Debby Boone

Deborah Ann Boone (born September 22, 1956), known professionally as Debby Boone,^[1] is an American singer and theater actress. She is best known for her 1977 hit, "You Light Up My Life," which spent a then-record ten weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart ^[2] and won her a Grammy Award the following year for Best New Artist.^[3]

In the 1980s, her music career first focused on country music resulting in the No. 1 country hit, "Are You On The Road To Lovin' Me Again." She later recorded Christian music which garnered her four Top 10 Contemporary Christian albums as well as two more Grammys. Throughout her career, Boone has appeared in several musical theater productions and has co-authored many children's books with husband, Gabriel Ferrer.

Biography

Beginnings

Debby Boone was born September 22, 1956 in Hackensack, New Jersey, USA. She is the third of four daughters born to 1950s singer-actor Pat Boone and Shirley Lee Foley Boone (daughter of country music star Red Foley). When Boone was 14 years old, she began touring with her parents and three sisters - Cherry, Lindy and Laury. The sisters first recorded with their parents as The Pat Boone Family and later as the Boones or Boone Girls. They primarily recorded gospel music, although the sisters did chart with remakes of secular pop music featuring Debby as the lead vocalist. In late 1974, the Pat Boone Family released a cover of "Please Mr. Postman" simultaneous with the Carpenters. ^[4] The Carpenters' version quickly ascended to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and AC charts overshadowing the Boones' version which did not chart. The Boones twice reached Billboard's AC charts with 1975's "When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" (No. 25), a remake of the Supremes' first Top 40 hit, and 1977's "Hasta Mañana" (No. 32), a cover of a track from ABBA's Waterloo album.

"You Light Up My Life"

Boone released her first solo effort, "You Light Up My Life," in 1977. The song became the biggest hit of the 1970s ^[5] spending ten consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — longer than any other song in Hot 100 history to that point. ^[6] (In 2008, Billboard ranked the song No. 7 among all songs that charted in the 50 year history of the Hot 100.) The song earned Boone a Grammy Award for Best New Artist and an American Music Award for Favorite Pop Single of 1977. ^[7] She also received Grammy nominations for Best Pop Vocal Performance - Female and Record Of The Year won by, respectively, Barbra Streisand ("Love Theme From "A Star Is Born" (Evergreen)") and the Eagles ("Hotel California"). "You Light Up My Life" also succeeded on Billboard's Adult Contemporary (No. 1 for one week) and Country (No. 4) singles charts. ^[8] The single and the album (No. 6 Pop, No. 6 Country) of the same name were both certified platinum.

The song, written and produced by Joe Brooks, was from the film of the same name. Brooks earned Song of the Year awards at both the 1978 Grammys ^[9] and Oscars ^[10] for writing the song. (Boone performed the song at both awards shows.) Boone's version, contrary to popular belief, was not used in the movie or featured on its soundtrack. The song was lip-synched in the film by its star, Didi Conn, performing to vocals recorded by Kasey Cisyk. ^[11] Although written as a love song, Boone interpreted the song as inspirational and stated that she recorded the song for God. ^[12]

Boone's overnight success led to a tour with her father ^[13] and frequent television appearances. However, Boone was unable to maintain her success in Pop music after "You Light Up My Life." Her follow-up single, "California" (also written and produced by Joe Brooks), stumbled peaking at No. 50 Pop and No. 20 AC. ^[14] "California" was included on Boone's second album, Midstream, which faltered at No. 147 Pop. Her next single, the double-sided "God Knows"/"Baby I'm Yours," also struggled peaking at No. 74 Pop becoming her last entry on the Hot 100. ^[15] However, the single charted AC (No. 14) and returned Boone to the Country chart (No. 22). Boone then released another movie theme, "When You're Loved", from The Magic of Lassie. Like "You Light Up My Life," the song was nominated for an Academy Award for its composers, the Sherman Brothers. ^[16] But, it failed to replicate the success of her first single charting only No. 48 AC. Boone's wholesome persona was in contrast to the image-conscious Pop music industry leading her career in different musical directions.

