Six weeks ago Doyle Mayfield’s collision course with fame got back on track.

Back home in Mooney’s Gap to take care of some unspecified community service, he stuck his head into the tiny VFW hall for a cold one. On that tiny stage he beheld his destiny: an angelic singer warbling the distaff hits from the Doyle & Debbie catalog, and already named Debbie.

“I know it’s the big break I’ve always been looking for,” says Debbie Purdy, who, after five minutes of conversation with Mayfield that cold, gray night, joined Doyle & Debbie full-time. “It’s like I was born to be part of this amazing country music tradition, what with me being named Debbie and all.”

In the very short time they’ve been together, Mayfield and Purdy have already added two new songs to the act: the linguistically poignant “ABC’s of Love” and the destined-to-be hit “For The Children,” which Mayfield is already shopping around Music Row.

“We haven’t even finished the demo yet, but we’ve already been turned down by Faith, Martina, Carrie, Trisha, Reba and Shania, so there’s some buzz on it around town,” Mayfield says. “We’re hoping to get it to Jessica Simpson by the end of the week, Lord willin’.”

News of the newly reconstituted Doyle & Debbie spread through the entertainment community like wildfire. Late-night talk staple Conan O’Brien was the first in line to grab the duo for his show, with Doyle & Debbie scheduled for an appearance on Friday, Jan. 11, even if Purdy isn’t quite sure who O’Brien is.

“I’ve been singin’ till three o’clock in the morning for the past 15 years, and we didn’t have TV down at the VFW hall, so I haven’t even seen this Late Night with Conan The Barbarian stuff, Purdy says. “Is this the fella that replaced Arsenio Hall?”

But the really big news for Doyle & Debbie is their Tuesday-night residency at the world-famous Station Inn, which started January 8, giving longtime fans the chance to see the old hits (and new Debbie) in an intimate setting. “This is something I never thought I’d get to do,” Purdy says.

“Here I am, taking Nashville by storm, right alongside the most famous man ever to hail from Mooney’s Gap, doing it right in the shadow of massive amounts of condo construction. It don’t get any better than this.”

“That’s mighty fine, Debbie,” Mayfield replies.

“Thank you, Doyle,” Debbie concludes.