know. Yeah,
so I'm not totally satisfied with what I put together.
Speaker 6 (21:06):
And we know it's not your first rodeo on this
parade either. This is going to be like your third time.
Speaker 5 (21:10):
Performing, Yeah, this third time?
Speaker 1 (21:11):
So how does this feel?
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Like?
Speaker 1 (21:13):
What does it mean to you? Especially on the ninety
ninth year?
Speaker 5 (21:15):
I know, I mean I literally like I was looking up.
There's no definitive answer, but it's it's not a lot
of acts who have done it three times, you know,
like I can't quite believe it. And it was only
like six years ago, So I feel like that feels
like yesterday. That really truly feels like yesterday. It was
(21:37):
pre COVID, that was cod It was right before COVID,
and I was on that Nickelodeon show America's Most Musical Family,
and actually Siarra and she's on it. She was on
it then and she's on it now. It's this year two,
which is so aweso. But you know, that was like
I was a part of that project. But this is
like representative of my career and this new chapter pardon
(21:59):
the pun, which really feels like a second act. So
this year is really really meaningful.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Yeah, having you here, I mean.
Speaker 5 (22:08):
About this feel so special.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
It does.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
I do have to ask do you think in song?
Speaker 5 (22:13):
I do very often, so when.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
You're alone, that's a great question.
Speaker 5 (22:16):
It's a great question. So my inner monologue sings it
does it does it? And it's like sometimes like I'll
never say, like turn it off because I'm grateful because
songs are but I have like eleven hundred song ideas
and this voice recorder.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Well start creaking out some more stuff.
Speaker 5 (22:34):
I will next year. I will. But like it's yeah,
sometimes literally like it's not that they're good songs that
my inner monologue is singing. I'm just it's just a musical.
And then so when people say, well, how do you
write your songs? Usually like the concept, the lyrics, the music,
it all comes to me together. Wow. Yeah, it's interesting.
(22:57):
It's just a thing like it's like a second language,
but it's really like my first language.
Speaker 4 (23:01):
It really is. It's a superpower.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
Really, it's a lot of fun. I'm really I mean,
like I think about it and I'm like, I feel
really lucky that I got gifted that I didn't, you know,
I talk a lot about in the book, like my
singing voice is not the most natural thing in the
world have. I work very hard on my voice, and
I'm stressed about it. I'm anxious about it all the time.
(23:24):
But the songwriting part of what I do is the
instinctual thing.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
That just comes natural.
Speaker 5 (23:29):
Yeah, and it's fun because it entertains me, you know,
like I probably.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
Like surprise yourself with certain things that pop up totally.
Speaker 5 (23:36):
I'm like, oh my god, because what happens is like
it comes as if like somebody's playing a radio in
the background, right and I'm like, you know, so if
I'm hearing like I get lost in your.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
I was literally just thinking that.
Speaker 5 (23:49):
I'm like, Holly crap, I get to deliver this to
the world. Like it almost feels like I don't even
have anything to do with what just happened, except through
the fact that I'm going to write it down and
write out the notes right now and maybe fine tune
it a little. But for the most part, it just comes,
and I'm like, I get to be the messenger to everybody,
and I get to get the applause and but like
(24:10):
and hear people's stories because people are always like, oh
my god, this was my first dance, or we got
married to this song or whatever the things are, and
I'm like, wow.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
I think of it like this. You probably are subconsciously
delivering the messages to people from people telling you things,
So that's in your mind, that's the verse.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
I do think there's like a universal channel, and I
do think like whatever, whatever that higher power is, is like,
we need this message in the world right now, you know.
And I do think that a lot of my songs
lean toward the inspirational, and like the last album, The
Body Remembers, is very much like verse one, I'm dealing
(24:49):
with a conflict. I'm curled up in a ball on
you know, in my house, can't move. And by the chorus,
I'm like coming into my power. And then by verse two,
it's like and he is how I flip the script
and we're moving forward, Like that's kind of how I
live my life, how my how my songs lay out,
and all of it.
Speaker 4 (25:07):
It's so incredible.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
I love hearing about that.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
It is such a gift, and it's such a gift
you hear today.
Speaker 5 (25:14):
Same, You guys have the best energy we have.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
We have before you go, Before you go, we have
a game we have a gift.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
Why don't you explain? This is gonna be rapid fire.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
As the questions, So we're gonna do a Long Island
themed questions. Okay, and you gotta just spew out the
first thing that comes to your mind.
Speaker 5 (25:33):
Okay, Okay, all right, you got it. I'm ready.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
I think I think we touched on this before. But
favorite Long Island roller rink growing up.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
Oh, I mean, what's funny is I know we talked
about us a but Levittown just came to is what
came to mind too. I love Levittown roller rink. There
were there, I mean I went to both, but I'm
going Levettown right now.
Speaker 6 (25:54):
I used to go to laces and I used to
go to hot skates.
