Happy 80th Dee Dee Sharp (born Dione LaRue; September 9, 1945) is an American R&B singer. Sharp began playing the piano from an early age and directed church choirs for her grandfather’s and other congregations in her hometown of Philadelphia. She grew up in North Philadelphia and graduated from Overbrook High School. Dee Dee Sharp - Mashed Potato Time The Mashed Potato is a dance move which was a popular dance craze of 1962. The dance move and mashed potato song were first made famous by James