Country music

With the crossover success of "You Light Up My Life" and "God Knows/Baby, I'm Yours", Boone began to focus on country music. ^[17] (Her father, Pat, and maternal grandfather, Red Foley ^[18], had also recorded in that genre.) Her first country single, "In Memory of Your Love" (1978), fizzled at No. 61. But, she then hit No. 11 in 1979 with a remake of Connie Francis' "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own". ^[19] Boone released another Connie Francis cover, "Breakin' in a Brand New Broken Heart" (No. 25) ^[20] , before releasing her 1979 eponymous album. Although the album included the two Francis remakes, her next two singles were not culled from this album - a remake of the Happenings' "See You in September" (No. 41 Country, No. 45 AC) and another Francis cover, "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" (No. 48). (To date, "See You in September" has never been featured on any of Boone's albums, while "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" was included on her 1986 compilation, The Best of Debby Boone.)

Her next album, 1980's Love Has No Reason (No. 17 Country), was produced by Larry Butler who helmed many of Kenny Rogers' records during the late 1970s. ^[21] It resulted in the No. 1 Country ^[22] and No. 31 AC hit, "Are You on the Road to Lovin' Me Again". Two weeks before Road ascended to No. 1, Boone was part of a historic Top 5 on the Billboard Country chart. For the week ending April 19, 1980, the Top 5 positions were all held by women: ^[23]

1. Crystal Gayle (It's Like We Never Said Goodbye)
2. Dottie West (A Lesson in Leaving)
3. Debby Boone (Are You on the Road to Lovin' Me Again)
4. Emmylou Harris (Beneath Still Waters)
5. Tammy Wynette (Two Story House with George Jones)

The album generated two more Country singles, "Free to Be Lonely Again" (No. 14) ^[24] and "Take It Like a Woman" (No. 44). The latter single charted simultaneously with her father's "Colorado Country Morning" (No. 60). Butler also produced Boone's next album, 1981's Savin' It Up (No. 49 Country), which yielded two more country singles, "Perfect Fool" (No. 23 Country, ^[25] No. 37 AC) and "It'll Be Him" (No. 46). Boone has not charted on either the Billboard AC or Country charts since the release of Savin' It Up.

Broadway bound

Boone wrote her autobiography, Debby Boone So Far, in 1981 ^[26] and spent a year touring the United States with the stage adaptation of the film Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. The play was a commercial and critical success nationwide before opening on Broadway in July 1982. The Broadway reviews were lackluster ^[27], but a scathing review by the New York Times led the show to close after just five performances. The day after the show's closing, several of the show's stars and theater-goers protested the closing outside the New York Times building hoping for a retraction of its review and the re-opening of the show. But, despite the enthusiastic reception of the show from Broadway theater-goers, the producers believed that the show could not overcome its reviews and the show remained closed.

Boone continued her theater work appearing periodically in stage productions nationwide including lead roles in Camelot, Meet Me In St. Louis, ^[28] Mississippi Love, ^[29] South Pacific, The Human Comedy ^[30] and The King And I. ^[31] Boone returned twice to the New York stage. Her 1990 performance as Maria in The Sound Of Music at Lincoln Center garnered her a Drama Desk nomination. ^[32] In 1996, Boone played against her image as Rizzo in the 1990s revival of Grease. ^[33]

Boone occasionally acted on television as well. Her first foray into television was a 1978 musical adaptation of O'Henry's The Gift Of The Magi co-starring John Rubinstein. Boone headlined two of her own NBC television music specials - The Same Old Brand New Me (1980) ^[34] and One Step Closer (1982) ^[35]. She stunned many in 1984 by portraying Clarissa Hope, a former call girl turned Christian singer, in the television movie, Sins Of The Past. ^[1] The film, co-starring Anthony Geary, Barbara Carrera and Kim Cattrall, was a Top 10 Nielsen hit. Boone also made guest appearances on several television shows including Step By Step and Baywatch Nights and was featured in the television films Come On Get Happy: The Partridge Family Story and Treehouse Hostage.

