Deborah Downey was born in Indiana and moved to California with her family at the age of four. She spent her early years in California before returning to Indiana at the age of 13, where she began singing on stage with renowned musicians of the 1960s.
Downey started her singing career as an opening act with the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars, performing with various groups, including Tom Jones, Glen Campbell, the Turtles, and Paul Revere and the Raiders. She eventually returned to California at the age of 18 and achieved modest success in popular music.
Notably, Downey played music and sang in the Original Star Trek episode "The Way To Eden" (1968),accompanied by Mr. Spock, and her photo in full costume and makeup appears in Star Trek trading cards. She began attending Star Trek conventions and signing autographs for fans.
After a period of time, Downey put her singing career on hold to focus on her personal life, getting married and raising a daughter. She later returned to singing, but a bout of TMJ syndrome in 1984 forced her to retire from her singing career.
Downey redirected her talents to painting portraits, initially selling her work at a kiosk and eventually establishing DeFazio Artworks in Indianapolis in 1997. She now has a nationwide clientele and has painted portraits of various notable individuals, including Indy race-car driver Scott Goodyear, country singer Randy Travis, and a United States congressman.
Downey's favorite subject to paint is the human face, and she finds it challenging yet rewarding to capture the spirit of the person being painted. Although her TMJ symptoms have largely subsided, she now sings in her church choir and has no regrets about the path her career has taken.
Throughout her life, Downey has been driven by her passion for music and art, and her ability to adapt to new challenges has led her to pursue a successful career as an artist.
