#sparkchamber 092820 — Debbie Williams
Kind of like real life, it’s back-to-back television in #sparkchamber this week — two weeks in a row! — as we welcome lifelong show-biz whiz, Debbie Williams. In her own words:
“
I have been in show biz literally my entire life. I grew up skating with my family from the age of 2 in the Ice Follies and Holiday on Ice. In summers off, my dad had my brother and me doing summer stock. After those years, I went to work in Television … first as a dancer on the Donny & Marie Show in the 70's [curator’s note: here’s the very first opening of the very first show, just for fun] and then transitioned to behind the camera.
I worked as a producer and associate director but became known as the first lead female stage manager of live variety shows like the Emmys, The Golden Globes, American Music Awards — if it was live, I did it. Also, I did American Idol for the first 15 seasons on air. [Curator’s note: here’s a fun interview with Debbie giving some “insights” from behind the scenes on Idol, and some snaps “setting the stage” for the series finale.]
“
The Covid invasion has brought live-event television to standstill, so Debbie, “semi-retired,” is involved in writing a treatment for a movie idea, and “attempting a book about so many life experiences in my career. There has always been show in my life — and many dress rehearsals.”
1.] Where do ideas come from?
Experiences. My background is pretty eclectic and pretty extensive over the years. Odd and different way of growing up and then working in a celebrity-driven biz, makes for lots of stories.
2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
The book everyone wants me to write. It’s a hard task.
3.] Early bird or night owl? Tortoise or hare?
Night owl always. From growing up, performing every night of my life ... the first 15 years of life … I start clicking around 5:00 pm.
4.] How do you know when you are done?
I’m never done — or when involved in doing a show … when the live show is over