You Light Up My Life (song)

:"Not to be confused with Carole King's song from her album "Fantasy"."Infobox Single
Name = You Light Up My Life
Artist = Debby Boone
from Album = You Light Up My Life
A-side =
B-side = Hasta Mañana
Released = 1977
Format =
Recorded =
Genre = Pop
Length = 3:35
Label = Curb
Writer = Joe Brooks
Producer = Joe Brooks
Certification = Platinum

"You Light Up My Life" is a ballad written by Joe Brooks and originally recorded by Kasey Cisyk for the soundtrack to the film of the same name. The song was performed in the film by its lead, Didi Conn, who lip synched Cisyk's version. Pat Boone's daughter, Debby Boone, was recruited to record the single which became a massive success, topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart for ten weeks. It easily became the most successful single of the 1970s in the United States and was only surpassed at that time by Elvis Presley's double-sided "Don't Be Cruel/Hound Dog" as the longest running No. 1 ever on the Hot 100. The single, which was certified platinum by the RIAA, also spent one week atop the Adult Contemporary chart and peaked at No. 4 on the Country chart. Although written by Brooks as a love song, the devout Boone interpreted the song as inspirational and proclaimed that it was instead God who "lit up her life."

Cisyk's soundtrack recording was released as a single to bolster sales of the soundtrack after Boone included her version on her first solo album also entitled "You Light Up My Life". (Although the soundtrack was certified gold, peaking at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, it never included Boone's version of the song.) Cisyk's single was credited to "Original Cast", not to Cisyk herself, and only reached No. 80 on the Billboard Hot 100. Brooks also released an instrumental version of the song from the soundtrack as a single, but his version failed to chart. Boone's success resulted in two Grammy nominations for Best Pop Female and Record of the Year and won her the 1977 Grammy for Best New Artist and the 1977 American Music Award for Favorite Pop Single. The song earned Brooks the 1977 Song of the Year Grammy (tied with "Love Theme from "A Star Is Born" (Evergreen)" as well as the Best Original Song awards at the 1977 Golden Globe and Academy Awards.

The song ranks #7 on "Billboard's All Time Top 100." [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-titles-10.shtml]

Other versions

Infobox Single
Name = You Light Up My Life


Cover size =
Caption =
Artist = LeAnn Rimes
from Album =
A-side =
B-side = I Believe
Released = August 26, 1997
Format =
Recorded = 1996
Genre = Country
Length = 3:37
Label = Curb
Writer = Joe Brooks
Producer = Wilbur C. Rimes
Certification =
Last single = "How Do I Live"
(1997)
This single = "You Light Up My Life"
(1997)
Next single = "On the Side of Angels"
(1998)
Misc =

Many artists have covered "You Light Up My Life" since 1977. The following year, Johnny Mathis recorded and named his album after the song. LeAnn Rimes released her version as a single in 1997 - 20 years after Boone's version was released and on the same record label (Curb Records). Her version did not fare as well at radio (No. 34 Pop, No. 48 Country). However, her single was certified gold and was the title track to her No. 1 Pop and Country album, "".

Among the other diverse artists who have recorded and/or performed the song are:

* Jean Carn
* Jose Carreras
* Perry Como
* Robert Goulet
* Lee Greenwood
* Loleatta Holloway
* Whitney Houston
* Cristy Lane
* Steve Lawrence
* Mink
* Phantasmic
* Kenny Rogers
* Bianca Ryan
* Yuki Saito
* Margo Smith
* Patti Smith
* U96
* Westlife