Information/Write-up
In the summer of 1965, Debbie Lori Kaye made her national debut at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) Grandstand Show, performing in Sights and Sounds of the Sixties — a lavish musical revue produced by Jack Arthur and staged on the world’s largest moveable stage. Selected by Arthur as a rising young star whose record had already topped the charts, Debbie recalled: “My agent thought the CNE would be a great launch for me with Canadian audiences… Jack Arthur decided to take a chance on me.”
Debbie was billeted with dance instructor Doris Ross and her daughter Hillary, who helped her prepare choreography for a featured number in the show. “I had never danced before… I was scared silly,” she remembered. “They treated me like one of the family.”
Sharing the stage with international stars like Victor Borge, Bob Hope, Wes Harrison (“Mr. Sounds”), and the Beatles-style band The Liverpool Set, Debbie held her own at just 14 years old. She was featured in the show’s high-energy Discotheque segment, delivering her number backed by a full troupe of dancers and the prestigious Canadiana Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Howard Cable. A Toronto newspaper later ran a front-page headline in the arts section that read: “Hick from the Soo Boondocks on the CNE Stage.”
Following that breakthrough performance, Debbie recorded with the Howard Cable Orchestra and Chorus prior to Canada’s Centennial celebrations. The resulting track, “I Wanna Hear That New Sound” — written by Stan Daniels — appeared on From the CNE Grandstand Spectacular – Sights and Sounds of the Sixties, a split release showcasing Debbie’s vibrant pop vocals alongside Cable’s sweeping orchestration.
Radio DJs across Canada were unanimous in their praise:
Critics termed her “a standout” and compared her style to that of Theresa Brewer when she appeared with Bob Hope in the CNE’s grandstand show.
“When she opens her mouth she could rattle the farthermost rafters in the barn without benefit of amplifiers.”
-Robert Williston
Debbie Lori Kaye with The Howard Cable Orchestra and Chorus
Written by Stan Daniels
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