Debby Boone | |
|---|---|
 Boone inWashington, D.C. in 1997 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Debby Boone Ferrer |
| Born | Deborah Anne Boone (1956-09-22)September 22, 1956 (age 69) Hackensack, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California |
| Genres | |
| Occupations | Singer, actress, author, spokesperson |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | debbyboone |
Deborah Anne Boone (born September 22, 1956)[1] is an American singer, author, and actress. She is best known for her 1977 hit, "You Light Up My Life", which spent ten weeks at No. 1 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart[2] and led to her winning theGrammy Award for Best New Artist the following year.[3] Boone later focused her music career on country music, resulting in the 1980 No. 1 country hit "Are You on the Road to Lovin' Me Again". In the 1980s, she recordedChristian music which garnered her four top 10Contemporary 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 her husband Gabriel Ferrer.
Debby Boone was born inHackensack, New Jersey, the third of four daughters born to singer-actorPat Boone and Shirley Foley Boone, daughter of country music starRed 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 also released singles for theMotown andCurb labels that were remakes of secular pop music featuring Debby as the lead vocalist.
The Boones twice reachedBillboard's AC charts with 1975's "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" (No. 25), a remake of theSupremes' first top 40 hit, and 1977's "Hasta Mañana" (No. 32), a cover of a track fromABBA'sWaterloo album.
With her older sisters married and younger sister Laury in college, Boone was actively encouraged by producerMike Curb to launch a solo career. Boone released her first solo effort, "You Light Up My Life" (which had been featured in the film of the same name), in 1977. The song became the biggest hit of the 1970s[4], lasting ten consecutive weeks at No. 1 on theBillboard Hot 100 – longer than any other song in Hot 100 history to that point.[5] (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 aGrammy Award forBest New Artist and anAmerican Music Award for Favorite Pop Single of 1977.[6] 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)") andthe Eagles ("Hotel California"). "You Light Up My Life" also succeeded onBillboard'sAdult Contemporary (No. 1 for one week) and Country (No. 4) singles charts.[7] The single and thealbum (No. 6 Pop, No. 6 Country) of the same name were both certified platinum.
The song, written and produced byJoe Brooks, was from thefilm of the same name. Brooks earned Song of the Year awards at both the 1978 Grammys[8] and Oscars[9] for writing the song. (Boone performed the song at both awards shows.) Boone's version was not used in the film, nor featured on its soundtrack. The song was lip-synched in the film by its star,Didi Conn, performing to vocals recorded byKacey Cisyk.[10] It was written as a love song, but Boone interpreted the song as inspirational and stated that she recorded the song for God.[11]
Boone's overnight success led to a tour with her father[5] and frequent television appearances, but she was unable to maintain her success in pop music after "You Light Up My Life". Her follow-up single, "California" (also written and produced byJoe Brooks), peaked at No. 50 Pop and No. 20 AC,[2] and 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.[2] However, the single charted AC (No. 14) and returned Boone to the country chart (No. 22). Boone then released another film theme, "When You're Loved", fromThe Magic of Lassie. Like "You Light Up My Life", the song was nominated for anAcademy Award for its composers, theSherman Brothers,[11] but it failed to replicate the success of her first single, charting only No. 48 AC. Boone's wholesome persona contrasted with the image-conscious pop-music industry, leading her career in different musical directions.
With the crossover success of "You Light Up My Life" and "God Knows/Baby, I'm Yours", Boone began to focus oncountry music.[12] (Her maternal grandfather,Red Foley,[12] and her father 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 ofConnie Francis' "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own".[7] Boone released anotherConnie Francis cover, "Breakin' in a Brand New Broken Heart" (No. 25),[7] before releasing her 1979eponymous album. Although the album included the twoFrancis 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 Connie 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 compilationThe Best of Debby Boone.)
Her next album, 1980'sLove Has No Reason (No. 17 Country), was produced by Larry Butler who helmed many ofKenny Rogers' records during the late 1970s.[12] It resulted in the No. 1 Country[7] and No. 31 AC hit, "Are You on the Road to Lovin' Me Again". Two weeks beforeAre You on the Road to Lovin' Me Again 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:[13]
The album generated two more country singles, "Free to Be Lonely Again" (No. 14)[7] 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'sSavin' It Up (No. 49 Country), which yielded two more country singles, "Perfect Fool" (No. 23 Country,[7] 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 ofSavin' It Up.
Boone turned her music career tocontemporary Christian music, winning two GMA Dove Awards[14] and two more Grammys.[15] She first recorded in this genre in 1980, with the Grammy-winningWith My Song. Subsequent Christian albums includedSurrender (1983),Choose Life (1985),Friends For Life (1987), andBe Thou My Vision (1989).
In 1989, Boone released her Christmas albumHome For Christmas, which boasted a duet with her mother-in-law,Rosemary Clooney, on Clooney's signature song "White Christmas".
