WHAT WILL I TELL MY HEART, Debbie Stevens, (Apt #25027) 1959

WHAT WILL I TELL MY HEART, Debbie Stevens, (Apt #25027) 1959 Flipside: IF YOU CAN’T ROCK ME – Here is another really great cover song from my music collection. Debbie Stevens (aka ‘Debbie Dean’) had a long career, but only a small amount of success. She was born Reba ‘Jeanette’ Smith February 1, 1928 in Corbin, Kentucky, a small town between Lexington, Kentucky and Knoxville, Tennessee. By the age of 4 she was performing, and she followed her passion of singing and acting through high school. By 1948, she decided to pursue her career and moved to Nashville, Tennessee where she changed her name to ‘Debbie Smith’. While singing at a radio station, she met her future husband, promoter/DJ Jim Lounsbury. Together they went to Chicago for her publicity shots and to pursue their careers. In Chicago Debbie performed with the Big Bands her husband promoted and transitioned to the rock and roll sound that was emerging. She toured with the infamous “Winter Party Dance Tour”, billed with Buddy Holly & The Crickets, The Big Bopper, Dion and the Belmonts and Frankie Sardo. As ‘Penny Smith’, Debbie recorded her first song which was released in 1958 “I’VE GOT NEWS FOR YOU” (written by Bill Haley) on Kahill, a small Chicago label and on the Roulette label (backed by The Deltones). ‘Debbie Stevens’ also recorded on ABC Paramount and Roulette Records, as ‘Debra Dion’ (on Sue Records) and as ‘Debbie Dean’ on Motown and (Gordy’s) (1966). In 1958 Debbie signed with Chess Records to work on Big Band recording sessions where she met songwriter Berry Gordy. Gordy was impressed with her talent and wrote songs for her. Berry soon left for Detroit to start his own company, Tamla Records. Debbie met Berry Gordy again when he was looking for “new talent” for his newly formed Motown label. In 1960, Berry Gordy made her the first white artist signed to any of his fledgling labels! The blond-reddish-haired singer renamed ‘Debbie Dean’ by Berry debuted with “ITTY BITTY PITY LOVE/BUT I’M AFRAID“ (August 25, 1961), but it never had a chance. A month later in September, Motown pulled it in favor of an answer song to The Miracles’ “SHOP AROUND“ entitled “DON’T LET HIM SHOP AROUND“ written by Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy, and Gordy’s sister Loucye Wakefield. A third single, “EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT ME/I CRIED ALL NIGHT“ recorded in March 1962, crashed as well. Motown, who was changing its image to ‘The Sound of Young America’, went on to promote the younger female vocalists it signed and cooled it on ‘Debbie Dean’ (who was 34 at the time). 1967 to about 1969 Debbie co-wrote songs for Motown with Deke Richards (Dennis Lussier), who produced a few of her later recordings, but she eventually succumbed to many illnesses which eventually ended her career. Sadly, Debbie passed away in Ojai, California on February 17, 2001 at age 73. “WHAT WILL I TELL MY HEART” was written by Peter Tinturin and Jack Lawrence in 1936. It was recorded first by Andy Kirk & his Clouds of Joy (Decca #1085). The song has been covered by many artists: Guy Lombardo, Bing Crosby, Kay Starr, Billy Eckstine, Arthur Prysock/Count Basie, Fats Domino, The Harptones, Lenny Welch, Tony Bennett, Clyde McPhatter, Paul Weston/Orchestra with just too many more to list. Enjoy this really great cover version of “WHAT WILL I TELL MY HEART” by the late Debbie Stevens with background vocals by The Blenders who hailed from Chicago!