Speaker 5 (25:59):
Oh hot skates. Yeah, new girls are killing.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
I was in the county at the time, so it
was amazing skates for me.
Speaker 5 (26:07):
Rip And then I was into ice like I love
Newbridge ice skating rink because it was right near my
grandparents' house.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Oh my god.
Speaker 5 (26:14):
There was a fork in the road and they were
on that side of the fork and the pool and
the ice skating rink was there, right yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
All right, what is your go to ice cream spot.
Speaker 5 (26:23):
Oh well, we used to do jams after all of
the community theater productions and school choir productions and stuff
jams where you'd order the kitchen sings so you get
a scoop of like everything everything. Yeah. Yeah, but Carvell
the Carvel like to this day. Like so when my
cousin Sal worked at Carvell, we were all so excited
(26:46):
because he was able to put extra crunchies and things
like they normally weren't allowed to do that, but he
would do so. Yeah, the rainbow sprinkles.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
Yeah, Oh my gosh. What about your favorite pizza.
Speaker 5 (26:57):
Place Galleria and Merrick? Oh yeah, I cal Zones amazing.
That was always my favorite gala.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
All right, here's my favorite question. Beach of choice.
Speaker 5 (27:11):
Oh my god. I wasn't a big beach person, so,
like I'll say Jones beach like because if you're going
to go to a beach on Long Island, like that
was just the most crowded, like rowdy, crazy, right, like
you could not find two inches to put your towel down.
But that's really where we went when we went. But
I was more of a public pool person.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
Really yeah.
Speaker 5 (27:35):
Yeah yeah, yeah, oh yeah, uh huh. Look at you,
swim lessons, diving lessons, the whole thing. I loved it.
I like to be unencumbered.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
I still do.
Speaker 5 (27:52):
I do have a swim cap to protect the hair sometimes.
Speaker 4 (27:55):
Yeah, you don't want to turn in green.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
What was your mall of choice to hang out at?
Speaker 5 (28:00):
Roosevelt Field? Yeah, I mean the Sunrise Mall was like
when my parents were like one of us is gonna
go with with you because it was a little scary
auditioned for a yogurt commercial at the Sunrise Mall. But
a Roosevelt Field was. I mean, Roosevelt Field's beautiful. That
is like now they've.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Turned it into incredible.
Speaker 5 (28:21):
It's incredible.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
No, it's very high end. Yeah, it's almost like the Americana.
Speaker 5 (28:25):
Yeah, right back then it was not back then it was.
It had a lot humbler beginning.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
They had like Rainbow Shop and like BB and like.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
I think so Rainbow I I never saw Rainbow Shop,
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (28:42):
And the record stores and Tower Records. No, Tower, it
was a record world, I think. Or Sam Goodie, Yeah,
Sam good.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
Sam Goody, Sam Goody got it. Radio Shack, Radio Showers,
Oh my god, Rady was Shack.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
We are now dating ourselves the ultimate Long Island diner.
Speaker 5 (29:06):
This East Pey Diner was our diner again, but that's
it was Bellmore, but my grandparents used to take us
there was it Bellmore or America? It was right on
that It might have been right on the edge, but
it was on Merrick I think it was Merrick Road. Okay,
definitely to the East Pay Diners.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
What about your favorite local music venue?
Speaker 5 (29:34):
Oh well, West Road Music Fair was where I saw
Liberaci when I was seven, so that was like my favorite.
But then playing Jones Beach was really magical.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
Yeah, alright, this is the final. This is not really
a question though, it's a complete the phrase. Okay, Danielle,
I'm going to have you do the honors. I was
going to say, your accent.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
You getting me? Sorry, I got an accent. Complete the phrase.
I'm going to the and finish that like bagel store, Deli,
Mini Moore, whatever in your Long Island accent.
Speaker 5 (30:13):
Can you bring it back.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
If you want to pick Actually, just make it easy.
Speaker 5 (30:16):
So just I'm going to be the.
Speaker 6 (30:18):
Place that you're going to buy something, and what you're
going to buy, say the whole I would.
Speaker 5 (30:21):
Say, oh my god, I'm going to the nail salon
to get a manicure.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Oh are you going to get tips on the nails.
Speaker 5 (30:31):
I'm not going to get tips today, not today.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Just what color you're getting?
Speaker 4 (30:36):
Um?
Speaker 1 (30:37):
And are you picking up coffee on the way.
Speaker 5 (30:39):
I'm picking up coffee at dunkentonas okay bagel, And I'm
going to go to Edinoid Drugs for some footy flow.
The lip gloss that was like the frosty pearly obnoxious,
like pearly white pink. They were numbered at ed noornae right,
So I I would always overhear girls walking and goat,
(31:01):
do you have any footy for?
Speaker 3 (31:04):
No?
Speaker 5 (31:04):
But do you have any footy for? It has like
six syllables.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Oh gods, let's give it up for Debbie Gibson on Thursday.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
The day Ray.
