Bio:
San Diego, California based Deborah Flores, brings illuminating performances to the stage.
Born in San Francisco, California, Deborah Flores was headed towards a career in music at a very early age. Deborah was raised in a home which was immersed with the sounds of music. Both parents conveyed their love of the spirit of music to their children; her father’s voice, her mother’s rhythm. At age 2 she couldn’t resist the urge to perform. Her older brothers were already seasoned performers with the Mason and Kahn Studios in San Francisco. Mr. Kahn, director of the Ice Follies at that time, loved the natural born talent her brothers brought to the stage.
So the grooming began; dance lessons, vocal lessons and modeling absorbed most of Deborah’s time. As a young teen, she toured with the Duane Dancers as a vocalist and dancer in various stage shows for our military troops and several variety shows. During this time, she became very popular, performing pop, R&B and show tunes all over Northern California. This experience propelled her into singing with country music greats Red Merrill, Buck Owens and many more.
She shares, “I had a wonderful music teacher in high school who gave me the freedom to explore my musical interests. Our high school vocal group played many events around the San Francisco Bay Area.” While in high school, Deborah won a music contest sponsored by the Talented Teen Foundation and sang her way through six European countries, she then accepted an invitation as a solo vocalist in Acapulco, Mexico.
From the time Deborah was a young girl, she was surrounded with the sounds of Jazz, Soul, R&B, Gospel and Pop music. “We listened to fabulous albums at home; the music of Ella Fitzgerald, B.B King and other great artists always filled the air.” Deborah’s electrifying energy on stage brought her many appearances all over the San Francisco Bay Area. She was the featured vocalist in the Miss California Twin Pageant, and at several San Francisco hotels. Her vocal popularity landed her a contract with the Hilton Corporation. At age 17, she traveled to New York to audition with Warner Brothers. The audition was a hit and she was offered a vocal recording contract with Warner Brothers. Unfortunately, her ties in California demanded her return home.
Upon her return to California, the Hilton Corporation in San Francisco sent her to Las Vegas to work with the “Fiascos”. From there she was hired by Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers as a background singer. Being around high-profile performers as Dizzy Gillespie, B.B. King, Glen Campbell, and the king himself, Elvis, to name a few; further developed her vocal and dance finesse. Deborah shares, “It’d those late night chats backstage with such greats as Dizzy that have forever touched my soul, and my spirit.”
Las Vegas became her home-base for more than a decade and from there her gigs took her to Lake Tahoe and Reno performing in many Casinos. As a solo vocalist, Deborah traveled to New York, Atlanta, and Alabama. Returning to Northern California she fronted her own bands delivering a superb, high-energy show with “Sweetwater” and later, her band, “Fahrenheit.”
The music of Deborah’s soul is Gospel. Deborah continues to sing in many Church choirs and bands. She currently is a regular vocalist with a pop Christian group at Canyon Springs Church in San Diego. These experiences continue to influence her every note. From R&B to Jazz to Pop, Deborah’s career has been a continued success wherever she performs. In 2003 she performed in a female vocal group in the “Mystic De La Mer” show at Sea World in San Diego where she now resides.
Deborah shares, “Everything I do in life leads me back to my music. God put it into my soul. If we all spent time doing what we love we would all be happier people, with the ability to give that love out to others. Good music has nothing to do with the style; good music is the kind of music that hits you in the heart, mind and soul!”
“Singing is more than a talent, it’s more like a reason for being, a spiritual force and guiding passion of your life”, this demonstrates the way Deborah Flores delivers a song. From a beautiful emotional ballad to a passionate high energy R&B Funk melody she gives her all to the audience.
Deborah has been on various musical recording projects through out the years, including a Jazz album Bill Cosby produced in the 80’s with performers such as Ray Parker Jr. Most recently Deborah is a background and guest vocalist on jazz artist, Burt Brion’s CD, “Say the Word”.