Debby Boone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Debby Boone |
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Boone in Washington, D.C. in 1997
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Deborah Anne Boone |
| Also known as | Debby Boone Ferrer |
| Born | September 22, 1956 Hackensack, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actress, author, spokesperson |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1971–present |
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| Associated acts | |
Deborah Anne Boone (born September 22, 1956) is an American singer, author, and actress. She is famous for her 1977 song, "You Light Up My Life". This song was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for ten weeks. It helped her win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist the next year.
Later, Debby Boone focused on country music. She had another No. 1 hit in 1980 called "Are You on the Road to Lovin' Me Again". In the 1980s, she started recording Christian music. This led to four top 10 Contemporary Christian albums and two more Grammys. Throughout her career, Boone has also acted in many musical plays. She has also written several children's books with her husband, Gabriel Ferrer.
Contents
Debby Boone's Life Story
Starting Her Career
Debby Boone was born in Hackensack, New Jersey. She was the third of four daughters. Her father was the famous singer and actor Pat Boone. Her mother, Shirley Foley Boone, was the daughter of country music star Red Foley.
When Debby was 14, she began touring with her parents and three sisters. Their group was first called The Pat Boone Family. Later, they were known as the Boones or Boone Girls. They mostly sang gospel music. However, the sisters also released pop songs. Debby was often the lead singer on these pop songs.
The Hit Song "You Light Up My Life"
After her older sisters got married, Debby Boone was encouraged to start a solo career. In 1977, she released her first solo song, "You Light Up My Life". This song was also in a movie of the same name.
The song became a huge hit in the 1970s. It stayed at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for ten weeks in a row. This was longer than any other song had stayed at No. 1 at that time. "You Light Up My Life" earned Boone a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. She also won an American Music Award for Favorite Pop Single of 1977.
Even though the song was written as a love song, Debby Boone saw it as an inspirational song. She said she recorded it for God. Her version of the song was not used in the movie itself.
After this big success, Boone toured with her father and appeared on many TV shows. However, she did not have another pop hit as big as "You Light Up My Life". Her career then moved in different musical directions.
Singing Country Music
Because "You Light Up My Life" was also popular on country charts, Debby Boone started to focus on country music. Her grandfather, Red Foley, and her father, Pat Boone, had also sung country music.
In 1979, she had a hit with "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own". This was a remake of an old song by Connie Francis. Her album Love Has No Reason came out in 1980. It included the No. 1 Country hit, "Are You on the Road to Lovin' Me Again".
In April 1980, Debby Boone was part of a special moment in country music. For one week, the top 5 songs on the Billboard Country chart were all sung by women:
- Crystal Gayle ("It's Like We Never Said Goodbye")
- Dottie West ("A Lesson in Leaving")
- Debby Boone ("Are You on the Road to Lovin' Me Again")
- Emmylou Harris ("Beneath Still Waters")
- Tammy Wynette ("Two Story House" with George Jones)
Christian Music Career
Debby Boone then turned her music career towards contemporary Christian music. She won two GMA Dove Awards and two more Grammys for her work in this style. Her first Christian album was With My Song in 1980, which won a Grammy. Other Christian albums included Surrender (1983) and Choose Life (1985).
In 1989, she released her Christmas album Home For Christmas. It featured a duet with her mother-in-law, Rosemary Clooney, on the famous song "White Christmas".
TV and Theater Work
Debby Boone started acting on TV in 1978. She was in a TV musical called The Gift of the Magi. She also had her own TV music specials. She has appeared on shows like Step by Step and Baywatch Nights.
In 1981, Boone began acting in stage musicals. Her first role was in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. She toured with this show for 18 months.
She has continued to act in musicals, mostly in regional theaters. She played the main role of Maria in a 1990 show of The Sound of Music in New York. She had also played Maria on tour in 1987 and 1988. In 1996, she returned to Broadway to play Rizzo in the musical Grease. This role was different from her usual wholesome image. She has also performed in other musicals like The King and I and 42nd Street.
Recent Years
After her children grew up, Debby Boone started recording music again in 2005. She released Reflections Of Rosemary. This album was a tribute to her mother-in-law, Rosemary Clooney. In 2011, Boone released Swing This!, which celebrated swing music from the 1960s.
Debby Boone's Family Life
Debby Boone married Gabriel Ferrer on September 1, 1979. He is a priest in the Episcopal Church. Gabriel Ferrer comes from a famous Hollywood family too. His father was José Ferrer and his mother was Rosemary Clooney. He is also the brother of actors Miguel Ferrer and Rafael Ferrer. His uncle is journalist Nick Clooney, and his cousin is actor George Clooney.
Debby and Gabriel have four children:
- Son Jordan (born 1980)
- Twin daughters Gabrielle and Dustin (born 1983)
- Daughter Tessa (born 1986)
Music Albums (Discography)
- You Light Up My Life (1977)
- Midstream (1978)
- Debby Boone (1979)
- Love Has No Reason (1980)
- With My Song (1980)
- Savin' It Up (1981)
- Surrender (1983)
- Choose Life (1985)
- Friends for Life (1987)
- Be Thou My Vision (1989)
- Reflections of Rosemary (2005)
- Swing This (2013)
Books Written by Debby Boone
Debby Boone and her husband have written several children's books together. Gabriel Ferrer illustrated all of them.
- 1981: Debby Boone So Far (her autobiography)
- 1988: Bedtime Hugs for Little Ones
- 1989: Tomorrow Is a Brand New Day
- 1991: The Snow Angel
- 1996: Welcome to This World
- 1998: Counting Blessings
The Snow Angel was also released as an audio version with original songs. Debby Boone also had a children's video series called Debby Boone's Hug-a-Long Songs.
Awards and Honors
Academy of Country Music
- 1977: Top New Female Vocalist
Dove Awards
- 1981: Best Album by a Secular Artist, With My Song
- 1984: Best Album by a Secular Artist, Surrender
Grammy Awards
- 1977: Best New Artist
- 1980: Best Inspirational Performance: With My Song
- 1983: Best Gospel Performance – Duo/Group for Keep The Flame Burning (with Phil Driscoll)
Music City News
- 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"
See also
In Spanish: Debby Boone para niños
- List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States
