Musician, songwriter, singer, actor, reality cast member
Fast Facts
At 12 years old, entered a songwriter's contest and won $1,000 for the tune "I Come From America
" Became the youngest person to produce, write and sing a No
1 single when the song "Foolish Beat" reached the top of the charts; it also landed her in the Guinness Book of World Records
Made movie debut as an extra in the 1984 comedy Ghostbusters
Debut album, Out of the Blue, was released in 1987
In early 1990s, in an effort to be taken more seriously, changed first name from Debbie to Deborah
Spent a significant part of her entertainment career doing theater, beginning with a turn in the 1992 Broadway production of Les Misérables as Eponine
Has appeared on several reality shows, including Fox's American Juniors (2003) and Skating with Celebrities (2006), and NBC's Celebrity Apprentice (2012)
Featured in a 2005 pictorial for Playboy magazine
Inducted into the Hall of Fame of her alma mater, Sanford H