Debbie Dean

Debra "Debbie" Dean is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Jodi Albert. She first appeared in 2002, before Albert quit the role in 2004, She made her final appearance during 2005, before making a brief return in 2006. She did not return for the funeral of her sister Steph Dean in 2010.

Casting

In October 2004 Albert decided not to renew her contract, she expressed that she wanted to leave to further her acting career. In September 2006 it was announced that Albert would make a brief return to the show in November 2006.

Storylines

Debbie arrived in 2002 with her father Johnno (Mark Powley), mother Frankie (Helen Pearson), brothers Jake (Kevin Sacre) and Craig (Guy Burnett) and sister Steph (Carley Stenson). She instantly fell for the charms of hard man Dan Hunter. The second and first daughter of the Dean Family, Debbie started dating Dan as she often tried to loosen him up. Debbie started to work for Tony at ‘Il Gnosh’, but her heart had always been set on becoming a singer.

Debbie Dean (singer)

Reba Jeanette Smith, known professionally as Debbie Dean (February 1, 1928–February 17, 2001) was an American singer who was the first white solo artist to record for Motown.

Biography

Born Reba Jeanette Smith on February 1, 1928 in Corbin, Kentucky. She was the fourth child of Walter B. Smith, a railroad engineer by his wife, Alma, a housewife. Debbie Dean recorded as Penny Smith and Debbie Stevens at various labels before arriving at Motown in the early 1960s, and was Motown's first white female solo recording artist, signed by Berry Gordy.

Unlike most of the early Motown recording artists, she was neither an R&B or blues singer. Her first single at Motown was "Don't Let Him Shop Around," (1961) an answer record to the Miracles #1 R&B and #2 pop hit, "Shop Around." Dean's perky vocals with a noticeable southern twang barely reached Billboard's Hot 100 charts with the song.

Subsequent singles were even less successful and at the age of 34 (significantly older than most Motown acts at the time), she was dropped from the label. Several years later, after a meeting with Motown producer/writer Deke Richards, Dean rejoined the Motown roster as a writer/singer, and collaorated with Richards (aka "Lussier") on songs for the Supremes, Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Martha and the Vandellas, Edwin Starr, and other Motown artists. She later co-wrote and recorded "Why Am I Lovin' You" on Motown's V.I.P. label.