British vocal impressionist Debbie Wileman chatted about her new studio album “I’m Still Here,” which was released on June 10, 2022, this coinciding with Judy Garland’s 100th birthday.
On the song selection process for her new album, she said, “It was a collaborative process. There were some songs on the album that I have wanted to sing as Judy for a long time (such as “Back to Black”) and one that I had actually already done as a video made in my car (50 percent).”
“Some were suggested by my manager Scott Stander, some by Steve Orich the orchestrator and I arrived at some because a year and a bit ago I asked The Judy Garland Experience Facebook group which songs they’d like to hear me do as Judy and I went through all those answers. I demoed all the ones we liked the thought of acapella in my Judy voice and we chose our favorites from there,” she elaborated.
Wileman listed The Beatles medley and “Back to Black” as two of her personal favorite tunes on the album. “’50 Percent,’ ‘Over The Rainbow’ and ‘Defying Gravity’ are all special too as I recorded the vocals for those at MGM which was just magical,” she explained.
On June 25, Wileman will be performing at the historic Carnegie Hall in New York City. “I’m very excited,” she exclaimed. “That’s just amazing. I’m touring with a wonderful seven-piece band and we will be performing a mixture of classic Judy Garland songs and songs from the new album.”
Wileman is drawn to Judy Garland for several reasons. “Aside from her astounding ability as a singer and performer, it’s her sense of humor and wit that I just adore,” she said.
On her future plans, she shared, “Finishing this wonderful tour and I’m coming back to LA in July to perform in Music From The Movies alongside George Chakiris, Margaret O’Brien and Barbara Eden, which is very exciting. Otherwise I’m not
sure! More shows hopefully and maybe some stuff as me.”
She opened up about being an entertainer in the digital age. “Well, if it hadn’t been for Facebook for instance, I’d still be a suburban Mum doing the school-run! So…very good, I would say,” she said.
Regarding her definition of success, she said, “Being happy with what you’ve done, feeling like you gave it your best. Making others happy with what you do. And if you can manage to make a living doing what you enjoy doing then even better!”
Wileman concluded about her new album and upcoming shows, “Buy it and come along! Ha ha! Seriously, I would like people to know that all the Judy stuff I do comes from a place of love and respect for her. Basically I’m a massive Judy fan and I’m just trying to pay homage to a wonderful lady in a fun and hopefully enjoyable way.”
“I’m Still Here” garnered a glowing review, where it was hailed as “amazing.”
