Debbie Gibson is embarking on a new chapter.
PEOPLE can exclusively share the cover of the pop entertainer’s new book, Eternally Electric, out this fall from Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.
Gibson, 54, rose to fame when she was just 17, after her song “Foolish Beat,” from her 1987 debut album Out of the Blue, hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart the following year. The accomplishment led Gibson to become the youngest woman to write, produce and perform a number one hit — a record she still holds today.
Over the course of her career, Gibson has sold 16 million albums, and had a successful stint on Broadway in shows like Les Misérables. Beauty and the Beast and Cabaret. Now, the star is turning to the page to share a “heartfelt and honest” portrayal of her life, career and the highs and lows she experienced throughout it all, per a press release shared with PEOPLE.
“Through lessons learned across decades in the music industry, [Gibson] inspires readers to embrace their authentic selves and strive to live their best lives,” the press release states.
The performer tells PEOPLE that she was inspired to write the memoir, on tour while celebrating the 35th anniversary of her sophomore album, 1989’s Electric Youth, to connect with her fans.
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“Writing my memoir during this profound second act is a way to celebrate the connection I have to my longtime audience and how we all can pull from our past challenges and lessons to be at our most vital and vibrant and stay eternally electric,” Gibson says.
Gibson, now the owner of the record label Stargirl Records, spoke with PEOPLE in 2021 ahead of the release of her album The Body Remembers, and noted the ups and downs of teen stardom too.
“My life has been very unconventional,” Gibson said. “I was employing 100 people by 17 years old, and I was an adult as a kid. I’m not breaking out the world’s smallest violin — but I lived life out of order.”
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“Growing up in show business, I felt like it was noble to run myself into the ground,” she added. “Now I see life as an adventure.”
Eternally Electric will be published on Sept. 9 and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.
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