"You Light Up My Life" Wins Original Song: 1978 Oscars

Joseph Brooks wins the Oscar for Music (Original Song) for "You Light Up My Life" from You Light Up My Life at the 50th Academy Awards. Fred Astaire presents the award; hosted by Bob Hope.
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[@theoriginaldomain]

They should make a movie of the real story of the song and call it "You Light Up My Life" what a sad story this beautiful song has. Tragic!

[@mr.gvideo]

Fred was 79 years old here. WOW🤩

[@lordofthestings]

This Debbie Boone song is a classic and takes me back to my younger days, but...Nobody Does it Better, is the best song of these nominations.

[@ange9663]

Love the standing ovation for the superb Fred Astaire a genius.

[@yaroslavchyik8783]

Оскар мала отримати Квітка Цісик, оскільки Вона перша виконавиця цієї пісні та ЇЇ голос звучить у саундтреку однойменного фільму !!! The Oscar was to get Kvitka Cisyk, as She is the first performer of this song and Her voice sounds in the soundtrack of the film of the !!!

[@markelijio6012]

Ha!

[@billlozier5551]

Kasey Cisyk Lights up our life with her voice. Brooks was a creep. At least he made the speech short. Nobody wanted to hear it. It was Kasey they were clapping for.

[@dmitrygoyda]

👏👏👏

[@LarryLeeMoniz]

Kasey Cisyk originally sang this song in the movie and on the soundtrack album. When the monster that wrote the song (the very monster that accepted the award) didn't get his way with her after making sexual advances, he had Debby Boone record over the original backing tracks to re-record the music... and Debby got all the fame.

[@naturestone9984]

Larry Lee Moniz It's a tragedy. I read about it.

[@user-jn8xg5ry9c]

Small number of people know abut it... KC realy nice!

[@gailc1948]

Wow what a sad event for Kasey

[@lanapavlenko1835]

​@Valery M Justice in Hollywood? I don't' think so. Director was denied by Kasey, so Oscar was stolen from her. There is even no name Kasey Cisyk in thе captions. He was so mad so cut it off.

[@milawagner8405]

Kasey Cisyk 💗👏👏👏

[@MyJustin316]

'Stayin Alive' 'More Than A Woman' "Night Fever" ''If I Cant Have You' and ''How Deep is Your Love'' from Saturday Night Fever shouldve been nominated

[@leotomma3494]

Debbie Boone doesn't have the right to be called the original singer to this song

[@timheavrin2253]

RIP Kacey

[@TheTerryE]

There's no greater figure in movie musical history than Fred Astaire.

[@OlgaLevin]

TheTerryE He was hella tall!

[@ericholck3914]

The fact that he got a standing O back then is pretty telling!

[@dannydougin3925]

Who? Never heard of him!

[@dannydougin3925]

@@OlgaLevin ??? Looking him up he was 5'9" ... that is not tall for a man!

[@sarahm.5356]

I just want to add that this was the year the Academy ignored the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever completely! Stayin' Alive? I think so!!!

[@gijsschubert7901]

Joseph Kaplan (which was the real name of Joe Brooks) was the brother of "wannabee" amateur conductor George Kaplan (if you ever want to see a bad performing conductor in Mahler 2, watch George "robot" Kaplan on KZbin). Joe wrote the song, all credit to him, but it was Kasey Cisyk who made the song immortal with her fantastic soulful performance. Because of arguments about royalties, Joe "gave" the song to Debby Boone, who sang it (upon's Joe's instruction) in exactly the same manner as Kasey, even using the same backing tape! Some 40 years later, Joseph was accused of a series of "casting couch rapes". He was indicted in 2009, but he committed suicide in 2011, before he went to trial, 73 years old. What a horrible "thank you" speech by Joe.

[@Viracocha88]

Then two years later, his son Nicholas murdered his Peruvian girlfriend in a New York hotel, after she found out he was using her credit card to pay for prostitution services. Evil runs in the family I suppose.

[@simonsmatthew]

I suspect this story is much interesting than that in the movie!

[@waveygirl]

"How deep is your love" from Saturday Night Fever deserved better this awards. It wasn't even nominated! One of those Academy Awards snubs I despise.

[@waveygirl]

@Ed Miller Why?

[@Wired4Life2]

@Ed Miller Were any of _Saturday Night Fever's_ songs eligible?

[@richellebrittain2127]

@BlueFox94 Several of them should have been. As it was, the 1977 Oscar race (awarded in 1978) was particularly a lowlight in Original Song, where at least five Bee Gees-written SNF songs (still one of the bestselling soundtracks ever), Kander & Ebb’s theme to New York, New York (originally by Lisa Minnelli, later made famous by Frank Sinatra), and Michael Masser & Linda Creed’s “The Greatest Love of All” from the Ali biopic The Greatest (originally by George Benson, later made famous as “Greatest Love of All” by Whitney Houston) were ALL snubbed for noms. “Nobody Does It Better” from The Spy Who Loved Me, only the second Bond theme ever nominated (of three nommed in the franchise’s first 50 years before Adele’s “Skyfall” finally won), has held up better. So has “Last Dance”, the Donna Summer classic from the following year’s Thank God It’s Friday, despite being arguably the worst film ever to win a major Oscar (its only redeeming qualities were Summer’s own performance, the cameo of songwriter/BOS winner Paul Jabara as a disco patron, and the disco-dancing Columbia Torch Lady at the beginning).

