I knew I was meant to sing and entertain from an early age.
In 3rd grade, I could memorize long poems, and the nuns at St. Mary’s would send me to the other classrooms to recite for them.

I was the 6th child out of 8 and was known as the “Brat,” acting up to get the attention I so desperately craved, as the middle child would. I was in 4th grade when my oldest sister, Mary Pat, was home from college on break, and we were having a Sunday dinner. Both parents sang very well together, and there were always these big songfests happening with extended family—singing Irish songs, American standards, Christmas songs, patriotic songs, etc. Lots of harmonies. Dad’s sisters belonged to the Sweet Adelines, so all of us kids inherited a degree of musical ability from both parents.

On this particular Sunday, it was the 10 of us around the table, and Dad suggested during dessert that each of us should sing a song, recite a poem, or tell a story—by ourselves. Starting with sister Susie sitting on Dad’s left, we began. Each of them performed sitting properly in their seats. I was sitting in the last chair around the table and knew I had to do something different. I stood up and positioned myself between Dad and Mom, as if I were on stage, and belted out “Where the Boys Are” by Connie Francis, the #1 hit of the day.

My mom turned her head. My dad turned all the way around and his mouth flew open in astonishment. No one knew I could sing like that, and they applauded wildly. If my dad said I was “good,” then by God, I must be good! That positive reinforcement was everything I needed.
Did I stop being the Brat then?
Well… no. But I did start reaching for the stars.

A few months later, sister Christine announced there was a talent contest at Newman High School, where she was a senior. It was that same night, and she had entered the Twist Contest with fellow student Bob Dietz. She said, “Mom, Debbie should be in this contest too.” Arrangements were made, Susie ironed my best dress, Christine teased my hair up, and away we went.

Right before I was to go on stage, Christine took my glasses off my face and told me to go stand in the spotlight on the stage. While I did just that, there was no microphone there. I just waited until someone finally brought it over to me. I sang “Runaway” by Del Shannon—a cappella.

I won a trophy! Christine and Bob won the Twist Contest!

Fast forward to my high school years and I would continue singing in choir, in theatre shows, and my then-boyfriend played guitar and would accompany me for small gatherings and school shows.

I left my family, boyfriend, and small town in Illinois behind when I attended college as a Voice Major in Syracuse.
It was August of 1970.

“What the hell,” I said to myself as I was hitchin’ down Comstock Ave. in Syracuse, NY, on the way to a band audition. My first one. I was 18. I knew I could sing. I was scared to death.

I was such a hippie back then—long blonde-brown hair as straight as a toothpick (as Mom used to say when she cut our hair as kids in the most God-awful pixie haircut you could imagine, using a bowl on our heads to cut the bangs straight). Wore my jeans, some old Goodwill/Salvation Army sweater, and brown suede ankle shoes. Oh yes, and let’s not forget the octagonal grannie glasses—this is way, WAY before the contacts and the LASIK.

I had no problem with hitchhiking—really the only way to get around when your classes were divided between campuses that were miles apart.

So I get to this audition and the boys in the band were all seniors—had a definite musical goal in mind (thank God!). I sang my heart out with Joni Mitchell songs, Linda Ronstadt, and even improvised lyrics on a song the bass player... (Name??? Hello??? Didn’t I date him??? And God, didn’t he write this really sophomoric song that he insisted I sing?). Okay, so I still sang my heart out—they loved me. Oh yes. They really loved the way I sang, so I got this gig.

Actually, it was more just a ton of rehearsals—we only got one gig. But we sounded good! Bass, guitar, drums, and me. My first paid gig—$10.00. We immediately went to the bar and bought drinks to toast the occasion.

What was kind of cool was the guitar player, Ezra Flore, had a connection with the Syracuse U film school and they asked me to sing a Joni Mitchell song (“The Circle Game”) for one of their projects. It was a black & white film—I sat on a stool and sang, grannie glasses and all, the song with just a single guitar player (who they never showed).

It did change me. As I later watched the film, people were turning around in their seats to look at me. I was embarrassed and didn’t know how to act—even saying that it wasn’t that good. (Really stupid, huh?)
I knew then I had the start of a career—just didn’t know what it had in store for me. I was lucky: people liked the way I sang. I was accepted. But I had lots of work to do.

So after two years in the Voice Major program at Syracuse, I knew there was something else out there I needed to learn.
I hitchhiked west with a friend.

