Dee Dee Sharp

About

Born Dione LaRue in 1945, Dee Dee Sharp started her career singing backup vocals at the tender age of 13 years for artists like Lloyd Price, Chubby Checkers, Bobby Rydell, Frankie Avalon and Jackie Wilson. In 1962, she was signed by the Cameo/Parkway label and was given the name Dee Dee Sharp by producers Kal Mann and Bernie Lowe. Her breakthrough hit was a duet with Chubby Checkers called "Slow Twistin” followed soon by her most famous number, "Mashed Potato Time." A string of charting hits soon followed and she became a musical sensation overnight. Over the next few years she would tour with Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars and featured often on the American Bandstand. Although she continued to release music for the better part of her life, even scoring a number one dance hit with "Breaking and Entering" in 1981, her career never quite picked up the same momentum she enjoyed in her early years. She has nevertheless made appearances on several TV shows and movies, and continues to perform live even today on occasion. In the 1970s she even headed Huda Management, helping her then husband, Kenny Gamble, manage artists like Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. A star from the golden years of rock and roll, Dee Dee Sharp remains an icon whose music made generations dance.