Debbie Gibson, 54, Embraces Her 50s and Writes Songs ‘Constantly’

Debbie Gibson soared to fame at age 16 when her first album, 1987’s Out of the Blue, sold more than 5 million copies and, at 17, she became the youngest artist to write, produce and perform a No. 1 single. In the 1990s, she made her Broadway debut in Les Misérables and starred in Grease, Beauty and the Beast and other productions while continuing to release her own music. This year, the 54-year-old performer launched her solo “Newstalgia” tour and will publish a memoir, Eternally Electric: The Message in My Music. Gibson spoke to us from her home in Las Vegas, which she shares with her two dachshunds, Joey and Levi.

Decades before Kris Jenner, mom Diane was a tough “momager.”

As my mom/manager, she always said, “You’re going to do this with or without me, so I may as well be a part of it.” We had a lot of respect for each other’s fortes. And as a woman — especially in the music business at that time — she had to be 10 times more knowledgeable than the men to be taken seriously.

When she was 21, she bought Liberace’s piano.

I’m not a materialistic person; I was never someone who needed diamonds and things. The piano is my prized possession. I saw Liberace when I was 7 at Westbury Music Fair. My dream is to use it in Vegas in a residency.

She let a reality show set a bunch of her stuff on fire—including her signature black bowler hat from the ’80s.

It literally went up in flames before my eyes and I let them do it, just because of the chaos that was going on in my life. I’m sure there’s many a person from a reality show dealing with the psychological repercussions. At the end of the day, they are things, but they’re still my things.

Debbie Gibson, 54, launched her solo “Newstalgia” tour and will publish a memoir, “Eternally Electric: The Message in My Music.”

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She calls Las Vegas home.

L.A. is great, but it’s a lot of heightened energy. I’m someone who likes to go low-key and just be one of the people in the neighborhood. Suburban Vegas gives me that — and then I can drive 20 to 30 minutes and be on the Strip for a show.

She writes songs “constantly.”

Sometimes it’s sad to think that 90 percent of everything I write will never see the light of day because there’s not enough time to record it and release it. But it is like keeping a musical journal. It’s always therapeutic.