Speaker 6 (31:19):
Congratulations on the book. Everybody, get out on everything.
Speaker 4 (31:23):
Understand you so hard.
Speaker 5 (31:25):
Ah, thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
We love you, deb Thank you, Bye everyone,
Oh that can't be cocktails. I'm Wendy, I'm Astra, and.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I'm Danielle, and we are Tails over Cocktails, where the
stories are real.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
The laughs are loud, and there's always something to sip on.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Hey, how you doing.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
It's your weekly mix of absolute chaos, cocktails and way
too honest conversations.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Pull up a chair and for something.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
It's about to get fun.
Speaker 5 (00:31):
WHOA all right?
Speaker 4 (00:33):
So this may or may not be a bonus episode.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
I think it kind of is.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
I mean, it doesn't get her bonus than this.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
The one and only Debbie Gibson joins us on this
week's episode of Tails over Cocktails.
Speaker 6 (00:43):
Oh my goodness, and she's from Long Island or should
I say Lung Island Island we are all from.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
This is gonna be wonderful.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
All right, Let's give her a very warm welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Y'alla, I just.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Shake, yalla. I just can't shake your love.
Speaker 5 (01:02):
Shake.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
I just can't shake you.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Love. Shame you, I just can't shake yon.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
Yeah, yeah, good.
Speaker 5 (01:21):
Ah, goodness, Oh my god, you are so misty. The
best caffeine I'm awake.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 6 (01:31):
We couldn't help ourselves off you, so you know, and
that song.
Speaker 5 (01:36):
I'm always like that song just makes people happy. I think, yes,
And every time I do a post and I put
that song in it, right, it's like went in doubt
post shake your love exactly.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
You're trying to talk to you about your book, by
the way, so congratulations.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
Can you do all the other things you've done?
Speaker 3 (01:52):
And I know we were talking with Danielle this morning
saying that you're a prodigy, but not only a prodigy,
now a best selling author.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Thank you? I love that.
Speaker 5 (02:06):
Yeah, I mean listen, writing like it's, you know, nearly
ninety thousand words, it's a lot different than writing a
four minute song. Oh I bet so, you know it was.
It was definitely a process.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
How long did it take you?
Speaker 5 (02:17):
Proud of it? Almost two years?
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Okay?
Speaker 5 (02:20):
Yeah, I mean listen, I could have spent seven years
on it, Like it's unbelievable when you start digging into
your own life. And there were so many things that
I couldn't even put in the book because I've never
stopped working. So every year my life has been eventful
for me. So it's not like, oh yeah, there's that
three year hiatus. No, it was like every year there
(02:42):
was something to write about. So it was pretty wild.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
I mean, everything's so wholesome about your coming up, which
I never realized.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
You know, I grew up idolizing you.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
I remember we got your concert film in the library
and we were just obsessed. But like, the fact is,
you really gave the way for so many of these
younger artists coming up because they didn't know what to
do with these female artists. It's like, wait a second,
we have someone who's very self contained, who can not
only write, but produce and have a say in their
own music.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Like, how did that feel being well by the first.
Speaker 5 (03:15):
Well, that's like, you know, you put it the right
way that the thing about being self contained is it
confuses people, right because there's less for other people to do, so,
especially the male executives who were like or are used
to doing right. You know, it's like, how do we
mastermind this? It's like, oh no, let the artist just
be the artist, you know, and get out of the way.
(03:38):
And that was the thing that was kind of hard
for them, but that's really how it happened. But yes,
it was confusing at first. Uh, not to me, not
to my mom, but to them. And my mom was
ahead of her time too. It was very much Amy. Yes, yes,
my late great mom Diane really she she really was
speaking back in nineteen eighty three eighty four when we
(04:03):
were like peddling my first demos. She was speaking on
behalf of all young creative female visionaries. So when I
see how many are succeeding and thriving now, I think,
like my mom would be freaking loving Ray right now,
right Like she'd.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Be like, there's an empowered right like it's in my head,
it's a song, it's a song right now.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
It's a song of like a generation in my opinion.
But like you see a powerhouse female artist who knows
who she is in that way, my mom would be
applauding that, celebrating that, you know. But at the time,
and there were many listen Madonna and Cyndi Lauper and
there were so many amazing women, but not under the
(04:53):
age of twenty until Tiffany Chanie Susan town doing doing
the Obama Musical. Right now, Chanise is here, But is
it true your.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Stuff that record for being the youngest.
Speaker 5 (05:03):
Yes, the youngest female to write and produce the number
one Yeah that is in yeah still, which is crazy,
Like I'm always like, come on girls, take my records,
you break my records.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Think about it.
Speaker 6 (05:16):
Back then, it was like the teen Beats, the bops,
That's how we knew about who you guys were. And
now it's the tiktoks, the instagrams.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
They have changed.
