Debbie Deb

An early freestyle vocalist, Debbie Deb was discovered by producer Tony "Pretty Tony" Butler while she was working at a Peaches record store in Miami, Florida. At the time, Butler was known for "Fix It in the Mix," and within a short period, he collaborated with the teenaged Debbie on two significant singles: "When I Hear Music" and "Lookout Weekend" (the latter a number 26 hit on Billboard's dance singles sales chart). The Jam Packed label then recruited a thinner young woman to replace Debbie as a performer and recording artist. The real Debbie Deb left the music industry, became a hairstylist, and eventually moved to Philadelphia. She didn't record again until the mid-'90s, after the Pandisc label — who had bought the rights to her singles — tracked her down. Following the release of She's Back (1995), Debbie recorded only sporadically, and she continued to perform through the 2010s, often as part of tours that featured other freestyle artists. The likes of the Black Eyed Peas, Janet Jackson, Pitbull, and Kelis have either sampled or covered her work.