Deborah Anne Boone (born September 22, 1956)[1] is an American singer, author, and actress.

Throughout her career, Boone has appeared in several musical theater productions and has co-authored many children's books with her husband Gabriel Ferrer.

When Boone was 14 years old, she began touring with her parents and three sisters: Cherry, Lindy, and Laury.

The Boones twice reached Billboard's AC charts with 1975's "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" (No.

[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)") and the Eagles ("Hotel California").

The song was lip-synched in the film by its star, Didi Conn, performing to vocals recorded by Kacey Cisyk.

Like "You Light Up My Life", the song was nominated for an Academy Award for its composers, the Sherman Brothers,[11] but it failed to replicate the success of her first single, charting only No.

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 on country music.

[7] Boone released another Connie Francis cover, "Breakin' in a Brand New Broken Heart" (No.

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.

Boone debuted as a screen actress in 1978, in an original television musical adaptation of O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi co-starring John 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] and One Step Closer (1982).

[16] In 1984, Boone co-starred in the television movie Sins of the Past as Clarissa Hope, a call girl who is born again and becomes an evangelical singer: also co-starring Kirstie Alley, Barbara Carrera, Kim Cattrall and Anthony Geary, Sins of the Past became a Top 10 Nielsen hit.

In 1981, Boone made her debut as a stage musical actress in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers with a June showcase engagement in the Akron-based Kenley Players season[19] followed by an eighteen-month US tour launched with a December 1981 engagement at the Fox Theater (San Diego).

A critical and commercial success on tour, the production opened on Broadway in July 1982 to generally lackluster reviews,[20] with a particularly scathing critique by Frank Rich in The New York Times being blamed for the show's closure after five performances.

Boone returned to the Broadway stage in 1996 to play—cast in opposition to her own wholesome image—"bad girl" Rizzo in the Eugene O'Neill Theatre revival of Grease,[23] and on March 7, 2011, performed at the Gramercy Theater in the 24 Hours Musicals original production Things Can't Always Be Awesome.

Her regional theater credits include lead roles in Meet 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] and Camelot (North Carolina Theatre/ 2005), with more recent theatrical credits in ensemble musicals: The Human Comedy (Barrington Stage Company, Berkshire County/ 2006),[25] Into the Woods (Candlelight Dinner Theater, Denver/ 2016),[26] and 42nd Street (Tempe Center for the Arts/ 2018).

[17] Once her children were grown, Boone revived her recording career in 2005 with the release of Reflections Of Rosemary.

Boone toured extensively for the album, including several nights at New York's famed cabaret Feinstein's, where Clooney had often performed.

[28] In 2012, Boone's profile, as well as her most popular hit song, were enhanced when she became the official spokesperson for Lifestyle Lift, a company that provides facial and neck cosmetic procedures.

[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.