Faith and family

After Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Boone followed her heart and turned her musical career to Christian music winning two GMA Dove Awards and two more Grammys. Boone first recorded in this genre in 1980 with the Grammy winning With My Song ... I Will Praise Him. ^[36] Subsequent Christian albums included Surrender (1983), Choose Life (1985), Friends For Life (1987) and Be Thou My Vision (1989). In 1989, Boone released her Christmas album, Home For Christmas, which boasted a duet with her mother-in-law, Rosemary Clooney, on Clooney's signature White Christmas.

Boone's career was always secondary as she devoted herself first to raising her four children: son Jordan (b. 1980), twin daughters Gabrielle and Dustin (b. 1983), and daughter Tessa (b. 1986). ^[37] Boone married her husband, Gabriel Ferrer on September 1, 1979. ^[38] Like Boone, Ferrer is a member of another well-known Hollywood family - he is the son of Jose Ferrer and Rosemary Clooney, the brother of actors Miguel Ferrer and Rafael Ferrer and the cousin of Oscar-winning actor George Clooney. The couple collaborated on several children's books:

• Bedtime Hugs For Little Ones (1988)
• Tomorrow Is A Brand New Day (1989)
• Snow Angel (1991)
• Welcome To This World (1996)
• Nightlights (1997)
• Counting Blessings (1998)

All of the books were illustrated by her husband. Boone and her children appeared frequently on the cover of Good Housekeeping magazine as they grew. ^[39] Boone also released two children's videos, Debby Boone's Hug-a-Long Songs: Volumes 1 and 2.

Once her children were grown, Boone revived her recording career in 2005 with the release of Reflections Of Rosemary. ^[40] The CD was a fond tribute to her mother-in-law, Rosemary Clooney, featuring songs performed by Clooney as well as other songs not associated with Clooney which Boone felt showed Clooney as the person she and her family knew and loved. Boone toured extensively for the album including several nights at New York's famed cabaret, Feinstein's, where Clooney often performed. ^[41]

Discography

Awards

Academy Of Country Music

Win:

• 1977 - Top New Female Vocalist

Nominations:

• 1977 - Single Record of the Year (You Light Up My Life)
• 1977 - Song of the Year (You Light Up My Life)

Dove Awards

Wins:

• 1981 - Best Album By A Secular Artist (With My Song ... I Will Praise Him)
• 1984 - Best Album By A Secular Artist (Surrender)

Grammys

Wins:

• 1977 - Best New Artist
• 1980 - Best Inspirational Performance (With My Song ... I Will Praise Him)
• 1983 - Best Gospel Performance - Duo/Group (Keep The Flame Burning with Phil Driscoll) ^[42]

Nominations:

• 1977 - Record Of The Year (You Light Up My Life)
• 1977 - Best Pop Vocal Performance - Female (You Light Up My Life)
• 1984 - Best Gospel Performance - Female (Surrender)
• 1985 - Best Gospel Performance - Female (Choose Life)
• 1987 - Best Gospel Performance - Female (The Name Above All Names)
• 1989 - Best Gospel Performance - Female (Be Thou My Vision)

Music City News

Win:

• 1978 - Best New Female Artist

Record World

• 1977 - Pop New Female Vocalist - Albums
• 1977 - Pop New Female Vocalist - Singles
• 1977 - Pop Single (Solo Artist) - "You Light Up My Life"
• 1977 - Special Achievement
• 1978 - Pop New Female Vocalist - Albums
• 1978 - Pop New Female Vocalist - Singles
• 1978 - Pop Single (Solo Artist) - "You Light Up My Life"

External links

• Debby Boone Official Website
• Debby Boone at the Internet Movie Database
• Debby Boone at TV.com
• Debby Boone at the Internet Broadway Database

References