It turns out they weren't really fighting at all, but back in the '80s, teen idols Debbie Gibson and Tiffany were rumored to be waging one of pop music's politest feuds.
They were opposites: Gibson, a singer-songwriter from Long Island, NY, was self-assured and wholesome. Tiffany Darwish, a big-voiced interpreter from Norwalk, CA., was scrappy and free-spirited. Their debut albums ("Out of the Blue" and "Tiffany", respectively) and signature singles ("Lost in Your Eyes", "I Think We're Alone Now") sold millions.
Gibson headed to Broadway when things went south; Tiffany became a stay-at-home mom. Both women have since released albums independently (Gibson has a new single, "Girls Night Out", and Tiffany dropped a rock-leaning album, "Pieces of Me", last fall), dabbled in reality TV, and done some acting: In 2011, they co-starred in the monster flick "Mega Python Vs. Gatoroid".
Both women are currently appearing on the Mixtape Tour, headlined by New Kids on the Block, which arrives at Allstate Arena on Saturday. In separate phone interviews, Gibson, 48, and Tiffany, 47, discussed their past lives as pop idols, and the great rivalry that wasn't. And they served as an inspiration to other pop stars
Gibson: "Mariah Carey wrote me a note early on in her career, saying that she was from Long Island, and she had that feeling, like, 'Oh my God, she's doing this and she's the same age, and I can do it, too.'"
Tiffany: "I was the one who put New Kids on the Block on the road with me. A lot of people don't know that I gave New Kids their first shot. They put a big 'Thank You' video together in the middle of the show. I tear up every night."
(excerpt from Chicago Tribune)
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