Debby Boone illuminated the charts with her fervent rendition of this ballad from a romantic comedy. Joseph Brooks was the producer, writer, and director of the film that became known as 'You Light Up My Life' after he wrote the song during the production. He had his girlfriend Kasey Cisyk sing the song for the soundtrack and the star Didi Conn lip synched it for the film. By the time the movie finally found distribution, Brooks and Cisyk had broken up and Debby Boone was brought in to do a new version for release as a single. Boone had no experience but had come from a well-connected show business family: her father was Pat Boone and her grandfather was Red Foley. She was chosen for her ability to sing the song exactly like Cisyk for performances on the Oscars and the Grammys.
Boone's version of 'You Light Up My Life' went to number seven in Australia; six on the Canadian country chart; four on the US country chart; and number one on the Canadian pop and adult contemporary charts and the US pop and adult contemporary charts. In the United States it spent ten weeks at number one, which made it the biggest hit of the seventies. At the time, only Elvis Presley's double A-side single of 'Hound Dog / Don't Be Cruel' had spent more time at number one with eleven weeks. Olivia Newton-John tied her record in 1982 with 'Physical' and Boyz II Men set a new record of thirteen weeks in 1991 with 'End of the Road'.
Boone was nominated for Grammys for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Record of the Year and won the Grammy for Best New Artist. She also won the American Music Award for Song of the Year and the Country Music Association Award for Best New Artist of the Year. The song earned Brooks a Grammy for Song Of The Year and Golden Globe and Academy Awards for Best Original Song. 'You Light Up My Life' is ranked at number seven on Billboard's All Time Top 100.
With all of the success surrounding the song, Boone was asked who it was that lit up her life, to which she replied that she was singing to God: "That is the truth. I never did it with any agenda, like 'I want people to know this' or that I somehow wanted to evangelize the world with it or anything like that. It was my private interpretation. I never thought the song was going to be a hit. I was just excited somebody wanted me to go into the studio and record it. So when it did become a massive hit, people started to ask me 'Who were you singing to?' I never expected to answer that question, but when it was there, rather than make up some story...the truth was the lyrics lent themselves to a prayer-like quality, and that was my interpretation."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL7xrYWReis
So many nights I sit by my window
Waiting for someone to sing me his song
So many dreams I kept deep inside me
Alone in the dark but now
You've come along
You light up my life
You give me hope
To carry on
You light up my days
and fill my nights with song
Rollin' at sea, adrift on the water
Could it be finally I'm turning for home?
Finally, a chance to say
Hey, I love You
Never again to be all alone
You light up my life
You give me hope
To carry on
You light up my days
and fill my nights with song
You light up my life
You give me hope
To carry on
You light up my days
and fill my nights with song
It can't be wrong
When it feels so right
'Cause You
You light up my life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF8R521ah2k
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