Speaker 5 (05:24):
Things have changed. I mean like I would do an
interview for a Bop or a teen Beat and it
would come out three months later, right, you know. And
now everything's in real time, which I love because I'm
I'm a real time kind of gal. Like my manager
is always like, hold that back, that's great content for
when the whatever, Like before the book, when the book,
(05:44):
I'm like, no, I gotta post it right now because
because people feel it right, they fell the energy of it.
And I love that. Like in school, I always loved
Show and Tell, and I'm always like social media is
like a worldwide Show and Tell, right, and I love it.
I love it because it's it's a time where not
only my audience gets to know me in a different
way and all entertainers in a different way. I get
(06:07):
to know them, which I love, you know. I get
to peer in on my diehards and their lives, and
everybody has their own gifts and their own accomplishments and
families and careers and things and and so it's not
just like a sea of faces and an audience anymore.
It's like people really are connected, which I love.
Speaker 6 (06:28):
Would you ever think of remastering or remaking any of
the hits from back then to now?
Speaker 5 (06:33):
I mean, so I do have like my you know,
the re records, which which before Taylor's versions, right, I
was doing that too, a version. Yeah, I was just
doing that quietly. But but yeah, I mean, on one hand, yes,
like sometimes I'll hear songs and reimagine them, or I'll
reimagine them in concert. Let's say, like last year for
(06:54):
the thirty fifth anniversary of the Electric Youth.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
Album Congratulations.
Speaker 5 (07:00):
Tour called Acoustic Youth, so I did the songs broken
down acoustics. So like, I'm always reimagining, but then I'm
also always moving forward. So a lot of times people
will be like, oh, you should remake that or reissue this,
And I love to celebrate anniversaries and reimagine older things,
but like, I live very much in the now and
(07:21):
the moving forward, you know, so I'm already onto the
only the next thing.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Truly amazing how much you've done by the way, because
you know, a lot of us like cap it was
Debbie gibbonson and the pop star, but yes, you're also
a Broadway star and a reality TV star and an actor.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
You know with the sea creatures.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
There's always a.
Speaker 5 (07:40):
Lot of on the sci fi movies are then, yeah
they're sci fi and the Hallmark movies. I love them all,
but yeah, no, the listen the sci fi thing was
so funny because and I write about it in the book.
My agent at the time, David Shapira, he's like, you know,
old school, amazing agent and he was like, he was like,
I know you're like wanting to hone your acting chops
(08:01):
on camera, and I've got this film. And he was
agenting for Lorenzo Lamas at the time, and he was like,
they really came to Lorenzo, you know, but I pitched
you too, and I was like, oh to play what.
He's like, you know, a scientist and you drive a submarine.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
And I'm like what.
Speaker 5 (08:18):
I'm like, Okay, this sounds so crazy that I have
to do it now, right, And he's like it's not
a lot of money, and like it's really going to
be like a cult following kind of thing, like, not
a lot of people are going to hear about it,
so you'll just get to experiment and have a good time.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
You know.
Speaker 5 (08:32):
That's the Dayler came out and the shark was eating
the Golden gate Bridge.
Speaker 4 (08:39):
People were like, because we love that stuff.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Oh my god.
Speaker 5 (08:42):
It was like half a million a million, like all
these hits on YouTube, and I was like, so much
for under the Radar, but it was so much fun.
It was so much fun. Like when else am I
going to get to drive a submarine?
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Exactly right, that's pretty cool.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
I have to say we are also a dating podcast. Well,
I guess would you say dating Daniel? Jump in here?
Speaker 5 (09:00):
You doing?
Speaker 2 (09:02):
I mean, I think we're all things, you know, relationships.
We talk about what's going on in our lives. Just
a female.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Personal, relatable you know.
Speaker 6 (09:12):
I love it dating, non dating, married, not married, kids,
no kids.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
So you actually said something in the book It really
resonated with me. I'm going to read it back here.
Speaker 5 (09:20):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
I've designed my life in a way to always have
options that aren't defined by age or by anyone else's perceptions.
Speaker 5 (09:29):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
That's wow, that's deep.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
I feel like it took one, two, three of us
to get there by making a million mistakes, and you've
always seemed very true to yourself.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
How did you get that?
Speaker 5 (09:41):
You know? I think that, like, I'm just I can't
do anything that doesn't feel authentic. And again, even in
the moment, because like I literally found my high school
yearbook yesterday in storage. It's true story and in it,
I'm like, I want to get married and I want
to have kids. And I'm like, well that changed, and
it changed because I didn't get stuck on a concept.
(10:04):
You know. I think that that's great if you find
that person you want to partner up with and do
that with, and you're in that time in your life
where you want to do that and you're healthy enough,
and that's the thing that's like, yes, this is my calling, right.
And once I kind of got a little into that
part of my life where that might have been true
for me, it it wasn't right. I just was like, oh, okay,
(10:27):
so now I'm just gonna like repaint my picture. But
the picture changes all the time.