We were on our way to L.A. when we stopped in Colorado. Hung out in Boulder, then decided Denver was pretty cool too. We decided to stay for a while just to check out the scene & the mountains. We can always continue the trip to L.A.

So, get this: we only had our backpacks, some clothes, and a tent with us. Had enough money to rent a cheap apartment in the Capitol Hill area, then we got jobs to sustain us while we looked for gig opportunities.

His job ended up being construction; mine was at the House of Pies on Colorado Blvd. A straight hitchin’ ride 2 miles east on 6th Ave. and I was there. Easy!

Right away I checked out all the signboards for musicians and singers at music stores and the Folklore Center. There were many to choose from—eliminate—embarrass myself at—feel belittled at if I couldn’t sound like Janis (nope, I couldn’t!). Then, after several auditions with bands, I finally found a little sanity in a small show group specializing in my style and harmony singing. My friend found a band he could play drums in.

My transformation from long-haired hippie girl in flower dresses to silver lamé hip-hugger bell bottoms and a sexy halter top happened within months. Even cut my hair (ugh, still mad about that one). But it all worked out, and The Glass Attic Band continued strong for four years.

We always worked—the upscale show lounges, mountain resorts, and dance clubs. Less than one year into it, I had to leave the male companion I arrived with. (No, he was really nice, just didn’t want me to be a singer in a band that traveled.)

I moved on to my own (better) apartment, bought my first car, and was making it on my own.
What a feeling—to make my living doing exactly what I was meant to do!

…but wait! …there’s more! Stay tuned…

The Glass Attic went strong for 4 years, and we performed at some of the strangest places. But hey, it was a gig after all! One memorable spot was the Chicken Hut in Harlan, Iowa, at the Scheherazade Lounge, complete with a huge black velvet painting over the bar! We even got a free chicken dinner every night – we were winners!

With each band I played with, I learned something new—whether it was harmony styles, music styles, or watching how Harpo (Bluebird) handled an audience, which helped improve my stage presence and confidence over the years. As our band's sound grew louder and more rock-oriented, I was relieved and happy to move on to Counterpoint.

Singers know that when a band gets too loud and buries the vocals, you can’t control your performance. If you can’t hear yourself sing, it’s impossible to give your best performance, and it can even damage your vocal cords.

Counterpoint #1 had a jazzy, easy-listening format, which I loved. The key equipment we needed was stage monitors that isolated our vocals from the instruments. I invested heavily in these, continually upgrading as new amps and speakers came out. I decided I would never go back to having a loud band overshadow the singers again.

Powerline lasted just one year, but WHAT a year! It was so fun, and I learned some great country songs along with harmony techniques. Our road trips to Vail and Durango were amazing, and the audiences were fabulous, letting their inhibitions fly on the dance floor. Working with Jana Haynes, David Woldridge, and Don Boyd was definitely a highlight.

Counterpoint #2, #3, & #4 came and went. We worked with many talented players, but we weren’t destined to last, as each had their own career agenda, and the band became a "pass-through" for some. Dean LeDoux, Ben Culley, and I stayed dedicated throughout, but it was time to move on. Counterpoint #3 was selected, by audition, to perform for our military personnel overseas with USO/DOD tours, arranged by our agent, Kathy Bednar. It was an honor, a pleasure, and one of the highlights of my career! Please read more in the Band Timeline.

Lady Flash

We could have made it big. I was convinced we had the sound and look that would grab attention. We hired a professional groomer from Ashland International who helped tighten up our show, our look, and our promo photos. As the group manager, I gave "The Talk" to the girls at the start—no drugs, minimal alcohol during gigs, birth control, and no stealing or coveting each other's boyfriends. Of course, those rules were broken, but we had so much success! Club owners loved us as we brought in crowds and made them money. We were even chosen for the USO/DOD tours and won several awards. More importantly, what an honor it was to perform for our military!

We worked hard. I owned the van and most of the PA equipment. Since we were a rock band, our PA and amps were heavy duty, so before and after every gig, we’d don our gloves and haul it in and out. We were always hopeful that guys would hang around to help, but mostly it was the ladies doing the work! Ana had a bass rig, Julie had a guitar rig, Gina had a drum kit, Carolee had the keyboard and amp, and I had the big speakers, amps, microphones, stands, cords, etc. We were in the best physical shape of our lives, LOL!

