Family Portraits
By Suzi Nash
© 2007 Suzi Nash

DEBRA D’ALESSANDRO Photo: Suzi Nash

Debra D’Alessandro is the host of “Amazon Country,” a long-running women’s music program airing Sunday nights at 11 on WXPN 88.5 FM. Born in Mt. Lebanon, a little suburb outside of Pittsburgh, D’Alessandro was the youngest in a family of four: an older brother, a father who worked as a meter reader for the local gas company and a stay-at-home mom who later became a secretary completed the bunch.

PGN: Did you entertain as a kid?
DA: Yes, I was a bit of a ham! My friend and I actually played pretend radio show. She had a set of walkie-talkies and we would take turns being the host. One of us would introduce songs and play them over the walkies to the other and then we’d switch.

PGN: What traits did you inherit from your parents?
DA: From my mother, I got the ability to talk to anyone. When I was a kid it was embarrassing because you couldn’t go into a store without her chatting someone up. I got my voice from my father.

PGN: Schooling?
DA: I came to Philadelphia in 1982 to go to Temple. I was a poly-sci major with a minor in women’s studies. I was bound for law school, but after working in a couple of aspects of law I realized it wasn’t for me. It’s taken me 20 years to figure out what was for me and now I’m working on my master’s in public health administration.

PGN: What made you choose the healthcare field?
DA: I’ve been with a healthcare company for my day job for the last 13 years. We provide training and assistance to healthcare providers. Before that, I worked in domestic violence and health communications. I think that the motivation for me is that we have really uneven access to healthcare and I’d really like to help create an even playing field.

PGN: What did you learn working with domestic violence?
DA: I worked in the legal center of Women Against Abuse, so we worked with women who were taking steps to end the cycle of abuse for them and their children. I was really impressed by the bravery they showed time and time again.

PGN: You also hosted “Philly Live,” the talk show on WYBE TV: Did you have a favorite interview?
DA: My first season hosting “Philly Live” I got to interview Martina Navratilova. She was the first out lesbian I’d ever known about, so to meet someone who was such trailblazer in our community was an honor. I did make the mistake of referencing that she was the former lover of Rita Mae Brown and she made me take it out. She said that Rita didn’t need any more publicity. But that’s what’s refreshing about her — she’s totally up front, there’s no guesswork with her. She is who she is.

PGN: How did you get into hosting?
DA: I’d been a longtime fan of the show back to the days of Laney Goodman. Back in 1996, I heard that they were looking for a new host. I called the show and a secretary informed me that they already had someone. So I sent a fax and said that I’d done some volunteer work there and that I had a big music collection and would be happy to help the new person however I could. I ended up getting a call from the public-affairs director who told me that the secretary was a temp and was incorrect [and] would I like to come by and audition. I ended up getting the job and have been there ever since.

PGN: A memorable moment in the business?
DA: I would sometimes sit in as guest host on the other versions of “Philly Live.” We did the LGBT spot, but the other days were focused on other segments of the community, Latino, etc. On this day the guest was a coach of the 76ers. I’m not a sports fan at all, but my producer gave me a whole list of questions and information. I was really thrown into the fire with a topic I knew nothing about, but it went really well. I learned a lot (which I have now forgotten since I really am not into sports) and really had a good discussion. It was a great example of the fact that as long as you engage the person and find out what they’re interested in, you can still do your job. Afterwards the crew said, “Hey, we didn’t know you were so into sports!”

PGN: Biggest on-air mishap?
DA: I was interviewing Stacey Sobel from Equality Advocates Pennsylvania, at that time the Center for Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights, and we were discussing hate crimes. A caller called with a question and when we put him on the air he asked, “Do you shave your snatch?” We blew him off and went on from there. It turned out that Howard Stern was having some sort of contest where he asked his listeners to call in to live shows and tape themselves asking obnoxious questions and send them in to him. Apparently ours made the grade and so now I can say I’ve been on “The Howard Stern Show.”

PGN: How was your coming-out experience?
DA: I had intense crushes on girlfriends growing up and when I was 16 had an affair with one of my best friends. Her family was Jehovah’s Witnesses and the guilt got to her after two weeks. It ended pretty abruptly. I went along thinking that I was bi for years until I went to school and got involved in feminist studies. I had my first serious relationship with a woman in my junior year at Temple. I was still struggling with my sexual preference and thought I still might be bisexual. She took me to Hepburn’s, which was the main lesbian bar at the time, and said, “If you were going to a desert island tomorrow and had to choose a man or a woman, which one would you choose?” Without hesitation I said, “A woman” and she said, “Well, you obviously do have a preference.”

PGN: Any early signs that you were gay?
DA: Well, I never liked wearing dresses or anything frilly, I was sort of a tomboy and I don’t know if this is necessarily a lesbian trait, but I was always concerned about things being fair. I was always quick to point out injustices. When I got older it grew to injustices on a larger scale, race, class, gender, those sort of things really upset me. So I guess I’ve always been a lesbian feminist, or maybe a feminist lesbian ...

PGN: Tell us an unusual fact about yourself.
DA: For five years I delivered singing telegrams.

PGN: Do you play any instruments?
DA: I used to play guitar in college. I was a typical longhaired singer/songwriter girl, but I haven’t kept up with it.

PGN: When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried?
DA: Last night I was watching a stupid movie, “RV” with Robin Williams, it was just so silly it got me laughing that hard. I can’t believe I’m putting this in print!

PGN: Are you involved now?
DA: My partner Carole Brown and I have been together for 14 years. We met at the now-defunct AWMAC (the Association for Women in Music and Culture). She was photographing women in music and we met at a committee meeting like all good lesbians.

PGN: Your most dangerous stunt?
DA: I recently went over the handlebars on my bike. The stunt part came in when my brain told my body to hit the brakes and only my left hand responded. I had rotator cuff and clavicle injuries.

PGN: Any tattoos or piercings?
DA: For my 39th birthday I had my bellybutton pierced. I did it to be young and cool, but apparently I’m neither and it didn’t take.

PGN: Genre of music people would be surprised to know you listened to?
DA: Jazz standards; I’m a big fan of the classic stuff.

PGN: What sparked your love of women’s music?
DA: I was at the 1985 Womyn’s Music Festival in Michigan. I was just coming out and it was the 10th anniversary of the festival. To be in the middle of thousands of women appreciating the variety of music, dance and other performers was moving. It was my first immersion into women’s culture and I knew I was in the right place.

PGN: What’s a song you’re embarrassed to admit you like?
DA: I like everything from Johnny Mathis! That’s pretty embarrassing.

PGN: What does “Amazon Country” mean to you?
DA: When I was 14, I found a music station out of Carnegie Mellon that aired in Pittsburgh. Hearing women singing love songs by women for women really made an impression on me. Even though it took me years to fully come out, it was reassuring to know that there were other women like me. To be that young and have the information come right to me was important. I was too young to go to a bar, and didn’t have the courage to buy a women’s or gay newspaper. I get calls and e-mails from women who may be married and trying to come out, who are just discovering us, and tell me what a lifeline it is. For me it’s an honor and a privilege to carry on that tradition.

To suggest a community member for “Family Portraits,” write to: Family Portraits, 505 S. Fourth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 or portraits05@aol.com.