Speaker 6 (10:32):
Things constantly change. I mean, based upon any decisions that
you make in life.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
That's whah.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
I start to feel.
Speaker 6 (10:36):
I mean, I want to get married and have kids too,
and I froze my eggs and I've been holding on
to that and I'm like, I just love my my
like singleness, and I love being alone and I love
doing what I want and do I want to like disrupt.
Speaker 5 (10:47):
That right, And there's no shame in saying that, and
that doesn't like I think that sometimes people paint women
as being shrewd or selfish or whatever. If that's like.
But by the way, I have two doctions, and that's
my mothering experience. I've run camps for kids, I mentor kids.
That's a mothering experience. I think there's a lot of
ways to be maternal. I'm an aunt ten times over.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
You can give them back and you can take care
of homeless cats exactly.
Speaker 5 (11:17):
Yes, by the way, I love that.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
Oh thank you.
Speaker 5 (11:21):
I love that. Yeah, with one I open on Instagram
all the time.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
Yeah, I just I love how you're It's like what happened.
Speaker 5 (11:29):
In my bank balance? Oh right, ten dogs got saved
this week. But like, I love that so much. I
love that you do that.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
And the cat food. But I mean just the fact
that you don't take anybody else's boxes, and it is
so hard as a woman. I think when people have
these expectations like you're supposed to be married at this
certain age, I'm supposed to have Like what if I
don't want to? And I think even like you really
have paved the way for so many not just musicians
coming up, but just females.
Speaker 5 (11:55):
Thank you. I feel like I feel like starting with
the fact that I was doing very traditionally male things
as a young girl, right right, I was always living
unconventionally and a little bit out of order. Again the
order that people they panned on us, right, So I
(12:17):
didn't go to college. Even now, like I talk to
people and somebody's like, you know, oh, and your niece
or your nephew, and are they in college and are they?
And I'm like, well, this one is and this one isn't.
In like, people just forget to see individuals as individuals
and their experiences are going to be different. And like
in the arts, I mean, I think there's a doing
(12:41):
of the craft that is college. And I didn't want
the I didn't want the dorm life. Like some kids
are already like advanced in their artistry, but they want
the experience of having a roommate a dorm right right.
They want that I didn't want.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
That, right, I never wanted to leave, and I did.
Speaker 6 (13:00):
It's the commuting thing because I was like, I can't
leave my husand I never wanted to move out of
New York.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
I still to this day have never.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
Moved out right by the way, And again it's different
for everybody.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
We are all Nasau County gals. I love that. I
love that. I was actually in North Merck on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
My cousins went to Calhoun and you know, she's a
hosta gal over there, and we actually went to.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
The same orthodontist, doctor Harwitz.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
Oh my god, nice teeth. I love how you said that.
Oh my god. That was just.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
So excited. Not to bring it back, but I was
so excited because your picture was always hanging in the
eating room. And I love that we have the same orthodontists.
I love it.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
And I had the inside invisible braces because I was
the TV commercials.
Speaker 6 (13:53):
Because I was commercials, I did the clear because I
didn't want anyone to see that.
Speaker 5 (13:56):
I love it. And the agents were like, You're never
going to book a commercial even with the because I
was doing TV commercials. They were like, even with the
inside braces, they're gonna see them. And then I was
doing a Commodore computer commercial where I was at the
At that time we were called extras, but now it's
background actors, respectfully, and so I was a background actor
(14:16):
and they moved me up into a principle like on
the spot, right, and I was like asked to do
It's out there somewhere on YouTube where I'm tapping my
teeth with a pencil like taking a test, and it's
literally a close up like on my mouth.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
And you can't see. Such a good job, Hary.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
God, that is so fu Island name drops in the book.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
I mean, shout out to Hicksville where you took piano
lass with Billy joels In Martin Estron and and also
United Skates.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
I used to do.
Speaker 5 (15:03):
That is so funny. Moroki Lanes Gables Movie Theater. When
I was again a background actor in Ghostbusters, we all
went to Gables and like screamed for the two seconds
you saw me on the screen. The whole family went Yeah.
I mean, growing up on Long Island and the Showmobile,
you can count on an elf. In fact, Jerry Diefenback,
who I'm pulling my phone over here because he's somebody
(15:27):
He was the director and writer of that production of
The L's and the Shoemaker when I was eight, and
he he texted me because we went to the same
voice teacher in our adult lives, so he had my numbers.
So he texted me recently and he was like, oh
my god, thanks for the shout out for the Els
and the Shoemaker. You can indeed count on an elf.
(15:48):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Oh my god.
Speaker 5 (15:51):
But Long Island for the arts was so great. It
was so great. But going back to to what we
were talking about, because I do think it's great for
people to hear this, and I think more and more
women are realizing, like, you can want to be in
a relationship, but it's not the same need anymore.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
Right we don't need them to survive anymore.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Right now is the most horrific it's ever been.