The Flash

After all the rules were broken and Lady Flash dissolved, I was fortunate that my friend Kenny Cox was available to put together another group. Kenny is an amazing guitarist with a solid following, and working with other excellent players, we created a great sound. We were going strong, working 5-6 nights a week, until about 1984, when MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) helped pass new drunk driving laws. Our gigs usually ran from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., but with sobriety checkpoints outside bars, the bar business took a hit, and consequently, so did our gigs. Bars switched to a Friday-Saturday schedule and pro-rated our compensation, making it hard for us to make a living.

So, where were the gigs?

Doug & Debbie Duo (1984-1985)

I did some research and found that higher-end hotels hired singles and duos, so I asked Doug Krause to join me so we could continue working. Our music was laid-back, featuring songs from the American Songbook, easy-listening ballads, and many duets. Doug created a "band sound" using a drum machine and playing bass with his left hand. We worked 2-4 nights a week, just making ends meet. Doug and I wrote a song called "The Dream is a Lie," which he entered into the Colorado Composers Classic. We won the award for Musical Excellence as Quarter Finalists/Best Vocalist. Please take a listen!

Dean & Debbie Duo (1986-1987)

After two years, Doug missed working with a full band, so I contacted my friend Dean from the Counterpoint days, and we teamed up. We were able to continue the bookings I had arranged and added more clubs to our roster. We performed steadily for two years until I met Erik Satie.

While I really enjoyed working with Dean LeDoux, I wanted to start recording. One of our agents, Kathy Bednar, knew of a producer and studio engineer and put me in contact with him. Meeting Erik Satie changed everything for me.

He had a recording studio in his home where we began recording demos for gig promo. Then we recorded a Big Band cassette titled “In That Mood” around 1990, and would sell that from the stage. With great photos and sound samples in our promo kit, we were able to work with an agent in Las Vegas.

Our sound was quite full. Erik designed and built a computer system for the stage that gave us this big, danceable band sound. We performed at Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs quite often, then the Tropicana, The Dunes, Sands, and the Sahara Resort Hotel in Las Vegas. At the Sahara, ESPN producers asked me to sing the National Anthem during a live broadcast of a major boxing fight.

Erik and I would perform all over the States, including the Midwest, Alaska, Palm Springs, and San Diego. We loved Denver, however, and decided to make this our home base, purchasing a home on the famous Tennyson Street, where Erik could build a recording studio in the large detached garage.

We were lucky! Central City, Black Hawk, and Cripple Creek voted in gambling in 1990, and began operating in 1991. Part of that voter initiative was the regulation that the casinos had to devote a certain percentage of floor space to live entertainment.

With our Las Vegas connections and experience, we were booked constantly in these new casinos—many of which we were the grand opening act. We could finally get off the road and make a living at home.

Before me, Erik worked with Annie Maloney, another great agent he met in Hollywood. They stayed connected after Annie moved to Denver. Annie started JF Images with Jo Farrell around 1972, then her own agency, Annie Maloney Presents, in 1985.

Later, in 1988, Annie would book our duo for private parties and corporate events. In 1994, she asked for our help with her agency as she was quite ill. She took me under her wing and taught me the business. She knew she was not going to recover and went into hospice care. Annie wanted us to take over her business and told me to rename the company.

I chose Talent West, and she heartily approved. With her mentoring, I was encouraged to join the Colorado Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Special Events Society. I had her rolodex of clients and her rolodex of performers, so I went to work introducing myself out there. Annie coached me all along, until she passed the following year.

As I learned more and more about the events industry—booking bands, actors, impersonators, magicians, comedians, and costumed greeters—Erik and I knew there was a need for a larger costumed show group for these big corporate events. I was working with some of Denver’s top event planners and DMCs, and together we designed variety entertainment for their clients.

I had a wonderful rapport with:

• Convention Designs (Danny & Jeannie Spivack)

• Party & Events by Robbi Frankel

• Event Organizers

• Event Design Group

• The Arrangers

• Electric Events (Michael Tolerico)

• Décor companies

• Jerry Barnett

• Starkey Productions

• Vail Associates
  …and many more.

All of them kept me busy and learning more and more about the entertainment and creative needs of their clients.

During this time, Talent West won several industry awards for Best Entertainment Agency in 2010 and 2013, and was a finalist in four others.

