Interview: Debby Boone of IT'S BEEN A WHILE... at Coach House!

Debby Boone is a Grammy, ACM, and DOVE Award-winning artist widely recognized for her record-breaking #1 hit, YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE! With thirteen studio albums and twenty singles, her career spans the Pop, Country, and Contemporary Christian charts.

Debby’s recent highlights include the PBS special Swing This and hosting the 2024 public television special Showstoppers! Great Women of TV Variety. In 2025, she co-starred in the film Six Days in Evergreen. Beyond her recording career, which includes the acclaimed Rosemary Clooney tribute Reflections of Rosemary, Debby is a seasoned stage actress with credits in GREASE, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, and SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS. She is currently touring with a new show featuring beloved standards at premier venues nationwide, sharing stories from her family legacy and her work with icons like Frank Sinatra.

Critics all agree Debby's performance is as dynamic as it is timeless. Featuring a carefully curated selection of songs, Debby takes audiences on a personal journey reflecting the most important influences of her life, including her father, Pat Boone, and her mother-in-law, Rosemary Clooney..

Debby recently sat down for BROADWAY WORLD LA'S TEN QUESTIONS IN TEN MINUTES  to graciously discuss her fulfilling life with a successful career:

In what Jersey town were you born in, and what is your star sign?
I was born in Hackensack, NJ, while my dad was commuting into NY to tape his live TV show, The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom. I believe I was born under the sign of Virgo.

How old were you when you realized what live performance was in front of you?
My first realization came as a young girl watching my father perform in concert.

Did you learn your craft professionally in school or from your father?
When I turned 14, my father took the whole family to Japan and put us in the show.  We were trained by musical arrangers and a choreographer to create the Pat Boone Family Show.
 Did your parents support your career choice and dreams?
Yes and no. My father initially felt his daughters should focus on being wives and mothers, and college was not encouraged. However, he later became extremely complimentary of my voice and career. Three of my sisters subsequently went on to college to fulfill their academic pursuits.

What was your first paid gig?
My parents established bank accounts for us when we began performing on their television shows. I realized I could sustain a living as a performer at age 18, when I gained access to those savings.

How did "You Light Up My Life" come to you?
Producer Mike Curb approached me about a solo career and brought me the orchestrations from the movie’s soundtrack. My parents encouraged me to record a cover version for Warner-Curb Records. The original ghost singer for Didi Conn in YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE was KASEY CYSIK  but she and the film's director had creative differences. My music producer, MIKE CURB, promoted my studio cut and it aired on August 16, 1977 when I first heard it on the radio.  (Debby's tender and romantic studio cut version reached #1 on the BILLBOARD HOT 100 for ten consecutive weeks and has remained a phemenomal sensation among pop-ballads.)

Did you feel social pressure to measure up to your father's iconic image?
I didn't feel personal pressure, but his fans often projected his conservative values onto me, which occasionally made it difficult to establish my own identity. (Debby will be performing at Coach House on March 1, 2026 7pm and her legendary father, Pat Boone, will be her very special guest.)

How do you feel about live performers singing to tracks versus a band?
I generally prefer live music. However, I am considering supplementary music tracks to play along with live muscians in large venues, as big bands can sometimes be cost prohibitive. 

Should pop stars in Broadway roles sing like their predecessors or make the roles their own?
It is a gray area. When I played Maria in THE SOUND OF MUSIC!, I used back phrasing. While one cast member discouraged me, director JAMIE HAMMERSTEIN was supportive of those nuances.

Who were your musical influences growing up?
Growing up in the 70s, I was laregely  influenced by Karen Carpenter and Barbra Streisand. I didn't discover the work of my mother-in-law, Rosemary Clooney, until I married her son, but I have been a huge fan ever since. Early on, I was frequently compared to Olivia Newton-John.  (Fun fact: George Clooney's two children and Debby's four children are cousins)

American Film Critic, Rex Reed, describes Debby as "a joyous blend of delicacy, wit, swinging sophistication, smoky sexiness, and unbeatable artistry."