Speaker 6 (16:14):
So it's like it's just stay single.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
There's a lot of communication issues amongst men. For hours
at least, you're always like I need a translator, Like
people like Crown ass men are texting. I'm like what
I'm like, Heather, do you know what? Can you understand
what this means? This person's here, they're not here? They
want me to they what are they?
Speaker 6 (16:37):
What?
Speaker 3 (16:38):
Yah? Yeah, you actually cover even when you were you know,
first starting off dating like covering very modern themes love bombing, ghosting,
which I think.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
Is still yeah no listen before they were actually.
Speaker 5 (16:52):
I'm not going to say any names on this, but
like this just this past year, somebody very high profile.
This is the thing about ghosting. I wasn't looking for
anybody to give me any attention, but then this guy
like gives me all this attention and then disappears. But
it all happened within like.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Like a short amount of time, right like over like.
Speaker 5 (17:12):
Was at an event, Da da da, and like conversation
and get the number and take the picture and I'm like, god,
we look so cute together. And I got the next
morning I reply to the last gone yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
I feel like it's an eag for that.
Speaker 5 (17:26):
But then I'm also like, I don't need to date you,
but it's so disrespectful to not to do that. But
you know he's going to someone in and then cut
them off. I'm like, I don't pull someone in. I
wasn't going to this event looking for.
Speaker 6 (17:39):
Going around telling the story. Guess who I was talking to?
Making this whole big thing Meanwhile, you talk to me
for twenty four hours, buddy, keep it moving, and I.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Right, right, you didn't even respond.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
And these are like grown men. It is crazy. Yeah,
so I'm not and by the way, but there's also
really but I will say, there's also really great men
out there, and there are men that are like doing
the right things and wanting to connect. But I'm also like, okay, right,
behavior but still not the best. But I'm just very
(18:11):
like I'm not I'm not walking around with all this
free time and energy. Like what's really funny is people
see me on Instagram with all this energy, they do
not see the other eighty percent of the time where
I'm napping. I hibernate so much right to be able
to do the output that I do. That if I
am going to like kind of carve out time for
(18:33):
someone and be in a relationship of it has got
to really be giving.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
To me, and it's got to be worth it.
Speaker 5 (18:40):
It's got to be giving something. In your book, you're
very I don't need just companionship.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
You don't need That's what these guys are.
Speaker 5 (18:48):
There are, Yeah, there are a lot of them. Yeah,
But my thing mainly is like I think that like
my life is so fulfilling that that part of my
life is so specific for me. So it's just it's
not that like I think I'm I'm the greatest thing. No,
I'm at a friend recently saying, no, you're a niche market,
like a niche thing, right, Like it's going to be
(19:10):
a very particular person and I'm an energy person. It's
just got to be like this magical connection. And everything
in my life again is designed like to be the
highest caliber and magical, So why would I just don't
want anything less than that in the connection? So I
feel like, you know, I'll know it when I see
it next, when I feel it next.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
So in the meantime, friendships, friendships, family, and obviously your career, which,
by the way, we have to mention the Macy's.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Bring up talking about magical and energy. That's okay. So
lowing on the streets, I can't scoop you're going to
be on.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
The surta float.
Speaker 5 (19:49):
Yes, And they don't want me to say what I'm
singing yet, so oh.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Can I ask you this is it going to be
a Christmas song?
Speaker 5 (19:56):
I feel like they don't want me to say anything.
We can't. It's like, literally come to us three times,
and I don't say, I guess. There's just so few
surprises in the world and they just want to keep you.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
No, it's and it's worth getting a surprise every now
and then.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Yeah, yeah, I'm so excited for you.
Speaker 5 (20:11):
But I'm so excited.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
This is because it is on this I know.
Speaker 5 (20:16):
It's such a cute flow too, and it's their debut
and it's their twenty fifth birthday of counting sheep. Wait,
is the sheep over there? They sent me sheep they
send me for thirty fourth Street on them, So I've
been just carrying them around.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Do you know what you're wearing yet?
Speaker 5 (20:32):
The other day I did. I don't know if you
saw my Instagram, I sang, foolish sheep.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Oh my god, oh my god.
Speaker 5 (20:39):
Yeah, so I think I know what I'm wearing. But again,
in true fashion part of the punt, I have what
I'm wearing, and I'm like, I'm second guessing. It's so
I'm probably gonna run around later.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
And find you should go to Macy's. But back in
the day, there you go, there you go.
Speaker 5 (20:55):
I just feel like there's I'm always looking like top
what I yeah like And also the and I wake
up on the day if I have some options, you know. Yeah,
so I'm not totally satisfied with what I put together.
Speaker 6 (21:06):
And we know it's not your first rodeo on this
parade either. This is going to be like your third time.
Speaker 5 (21:10):
Performing, Yeah, this third time?
Speaker 1 (21:11):
So how does this feel?
