Boone Town
Debby Boone is coming to Branson—and she’s bringing her award-winning talent with her.
Branson is used to seeing stars. And in November, Debby Boone is bringing her own star power to the Oak Ridge Boys Theatre as part of the Country Tonite show. “The people that come through Branson are the kind of people I love to entertain,” says Boone. “It’s going to be such a family show.”
Boone may be the daughter of entertainer Pat Boone and the granddaughter of country music star Red Foley, but her fame is all her own. Boone jumped on the charts with “You Light Up My Life” in 1977, which claimed the No. 1 spot for 10 weeks and earned her a Grammy award. After releasing a few more albums, Boone took a step in her grandfather’s direction and jumped into country music. Boone found herself at the top of the charts again with “Are You On the Road to Lovin’ Me Again.”
But Boone didn’t start out at the top. Her first encounters on the stage were with her parents and three sisters, who performed gospel as The Pat Boone Family and then as the Boones. “When I first stepped out there, I had a certain amount of experience from the Boones,” says Boone. “I was 21 when I recorded ‘You Light Up My Life.’ My career was so instantaneous. I gained invaluable experience and knowledge.”
The 411What: Country Tonite with Debby Boone |
After her country music success, Boone followed the stage in a different direction. She spent nearly a year touring with the Broadway production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and later appeared in shows such as Camelot, South Pacific, The King and I, Grease and Meet Me in St. Louis. “Playing Miss Anna [in The King and I] was a dream come true for me,” says Boone. “In my first production, I really began to trust my acting ability.”
Boone has garnered additional praise for her TV appearances. She starred in a musical version of The Gift of the Magi and the TV movie Sins of the Past. At the same time, Boone transitioned into Christian music, recording several albums and earning two more Grammy awards. At this time, Boone was no longer the insecure, 21-year-old performer. “I’m so comfortable with my abilities,” says Boone. “Like my father and Rosemary [Clooney], I can communicate with an audience in an honest, open way. I’m no longer vulnerable to anybody’s opinion on who I should be.”
After having her first son, Jordan, with husband Gabriel Ferrer in 1980, Boone put her career on the back burner to raise her children, all of whom followed their mother into the arts. Jordan, now 29, has worked for years in the props department of the NBC reality show Survivor. Gabrielle, 25, is getting an M.F.A. from California State in Long Beach, and her twin, Dustin, writes for animated children’s shows in New York City. Boone’s youngest, Tessa, 23, is pursuing her acting career in Los Angeles..Boone just took on her newest role as mother of the bride to her newly engaged daughter, Dustin. “It was a transitional time,” says Boone. “I always knew my first priority was at home. But now my kids are on their way, and I’m free to do what I love without feeling like I’m compromising family needs.”
For now, Boone is excited to be in Branson during the changing of the seasons and performing in a newly renovated theater. “When this opportunity came up for me, it was a no-brainer,” says Boone. “I came in and saw the gorgeous theater, and I knew I could come in confidently and do the kind show I want to do.”
