In 1962, Dee Dee Sharp recorded a song inspired by “The Original Disco Man,” James Brown, and turned it into a national dance craze. “Mashed Potato Time” not only became a major hit and instant phenomenon, but it also practically transformed the teenager, who was just 16 at the time, into an overnight sensation.
Born Dione LaRue in Philadelphia, Penn., Sharp began her music career as a tender 13-year-old. Motivated by her mother’s health, she began responding to ads looking for backup singers.
“My mother had had a bad accident, and I was worried about how my mother was going to take care of us, how my dad was going to take care of us, and I told my grandmother, ‘I’ve got to get a job,’” she explained during an interview on the Big Joe Henry Variety Show.
After providing background vocals for the likes of Chubby Checker—with whom she recorded the smash hit, “Slow Twistin'”—Bobby Rydell, Frankie Avalon, and more, her big break came in the form of a track she was reportedly told to “just sing” on. “I was doing all of this background stuff … had no idea that in February of 1962, someone was going to hand me a record and say, ‘just sing it,’” she explained to the outlet.
“Mashed Potato Time” skyrocketed in popularity, and it took Sharp right along with it. The tune climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and fell just short of the top spot on the Hot 100, peaking at No. 2. Ultimately, it became a defining song of the decade—all based on the revival of the dance move created and popularized by Brown a few years earlier with 1959’s “(Do The) Mashed Potato.”
Sixty-four years later, the song remains a timeless anthem. At the time of writing, a vintage clip of the performance uploaded to YouTube had racked up over 1.5 million views, while the hit had nearly 12 million streams on Spotify.
Since its release, “Mashed Potato Time” has been covered by notable musicians such as Motown legends The Marvelettes and The Ramones bassist Dee Dee Ramone, who put a spin on it with Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry in 1989.
As Parade previously reported, the music legend celebrates her 81st birthday on Sept. 9, 2026.
Next, ‘Queen of Disco’ Turns 83
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