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Like?
Speaker 1 (21:13):
What does it mean to you? Especially on the ninety
ninth year?
Speaker 5 (21:15):
I know, I mean I literally like I was looking up.
There's no definitive answer, but it's it's not a lot
of acts who have done it three times, you know,
like I can't quite believe it. And it was only
like six years ago, So I feel like that feels
like yesterday. That really truly feels like yesterday. It was
(21:37):
pre COVID, that was cod It was right before COVID,
and I was on that Nickelodeon show America's Most Musical Family,
and actually Siarra and she's on it. She was on
it then and she's on it now. It's this year two,
which is so aweso. But you know, that was like
I was a part of that project. But this is
like representative of my career and this new chapter pardon
(21:59):
the pun, which really feels like a second act. So
this year is really really meaningful.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
Yeah, having you here, I mean.
Speaker 5 (22:08):
About this feel so special.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
It does.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
I do have to ask do you think in song?
Speaker 5 (22:13):
I do very often, so when.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
You're alone, that's a great question.
Speaker 5 (22:16):
It's a great question. So my inner monologue sings it
does it does it? And it's like sometimes like I'll
never say, like turn it off because I'm grateful because
songs are but I have like eleven hundred song ideas
and this voice recorder.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Well start creaking out some more stuff.
Speaker 5 (22:34):
I will next year. I will. But like it's yeah,
sometimes literally like it's not that they're good songs that
my inner monologue is singing. I'm just it's just a musical.
And then so when people say, well, how do you
write your songs? Usually like the concept, the lyrics, the music,
it all comes to me together. Wow. Yeah, it's interesting.
(22:57):
It's just a thing like it's like a second language,
but it's really like my first language.
Speaker 4 (23:01):
It really is. It's a superpower.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
Really, it's a lot of fun. I'm really I mean,
like I think about it and I'm like, I feel
really lucky that I got gifted that I didn't, you know,
I talk a lot about in the book, like my
singing voice is not the most natural thing in the
world have. I work very hard on my voice, and
I'm stressed about it. I'm anxious about it all the time.
(23:24):
But the songwriting part of what I do is the
instinctual thing.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
That just comes natural.
Speaker 5 (23:29):
Yeah, and it's fun because it entertains me, you know,
like I probably.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
Like surprise yourself with certain things that pop up totally.
Speaker 5 (23:36):
I'm like, oh my god, because what happens is like
it comes as if like somebody's playing a radio in
the background, right and I'm like, you know, so if
I'm hearing like I get lost in your.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
I was literally just thinking that.
Speaker 5 (23:49):
I'm like, Holly crap, I get to deliver this to
the world. Like it almost feels like I don't even
have anything to do with what just happened, except through
the fact that I'm going to write it down and
write out the notes right now and maybe fine tune
it a little. But for the most part, it just comes,
and I'm like, I get to be the messenger to everybody,
and I get to get the applause and but like
(24:10):
and hear people's stories because people are always like, oh
my god, this was my first dance, or we got
married to this song or whatever the things are, and
I'm like, wow.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
I think of it like this. You probably are subconsciously
delivering the messages to people from people telling you things,
So that's in your mind, that's the verse.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
I do think there's like a universal channel, and I
do think like whatever, whatever that higher power is, is like,
we need this message in the world right now, you know.
And I do think that a lot of my songs
lean toward the inspirational, and like the last album, The
Body Remembers, is very much like verse one, I'm dealing
(24:49):
with a conflict. I'm curled up in a ball on
you know, in my house, can't move. And by the chorus,
I'm like coming into my power. And then by verse two,
it's like and he is how I flip the script
and we're moving forward, Like that's kind of how I
live my life, how my how my songs lay out,
and all of it.
Speaker 4 (25:07):
It's so incredible.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
I love hearing about that.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
It is such a gift, and it's such a gift
you hear today.
Speaker 5 (25:14):
Same, You guys have the best energy we have.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
We have before you go, Before you go, we have
a game we have a gift.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
Why don't you explain? This is gonna be rapid fire.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
As the questions, So we're gonna do a Long Island
themed questions. Okay, and you gotta just spew out the
first thing that comes to your mind.
Speaker 5 (25:33):
Okay, Okay, all right, you got it. I'm ready.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
I think I think we touched on this before. But
favorite Long Island roller rink growing up.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
Oh, I mean, what's funny is I know we talked
about us a but Levittown just came to is what
came to mind too. I love Levittown roller rink. There
were there, I mean I went to both, but I'm
going Levettown right now.
Speaker 6 (25:54):
I used to go to laces and I used to
go to hot skates.
Speaker 5 (25:59):
Oh hot skates. Yeah, new girls are killing.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
I was in the county at the time, so it
was amazing skates for me.
Speaker 5 (26:07):
Rip And then I was into ice like I love
Newbridge ice skating rink because it was right near my
grandparents' house.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Oh my god.
