How Old Was Tiffany In 1987

You might think figuring out how old Tiffany was in 1987 is simple math. Born in 1971, she would have been 16. But the real story is way more fun than a subtraction problem.

The mall tour that changed everything

Tiffany Darwish wasn't just sixteen; she was the queen of the mall. In 1987, she wasn't yet old enough to drive herself to her own concerts. Her manager had to pick her up from middle school.

She started her tour in shopping malls because no big venue would book a teenager. The joke was on them: her mall shows drew thousands of screaming fans.

By the summer of 1987, "I Think We're Alone Now" was everywhere. She was still too young to legally watch most of the movies showing in the theaters across from her own concerts.

Her age was her secret weapon

When Tiffany sang, "And I don't know if you feel the same as me," she wasn't acting. She was a real, awkward high school kid hoping the cute boy in third period liked her back.

Critics expected a bubblegum pop flash in the pan. But she had the stamina of a teenager, doing two shows a day while still finishing homework in the dressing room.

Her age made the song "Could've Been" even more heartbreaking. How could a sixteen-year-old have regrets that deep? Maybe that's exactly why the song worked.

221.375 fotos e imágenes de alta resolución de Tiffany - Getty Images

The surprising feud with a fellow teen

Here’s where it gets weird. Debbie Gibson was also sixteen in 1987, and the media pitted them against each other. They were both seniors in high school, living the same weird pop star life.

Fans picked sides like it was a school election. But in reality, Tiffany and Debbie were just trying to pass algebra while wearing sequins.

Tiffany once said she wanted to call Debbie just to ask, "Is your life this crazy too?" They were rivals in magazines, but in real life, they were just two kids in the same bizarre boat.

What she couldn't do at sixteen

While she was signing autographs for 5,000 people, she couldn't sign a legal contract. Her mom had to do that. She couldn't buy a ticket to her own R-rated movie screening.

One hit wonder Tiffany unrecognisable at 51 as she stuns in corset and

At her peak, she was making millions of dollars. She still had a 10 PM curfew on school nights, enforced by her grandmother who traveled with her on tour.

"I was just a girl from Norwalk who liked to sing in the shower," she later said. "Suddenly, I was on the cover of Rolling Stone, and my biggest worry was my geometry test."

The forgotten party trick

In late 1987, she released a cover of "I Saw Him Standing There" with a music video. Watch it today: she looks like a kid playing dress-up in a leather jacket, because she was a kid playing dress-up.

That same year, she performed at the White House for President Reagan. She was so nervous she forgot the lyrics to "New Year's Eve." The President didn't notice; he was too busy tapping his foot.

She later admitted she ate a hot dog from a cart outside before the gig. A sixteen-year-old's priorities are always a little off.

The Tiffany Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images

The heartwarming truth

So, how old was Tiffany in 1987? Old enough to sell out arenas. Young enough to cry when her favorite pen ran out of ink.

She was old enough to have a #1 single. Young enough to let her mom pack her lunch for the recording studio.

In the end, she was just a normal sixteen-year-old who happened to get a diamond necklace for her birthday. She wore it to the school dance, where she still had to ask the chaperone for punch.

The best part? 1987 was the last year she could be a regular kid. By 1988, she was seventeen, and the world expected her to be an adult. But for one sparkling year, she was simply a brilliant, awkward, wonderful teenager who just wanted to sing.