|
In addition to scoring several big bubblegum pop hits in the late '80s, teen
queen Tiffany also helped pave the way for the decade's ultimate (and most
successful) teenybopper band, the New Kids on the Block. Born Tiffany Renee
Darwish on October 2, 1971, in Oklahoma, Tiffany began singing at an early age,
but it wasn't the light pop style that she would eventually become known for.
The young singer started off performing country & western songs, eventually
getting discovered by country music veterans Hoyt and Mae Axton during the early
'80s, while performing at a country nightclub in Los Angeles. For the next few
years, Tiffany appeared on TV (including an appearance on Ed McMahon's Star
Search), continued to perform concerts (including opening a show for Jerry Lee
Lewis and George Jones in Texas), and recorded several demos, in hope of landing
a recording contract. In early 1986, Tiffany signed on with manager George
Tobin, which would lead to problems later when it became known in that Tobin had
"absolute control" over her career (since she was a minor at the time, Tiffany's
mother signed for her, and later regretted having a divorce lawyer examine the
papers instead of an entertainment lawyer). But Tobin did get the still-teenaged
singer a recording contract with MCA, which issued Tiffany's self-titled debut
in early 1987.
The album was promoted initially by a concert tour of U.S. malls, but it wasn't
until later in the year that the album began to catch on with the young pop
audience, when MTV and radio latched on to a cover of "I Think We're Alone Now,"
which soon pushed the album to the number one spot on the Billboard album charts
(and in less than year, was certified quadruple platinum). A follow-up single,
"Could've Been," proved to be just as successful, as it peaked at the top spot
of the Billboard singles chart. But despite Tiffany's runaway success, this
period proved to be troubling personally, as her mother filed a missing person's
report for the singer, while Tiffany in return filed for legal emancipation
(although Tiffany's mother claimed to be concerned about Tobin's "exploitative
treatment" of Tiffany, Tiffany decided to stand by Tobin's side). A cover of the
Beatles' "I Saw Her Standing There" (reworked as "I Saw Him Standing There")
proved to be Tiffany's last major hit, peaking at number seven in the spring of
1988, as the singer gave the opening spot on a U.S. tour to a then-unknown teeny
band, the New Kids on the Block (supposedly after the group auditioned for
Tiffany backstage one night prior to a show).
|
Tiffany's sophomore effort, 1988's Hold an Old Friend's Hand, was another hit
(earning platinum certification), but didn't match the success of its
predecessor, as it signaled that her audience was shifting their focus to other
similarly styled bands (namely the New Kids on the Block). When her third
release, New Inside, sunk from sight almost immediately after its release in
1990, it was clear that Tiffany's 15 minutes were up, as she faded from the
public's view. Despite her much lower profile, Tiffany continued to issue albums
on a sporadic basis, including 1993's Dreams Never Die, 2000's The Color of
Silence, and 2007's Just Me (while a collection, Greatest Hits, was released in
1996). Tiffany's public profile increased slightly around the dawn of the 21st
century, as the singer was the subject of an episode of VH1's Behind the Music
series (in which she disclosed a reconciliation with her mother) and, probably
biggest of all, she posed for a 2002 issue of Playboy magazine. ~ Greg Prato,
All Music Guide
|
Written by Greg Prato
|
|
and/or