Speaker 5 (26:14):
There was a fork in the road and they were
on that side of the fork and the pool and
the ice skating rink was there, right yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
All right, what is your go to ice cream spot.
Speaker 5 (26:23):
Oh well, we used to do jams after all of
the community theater productions and school choir productions and stuff
jams where you'd order the kitchen sings so you get
a scoop of like everything everything. Yeah. Yeah, but Carvell
the Carvel like to this day. Like so when my
cousin Sal worked at Carvell, we were all so excited
(26:46):
because he was able to put extra crunchies and things
like they normally weren't allowed to do that, but he
would do so. Yeah, the rainbow sprinkles.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
Yeah, Oh my gosh. What about your favorite pizza.
Speaker 5 (26:57):
Place Galleria and Merrick? Oh yeah, I cal Zones amazing.
That was always my favorite gala.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
All right, here's my favorite question. Beach of choice.
Speaker 5 (27:11):
Oh my god. I wasn't a big beach person, so,
like I'll say Jones beach like because if you're going
to go to a beach on Long Island, like that
was just the most crowded, like rowdy, crazy, right, like
you could not find two inches to put your towel down.
But that's really where we went when we went. But
I was more of a public pool person.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
Really yeah.
Speaker 5 (27:35):
Yeah yeah, yeah, oh yeah, uh huh. Look at you,
swim lessons, diving lessons, the whole thing. I loved it.
I like to be unencumbered.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
I still do.
Speaker 5 (27:52):
I do have a swim cap to protect the hair sometimes.
Speaker 4 (27:55):
Yeah, you don't want to turn in green.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
What was your mall of choice to hang out at?
Speaker 5 (28:00):
Roosevelt Field? Yeah, I mean the Sunrise Mall was like
when my parents were like one of us is gonna
go with with you because it was a little scary
auditioned for a yogurt commercial at the Sunrise Mall. But
a Roosevelt Field was. I mean, Roosevelt Field's beautiful. That
is like now they've.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Turned it into incredible.
Speaker 5 (28:21):
It's incredible.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
No, it's very high end. Yeah, it's almost like the Americana.
Speaker 5 (28:25):
Yeah, right back then it was not back then it was.
It had a lot humbler beginning.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
They had like Rainbow Shop and like BB and like.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
I think so Rainbow I I never saw Rainbow Shop,
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (28:42):
And the record stores and Tower Records. No, Tower, it
was a record world, I think. Or Sam Goodie, Yeah,
Sam good.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
Sam Goody, Sam Goody got it. Radio Shack, Radio Showers,
Oh my god, Rady was Shack.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
We are now dating ourselves the ultimate Long Island diner.
Speaker 5 (29:06):
This East Pey Diner was our diner again, but that's
it was Bellmore, but my grandparents used to take us
there was it Bellmore or America? It was right on
that It might have been right on the edge, but
it was on Merrick I think it was Merrick Road. Okay,
definitely to the East Pay Diners.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
What about your favorite local music venue?
Speaker 5 (29:34):
Oh well, West Road Music Fair was where I saw
Liberaci when I was seven, so that was like my favorite.
But then playing Jones Beach was really magical.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
Yeah, alright, this is the final. This is not really
a question though, it's a complete the phrase. Okay, Danielle,
I'm going to have you do the honors. I was
going to say, your accent.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
You getting me? Sorry, I got an accent. Complete the phrase.
I'm going to the and finish that like bagel store, Deli,
Mini Moore, whatever in your Long Island accent.
Speaker 5 (30:13):
Can you bring it back.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
If you want to pick Actually, just make it easy.
Speaker 5 (30:16):
So just I'm going to be the.
Speaker 6 (30:18):
Place that you're going to buy something, and what you're
going to buy, say the whole I would.
Speaker 5 (30:21):
Say, oh my god, I'm going to the nail salon
to get a manicure.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Oh are you going to get tips on the nails.
Speaker 5 (30:31):
I'm not going to get tips today, not today.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Just what color you're getting?
Speaker 4 (30:36):
Um?
Speaker 1 (30:37):
And are you picking up coffee on the way.
Speaker 5 (30:39):
I'm picking up coffee at dunkentonas okay bagel, And I'm
going to go to Edinoid Drugs for some footy flow.
The lip gloss that was like the frosty pearly obnoxious,
like pearly white pink. They were numbered at ed noornae right,
So I I would always overhear girls walking and goat,
(31:01):
do you have any footy for?
Speaker 3 (31:04):
No?
Speaker 5 (31:04):
But do you have any footy for? It has like
six syllables.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Oh gods, let's give it up for Debbie Gibson on Thursday.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
The day Ray.
Speaker 6 (31:19):
Congratulations on the book. Everybody, get out on everything.
Speaker 4 (31:23):
Understand you so hard.
Speaker 5 (31:25):
Ah, thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
We love you, deb Thank you, Bye everyone,
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