Editing Debbie Gibson (section)

==Early life==
Gibson was born in [[Brooklyn]], [[New York (state)|New York]], on August 31, 1970, the third of Diane (née Pustizzi) and Joseph Gibson's four daughters.<ref name=old-official-bio>{{cite web | url = http://www.deborah-gibson.com/bio/ | title=Biography | publisher= Debbie Gibson official site | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20021117113947/http://www.deborah-gibson.com/bio/ | archive-date=November 17, 2002}} Former official site; successor site, as of at least April 20, 2014, gives no birthdate or birthplace.</ref><ref>Some sources say [[Merrick, New York]], including {{cite web | url = http://www.filmreference.com/film/6/Deborah-Gibson.html | title=Deborah Gibson Biography (1970–) | access-date= April 21, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ew.com/article/1990/12/21/debbie-gibson-regular-girl/|title=Debbie Gibson is a regular girl|website=Ew.com|access-date=September 3, 2021}}</ref> Her father, who enjoyed singing, was originally named Joseph Schultz and was abandoned by his mother as a boy;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk4f_yk9j-U|title=Debbie Sings with Dad|last=HooplaHa – Only Good News|date=December 11, 2012|via=YouTube|access-date=April 25, 2016|archive-date=November 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161128001821/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk4f_yk9j-U|url-status=dead}}</ref> his [[biological]] mother married a man with the surname Gibson before putting Joseph in an [[orphanage]].<ref>{{cite tweet|first=Debbie|last=Gibson (verified account)|user=DebbieGibson |number= 723941814848249856 |date=April 23, 2016 |title=Not his real name.... |access-date= September 17, 2017}}</ref> Gibson grew up in suburban [[Merrick, New York]], on [[Long Island]].<ref name=nytimes-merrick>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/13/nyregion/one-of-merrick-s-most-loyal-daughters.html| title=One of Merrick's Most Loyal Daughters|first=Diane|last=Ketcham|work=[[The New York Times]]| date=April 13, 1997| access-date= September 17, 2017}}</ref> She describes herself as being of "[[Italians|Italian]]/[[Sicilians|Sicilian]] and part [[Germans|German]] and possibly some [[Russians|Russian]]" descent.<ref>{{cite tweet|first=Debbie|last=Gibson (verified account)|user=DebbieGibson |number= 722196414541864961 |date=April 18, 2016 |title=Italian/Sicilian and...|access-date= September 17, 2017 }}</ref> She studied [[piano]] under American pianist [[Morton Estrin]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.mortonestrin.com/alumni.php |title= Some of My Past Students| publisher= Morton Estrin official site| archive-date= June 29, 2012 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120629090703/http://www.mortonestrin.com/alumni.php}}</ref>{{Self-published inline|date=December 2023}} She is a graduate of [[Sanford H. Calhoun High School]] in Merrick.<ref name="FrankLovece">{{cite news |last1=Lovece |first1=Frank |title=Debbie Gibson attends 30th high school reunion on LI |url=https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/celebrities/debbie-gibson-high-school-reunion-1.21976672 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015185338/https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/celebrities/debbie-gibson-high-school-reunion-1.21976672 | archive-date=October 15, 2018 | access-date=January 27, 2021 |publisher=Newsday |date=October 15, 2018 | url-status=dead}}</ref>