Boone debuted as a screen actress in 1978, in an original television musical adaptation ofO. Henry'sThe Gift of the Magi co-starringJohn Rubinstein. A frequent variety show guest star, Boone also headlined two of her own NBC television music specials –The Same Old Brand New Me (1980)[16] andOne Step Closer (1982).[16] In 1984, Boone co-starred in the television movieSins of the Past as Clarissa Hope, a call girl who isborn again and becomes anevangelical singer: also co-starringKirstie Alley,Barbara Carrera,Kim Cattrall andAnthony Geary,Sins of the Past became a Top 10Nielsen hit.[1] Boone has since made guest appearances on several television shows includingStep by Step andBaywatch Nights and was featured in the television filmsCome on, Get Happy: The Partridge Family Story andTreehouse Hostage.
| Debby Boone on stage music work |
|---|
| In musical theater, usually the challenge for me is that everything is too high. I am a truealto. There are not a lot of leading roles written for altos... I love musical theater and I love working in a company. There's nothing quite like the energy of working with a full cast and an orchestra.[17] [Citing Anna inThe King & I as her favorite role:] That show ... is so well constructed from beginning to end.... There is something so incredibly beautiful in the arc of the character of Anna & how she evolved and what she learned. It's such a beautiful story with such a beautiful message. It has everything from beautiful costumes, dancing and cultural differences... The King grows & learns, & she grows and learns... Everybody makes transformations in that show. It's a huge undertaking to do. When that show starts, from the time you set foot on the stage to the final bow, it's like riding a wave, it's so well written. You go with it.[18] |
In 1981, Boone made her debut as a stage musical actress inSeven Brides for Seven Brothers with a June showcase engagement in theAkron-basedKenley Players season[19] followed by an eighteen-month US tour launched with a December 1981 engagement at theFox Theater (San Diego). A critical and commercial success on tour, the production opened onBroadway in July 1982 to generally lackluster reviews,[20] with a particularly scathing critique byFrank Rich inThe New York Times being blamed for the show's closure after five performances.[21]
Boone has remained an occasional stage musical actress mostly inregional theater productions, although she did play the lead role of Maria in the 1990 revival ofThe Sound of Music mounted atLincoln Center (nominated as Outstanding Musical Revival by the Drama Desk Awards): Boone had earlier played Maria on tour in both 1987 and 1988 with 1987 dates including theSacramento Music Circus (premiere), theO'Keefe Centre (Toronto), theStarlight Theater in Kansas City (Missouri), and theWestbury (New York) Music Fair,[22] and 1988 dates including theFox Theatre (Atlanta) (premiere),Benedum Center (Pittsburgh),Fair Park Music Hall (Dallas), Hilton U. Brown Theatre atButler University (Indianapolis), and also four dates inJapan. Boone returned to the Broadway stage in 1996 to play—cast in opposition to her own wholesome image—"bad girl" Rizzo in theEugene O'Neill Theatre revival ofGrease,[23] and on March 7, 2011, performed at theGramercy Theater in the 24 Hours Musicals original productionThings Can't Always Be Awesome. Her regional theater credits include lead roles inMeet Me in St. Louis (Fair Park Music Hall, Dallas;Fox Theatre, St. Louis;Orange County Performing Arts Center/ 1991),South Pacific (Valley Forge Music Fair/ 1995),The King and I (Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Center/ 2001;Tucson Music Hall/ 2002; California Center for the Arts (Escondido, California)/ 2002;San Jose Center for the Performing Arts/ 2006),Mississippi Love (Mark Twain Playhouse,Branson/ 2001),[24] andCamelot (North Carolina Theatre/ 2005), with more recent theatrical credits inensemble musicals:The Human Comedy (Barrington Stage Company,Berkshire County/ 2006),[25]Into the Woods (Candlelight Dinner Theater,Denver/ 2016),[26] and42nd Street (Tempe Center for the Arts/ 2018).[17]
Once her children were grown, Boone revived her recording career in 2005 with the release ofReflections Of Rosemary.[9] The CD, a fond tribute to her mother-in-lawRosemary Clooney, features songs performed by Clooney as well as other songs not thus associated, but 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 had often performed.[27] In 2011, Boone released an album—and subsequent concert tour—calledSwing This!, celebrating the swing music and culture of 1960s Las Vegas.[28]
In 2012, Boone's profile, as well as her most popular hit song, were enhanced when she became the official spokesperson forLifestyle Lift, a company that provides facial and neck cosmetic procedures.[29] She appears in extended TV commercials and hosts a 30-minuteinfomercial. In all promotions, her signature song, "You Light Up My Life", is pervasively featured throughout. In the infomercial, Boone is portrayed recording the song, because she indeed re-recorded the 35-year-old song, with full orchestration. However, at no time did the singer state that she had personally utilized the company's services.
Boone married Gabriel Ferrer on September 1, 1979.[8] He is an ordained priest in theEpiscopal Church.[30] Like Boone, Ferrer is a member of a well-known Hollywood family: he is the son ofJosé Ferrer andRosemary Clooney, the brother of actorsMiguel Ferrer and Rafael Ferrer, the nephew of journalistNick Clooney and the cousin of actorGeorge Clooney. The couple have four children: son Jordan (born July 8, 1980), twin daughters Gabrielle and Dustin (born September 17, 1983), and daughterTessa (born March 30, 1986), who is an actress.[5]
Boone and her husband collaborated on several children's books, all of them illustrated by Ferrer.[citation needed]
The Snow Angel was released both in book form and in a special audio edition featuring original songs by Mari Falcone, Boone's musical director for many years. Boone also released the two-volume children's video series entitledDebby Boone's Hug-a-Long Songs. She and her children appeared frequently on the cover ofGood Housekeeping magazine during their childhood.[32]
Nominations:
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