Danielle Brisbois Takes on a Different Role
Another actress turns to singing. You’ve heard it before.
Former child-star Danielle Brisebois has heard it, too, but she’s not letting any stereotypes get to her. A cast member of TV’s “All in the Family” and “Archie Bunker’s Place” in the late ’70s and early ’80s, Brisebois is doing what she knows best.
Brisebois’ confident debut Epic album, “Arrive All Over You,” was released May 10, just as she was finishing a solo acoustic tour of coffeehouses proving that, indeed, she has the vocal chops.
“I don’t know if the people in the audience know who I am. I haven’t really asked them, so I don’t want to assume anything,” Brisebois said with a laugh during a recent stop in Philadelphia.
She also understands why some listeners may be genuinely surprised at how good “Arrive All Over You” is. It’s not a knock to her ego.
“I mean, I know there’s always going to be skepticism, but I don’t really worry about it,” Brisebois said. “I don’t place any importance on it. I just do what I do and hopefully they’ll like it.”
With clever lyrics and an attitude, “Arrive All Over You” teeters between upbeat dance music and borderline alternative-pop. Sometimes Brisebois’ voice gets lost in the high-gloss mix, but on tracks like the leadoff single “What If God Fell From the Sky” and the spirited “Crawling,” she has all the makings of a new Belinda Carlisle.
“It’s kinda good to get out there and meet people,” Brisebois said of the acoustic tour. “It’s better to be in that sort of environment, rather than going into people’s offices, and get my feet wet.”
Even though she has a varied musical background, having performed in the original Broadway production of “Annie” in the ’70s and was a former lead soprano in the New York City Opera Children’s Choir, Brisebois said she doesn’t have a vocal hero.
“I guess the closest thing I had to a hero was John Lennon,” she said, “but I can’t say there was anyone who made me want to do music. But doing what I’m doing now is what I’ve dreamed about all along.”
About the Author
Gerry Galipault Gerry Galipault debuted Pause & Play online in October 1997. Since then, it has become the definitive place for CD-release dates — with a worldwide audience.
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