Blog: Nice people and 80s flashbacks

I LOVE NICE PEOPLE!

I know you are thinking… Ummmm…..OK….AND?!?

I say that because two of the nicest people in the world Ann Wheaton and Soleil Moon Frye both requested my presence this past week at very special celebrations. And, when nice peeps reach out, it is hard to say NO!

Ann contacted me some months ago and asked if I would surprise Wil at his 40th Bday Party! And sing….as a surprise!

To give you some back story….  Wil and I met at several of those Bop parties and Kids Choice Award type events back in the 80’s! I was always slightly intimidated by the “Hollywood Kids” who were home schooled and hung out at clubs even though they were under age etc…   I myself was never in tabloids because basically I would retreat back to Long Island between tours and promo trips and hang out at the bowling alley! Not very “edgy!” When I met Wil I felt like I had found a kindred spirit. I thought “How cool! Someone who does his work, does it well, but is NORMAL!!!” And – to this day there’s SO much Teen Stardom ROADKILL that it is refreshing to re-connect with people like Wil who is an amazing family man and has transformed his career into something that puts him is control as opposed to being a victim of the Hollywood machine.

I must admit, I had lost track of Wil and was not totally up on his online presence and his career as a blogger, author, etc! It was SO much fun for me to get to know who he is now through chatting with his friends and video montages and speeches and toasts! It was kinda funny that I attended solo and ended up sitting with his parents and family! I was like “Ummmm…..are they ok with this?!?”  LOL   His parents and sons and wife and all his family are so super cool. It was a fantastic night and the look on his face when I appeared from behind the screen is eternally embedded in my mind!

Around the time of Wil’s Bday I got a tweet from Soleil! I have met her several times in passing and at parties etc and have always admired her and loved her energy. It takes but an instant to know if someone is authentic or not and I have always seen her as salt of the earth and a great spirirt! SO – when I got the tweet I immediately sent her a message!

She was simply inviting me as a guest/special guest. I totally get the kitch factor in my appearance and I know that she genuinely likes me but are not BBF’s and I knew this was an opp to get to know each other and that basically I was a perfect fit for this theme! AND – Because she DID NOT ASK, I totally volunteered to sing! I was like “If that is overkill tell me to shut up!”  I mean, there are many who don’t LIKE my singing! By the way? I term this paragraph “Self DEBrication!!!” LOL

BUT – she was thrilled as was I. I was hoping I would be in good enough voice to bust out the medley of hits! It is a 6 or so minute walz down memory lane with all hits but “Lost in Your Eyes” which I quite simply refuse to sing to track. It is as much about the piano as it is the vocal and I feel like a limb is missing if my hands aren’t moving while I am singing that song!

I love that I love what I do SO MUCH that, if I was singing in her EMPTY LIVING ROOM for NO ONE, I still would have had fun! The reward of music is the music itself!

SO – The fact that she and her fantastic friends (she attracts the nicest people!) – enjoyed it too…..What could be cooler?!?

SO – My week was this weird cool 80’s flashback and making people’s bday wishes come true. I felt like some sort of genie! SO COOL!

In addition to all that, I FINALLY made it INTO THE STUDIO to play Fred Coury the new music that he will be producing. I was dizzy with excitement and nerves letting my little babies out of their safe notebooks and into the room! I am beyond excited for the first downbeat which will be in about 2 weeks when he is off the road with Cinderella. He is a longtime friend who just “gets it”. It is pure magic when you can sing 3 notes of something and instantly the person you are dying to work with goes “yeah… and the drums would go like this, and the synth sound like this….” etc, and it is like he reached into my head and pulled out what I was hearing. But on a more spiritual level, we have nothing to do with any of it. It is as if the universe chooses channels by which certain songs are meant to make their way to all of you. So, he and I were simply tuning into the same wavelegnth, airwave, whatever you wanna call it….so we  could not help but to hear and feel the same thing! The songs demand a certain sound and we will oblige! I CANNOT WAIT !!!

Lastly – I saw two AMAZING plays this past week. One was “The Exorcist” with my old friend Brooke Shields at the Geffen. She was AMAZING. She has had a similar uphill battle as I, with critics LOOKING to not take her seriously. Well – you could not poke holes in her performance. SHE WENT THERE and no one can take that away from her. I was SO PROUD to see her take on such an emotional and depthful role. The entire production was classy and emotional and thought provoking and did not rely on bells and whistles. It was all about the writing and directing and acting and how the creative team fed the story without overshadowing it.

I also saw “Our House” last night in Hollywood which was a take on reality television and how this generation can be influenced by technology and media in ways never before seen and how this can lead to tragic events. My friend Patrick Hancock was AMAZING. We first met back when he was a pro skater and was touring the UK with “Disney on Ice” and I was doing “Grease.” We met at the stage door and have been friends ever since and each chose the same acting class in LA where we re-acquainted after many years of not being in the same city. SO cool to see how he has evolved as an actor. All the performances were stellar and I was thrilled I got myself out of the house and got my butt into that seat because it was truly rivetting.

OH! And… I went to visit my friend Todd Newton on the set of “Family Game Night.” I LOVED walking into a studio (in an off the beaten path location) that was SO filled with innocence and bright colors and excitement… A family even won a CAR!!!!! It can be a tough world and a lot of people are feeling beaten down these days so, more than ever, these sorts of experiences hold SO much value and are a HUGE contribution to society. A show like this helps children believe in MAGIC. They know they can WIN at something! So – if you are going to be in the LA area definitely explore how you can go be a contestant. Seeing the life size versions of the games we grew up playing like Operation and Monopoly… SO great! I know video games are cool and all but…..?!? “Water on the Knee…. Bzzzzzzz!” still makes me jump!!!!   I LOVE IT!   And – Todd and his crew were so super to see in action. A bunch of pros who were still able to be big kids. It was not like “Oh yea, ho hum…someone won a car”. The entire team was truly invested and knew this family’s story and they were all jumping up and down in genuine excitement when they won!

WHEW!

OK!

Soooooo……  That is the update for now!

I am going to work on a list of some music recommendations too as I have been emmersed in expanding my itunes library! Expect that in a day or so. Stay tuned!

Hope you all have a fabulous week!!!

X DEB

And PS! If u ever need a realty check. Hang with a doggie! This is my fave …George!