Buzz
In 1983, Deborah Wesoff-Lopez, a high school student working at a Miami record store, encountered music producer Tony Butler, renowned for creating hit electro dance tracks. Known as Pretty Tony, he expressed admiration for her voice. The very next day, Deborah found herself in Tony’s studio, penning lyrics and recording vocals for her debut single, 'When I Hear Music,' a far cry from her home recordings of Teena Marie and Deniece Williams covers.
On a whim, Deborah recorded two tracks with Tony, earning a modest $100 per song. To her astonishment, both singles—'When I Hear Music' and 'Lookout Weekend'—became massive hits. Released under the Jam Packed label as Debbie Deb, the tracks dominated dance clubs and urban radio, with 'Lookout Weekend' peaking at No. 26 on the Billboard Dance chart. These songs became iconic anthems in the emerging freestyle genre, a lively style of electronic party music.
Despite the music's success, Jam Packed faced a dilemma. Deborah lacked formal training and performance experience, having only sung privately for enjoyment. Additionally, her struggles with weight contributed to her stage fright and insecurities, making her reluctant to perform publicly.
"I had no formal training," Deborah (now Deborah Lopez Kowalski) shared with Metro Active in 2006. "I was thrust into the spotlight unexpectedly. When it came time to perform, I felt completely unprepared. The label prioritized quick profits, so they retained the name and brought in an imposter."
Since her photo wasn’t featured on the singles’ artwork, Jam Packed decided to hire other women who fit conventional beauty standards to pose as Debbie Deb in photos and perform at clubs. They even released a 1987 Debbie Deb album, which included her original hits alongside new tracks like 'I’m Searchin' and 'Fantasy,' with one of the imposters providing the vocals.
"At that time, MTV was just emerging, and no one knew what I looked like. They weren’t interested in a heavier girl; they wanted someone like Madonna—sexy and a great dancer," Deborah explained to Miami New Times in 2013. "So, they pulled a Milli Vanilli-style stunt. Since there were no photos of me on the singles, no one could tell the difference."
Deborah felt deeply hurt and betrayed. She relocated to Pennsylvania, started a career as a hairdresser, got married, and had a son. Meanwhile, Jam Packed continued paying other singers to impersonate Debbie Deb, a deception that went unnoticed except by those in Miami’s inner music circles.
A decade later, in 1994, Deborah returned to Florida, where Bo Crane, the president of Pandisc Records, discovered her and persuaded her to return to music. In 1995, she released her debut full-length album, She’s Back. Although it didn’t sell well due to freestyle’s declining popularity, Deborah had overcome her insecurities and reignited her passion for the music industry.
Deborah has conquered her stage fright and now regularly performs at large-scale 'freestyle explosion' concerts alongside other dance pop stars. (Her Facebook URL fittingly reads 'The Real Debbie Deb.' It’s unclear if the imposters are still performing.) Her music has been covered or sampled by major artists such as Janet Jackson, Black Eyed Peas, Kelis, and Jason Mraz. Gwen Stefani has acknowledged her as an influence, and Pitbull, in a recent curated playlist, mentioned that 'Lookout Weekend' brings back memories of roller-skate rinks and dodging skaters to dance with girls on the rink floor. Not bad for someone who once battled real imposter syndrome to earn her rightful recognition.