Recognizing the need for a Vegas-style show group, we put together Starburst Colorado, adding live drums, guitar, and a horn section. Erik always played keys and wrote out all the arrangements, creating our sound. Out front, we added two other lady singers, producing an Andrews Sisters-style of harmony. We were costumed and choreographed, and performed “Music Through the Decades,” changing costumes with every different music style.

For some of our shows, we added celebrity impersonators who could also sing well—including Sinatra, Elvis, Tina Turner, Sonny & Cher, Marilyn Monroe, Reba, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, etc.—all under the umbrella of Starburst Colorado. We also hired a comedian emcee who costumed according to the music style. The amazing Gary Carnes became Groucho Marx, Bogart, Fonzie, Travolta, Sonny Bono, Gilligan—even the sheriff on stilts!

We became:

• The Swing Sisters

• Then the Poodles

• Then the Dreams

• Then the Disco Divas and Dance Fever

• Then the Colorado Country Swing Sisters

• Then Mango Boom Boom, our Latin-style show

• Our summer show was Gilligan and the Beach Girls

• Our new country band was called Back Seat Rodeo, and featured:

  • Billy Bower on guitar and vocals

  • Kirk Hutchinson on keys

  • Erik on keys & synth

  • Charlie Provenza on mandolin

  • Chris Castle as “Garth”

I would costume as ‘Reba’ and sing lead along with Chris Castle. We would also hire a line dance instructor who worked with us too.

One day I got a call in the office for the Blues Brothers Tribute Show Band. They were a Denver local favorite, but they were already booked for the date in question. That’s when I recommended to them… The Blues Sisters!
Our same singers. New costumes. All the Blues Brothers hits plus Aretha Franklin music, and Erik’s great arrangements.

I really enjoyed working with the many lady singers. Rehearsals were intense and we had such great, tight harmonies.
Gigi Whalen, Anita Boland, Rhoni Hirst, Mary Gerwin, Cindy Padgett, Charlotte, Shawn Winchester, Liz Masterson—all very dedicated to creating our wonderful sound and stage shows.

We performed at some amazing venues, including:

• New Year’s Eve at the Broadmoor

• On a stage placed over home plate at Coors Field

• Flagstaff House in Boulder

• Major outdoor festivals in Vail, Aspen, and Glenwood Springs

• Mile High Stadium (before renamed Invesco Field)

• The Art Museum

• Museum of Nature & Science

• History Colorado Museum

• Civic Center Park

• Many different hotel ballrooms, including the Colorado Convention Center

• And many country clubs

We were also flown to San Antonio to perform for the State Legislators Convention.
Several shows were for our local Democratic candidates running for office back in the 1990s, and broadcast live on TV for 3 hours while the votes were tallied.

Erik and I worked with many amazing musicians for our live shows, including:

• Kenny Cox – guitar

• Mitch Chmara – guitar

• Bob Fisher – saxes

• Rich Chiaraluce – saxes

• Larry Rice – drums

• Nick Gnojek – drums

• Ben Culley – drums

• Bob Horejs – trumpet

• Charlie Provenza – mandolin

• Kirk Hutchinson – keys

• Shaun Lebsack – drums
  …and several others that were part of our one-nighters.

After our New Year’s Eve gig in 2008, Erik and I dedicated our time to writing and recording originals, and taking a break from live shows.

We booked local musicians to record with us for our Satie/Lease, Colorado Impressionists album, including:

• William (Bill) Hill and Colin Hill – natural drums & percussion on all songs

• Nelson Rangell – sax

• Rich Chiaraluce – sax

• Pete Lewis – sax

• Ron Bland – bass

• Kenny Walker – bass

• Brad Goode – trumpet

• Miguel Espinoza – flamenco guitar

• Steve Traylor, Lance Acker & Charlie Smith – Fat City Band

We recorded Under the Covers in 2020, and featured:

• Colin Hill – drums & percussion

• Rich Chiaraluce – sax

• Erik – arrangements, piano & virtual instruments

• Debbie – all lead and background vocals, some percussion

• Fun cover art – by caricature artist Jake Williams

After COVID, Erik closed his big recording studio at Northfield Stapleton and re-opened a more sustainable-sized studio at Golden Music on West Colfax, with Alex Qualtire and Mary Brainerd. We continue to record and write new material here.

We still occasionally take gigs and perform at private parties.

All of this… and yet to be continued…