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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZBOONE, Debbie(b 22 September 1956, Hackensack NJ) Pop/country singer, daughter of Pat Boone. She sang on Boone family gospel albums; her first solo single was an Oscar-winning film song 'You Light Up My Life', produced by Mike Curb: it also won Song of the Year Grammy '77 and was 10 weeks at no. 1 on the Billboard pop chart, top 5 country. She was named top new vocalist '78 by ACM. Her country hits included 'God Knows' '78, 'My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own', 'Breakin' In A New Pair Of Shoes' '79, 'Are You On The Road To Lovin' Me Again' '80. Albums included You Light Up My Life, Midstream, Love Has No Reason. She published an autobiography Debbie Boone...So Far. She starred in a musical play from '54 film Seven Brides For Seven Brothers '82, successful on tour but closed on Broadway. She became a popular contemporary Christian artist. She is married to Gabriel Ferrer, son of Rosemary Clooney. Mikal Gilmore writes about jazz, and might be the world's biggest Billie Holiday fan; listening to the Sinatra channel on Sirius in 2021, he was surprised to hear Boone's 'Van Heusen Medley: But Beautiful/Moonlight Becomes You/Someone In Love' from her album Reflections of Rosemary 2005 on Concord. He wrote that she 'inhabits the lyrics with complete credibility, wielding phrasing and timing not beholden to Clooney.' Investigating further, he found more tracks he liked even better, by songwriters from Hank Williams to Dave Frishberg and Randy Newman. He looked for what was apparently her next album, Swing This on a Gold Label, but it can't be found anywhere. Not even Discogs has heard of it. |