[@femgoo]

No. They has to have been never recorded before the movie. They were recorded as singles by Bee Gees before SNF. Therefore they were not NEW (Original) songs in the movie. That's my understanding of the rules. Just like The Rose in 1979 could not be nominated. same reason.

[@richellebrittain2127]

@@femgoo The originality rule isn’t that strict. The traditional formulation of the rule is the version used in the film must have been “recorded for use in the film” before any other version is “released”. (Classic example: “Falling Slowly” was recorded for use in Once years before the film was released, during which time it appeared on more than one Glen Hansard album. Still, it was eligible - and won.) Though some pre-SNF Bee Gees songs were included on the SNF soundtrack, the big singles - “Stayin’ Alive”, “How Deep Is Your Love”, “Night Fever”, “More Than A Woman” (plus “If I Can’t Have You” for Yvonne Elliman; Tavares also recorded “More Than A Woman” for the soundtrack but the Gibbs wrote it) - were all recorded FOR the film & its soundtrack (though some were perhaps not originally written for the film), and were released as singles FROM the soundtrack. As such, they were all likely eligible; it’s just that the Music Branch never cared about any disco song other than “Last Dance” (won the award the following year)..

[@smichelle65]

How did "New York, New York" not even get nominated? I know the movie was a megaflop, but the song is iconic.

[@der22672]

Wow. Just read a little bit about Joseph Brooks. He was accused of a series of "casting couch rapes". He was indicted in 2009, but he committed suicide in 2011, before he went to trial. He was 73. Just a wonderful talented career he had. But later in his life, tragedy took over. You just never know.

[@damadbillygoat6428]

I just watched The Real SUV and his son killed his girlfriend in The Soho House in NYC

[@Viracocha88]

And then his son murdered the young woman he was cheating on. Terrible all around.

[@seanramsdell4172]

Haven't seen the film on DVD or Blu-Ray and yet this song won

[@boybblue]

Why Kasey Cisyk is not here?

[@kenrickwilson9845]

Such a beautiful song

[@leandrocerqueira9910]

Nobody does it Better is the best of all the nominees

[@Shannonkay2023]

I was born on this Grammy night! 🎂

[@Phineas1626]

I think you ingested too much amniotic fluid that night - this was the Oscars.

[@tetianapavelko9493]

Квітослава Цісик українка і я горда,що наша нація народжує справжні таланти👏👏👏

[@darthstarkiller1912]

"Candle on the Water" should've won. It's a beautiful song and very memorable IMO.

[@jeanettesmith765]

I agree.

[@bellamayetheparanormalinve9150]

Noooo❤️ both.

[@Ninjamohawk]

And not penned by a predator!

[@dannydougin3925]

Yes in *your* Opinion.... not shared by everyone.

[@thinkingoutloud5523]

Stollen from Kasey Cisyk Oscar. Shame!

[@gijsschubert7901]

Well, Joseph Kaplan (which was his real name) wrote the song, credit to him, but indeed Kasey Cisyk made the song immortal. Because of arguments about royalties, he "gave" the song to Debby Boone, who sang it (upon's Joe's instruction) in exactly the same manner as Kasey.

[@CoolAce1-dv1pn]

Great info. Thanks.@@gijsschubert7901

[@user-JIGSAW]

진짜 워 씨. 워.. Kasey cisyk

[@eduardoa.elizondo286]

Someone’s waiting for you oscars live 1978 please

[@garrygarry5598]

Квітка Цісик🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

[@user-ub5zf1jg5g]

Garry Garry наша любимая Квитка! Украина будет помнить ее вечно! Это круче любого Оскара. Есть в жизни справедливость!

[@jacksparrowguy]

Does anyone have the video where Debby Boone had that trio of fake deaf kids signing gibberish as she sings the song during the ceremony? I can't find it anywhere

[@kennethemlay5061]

What did he manage to say

[@user-dm9eq1ge5u]

Я не розумію англійську( Можливо хтось підкаже чия з тих морд - старого чи молодого виродка нагадила нашій Цісик!? Просто цікаво глянути ще раз на ту морду! А Цісик одружилась з чудовим чоловіком! Той виродок її нігтя не вартий!

[@HerrEngels]

Met and talked to him in El Paso in 1995 after a showing of "Metropolis" in the Union Theatre. He seemed nice. Turns out he was or became a monster, sadly.

[@Javierjavaloyessanchis]

"New York, New York" is the Best Original Song from 1977 and it was totally ignored (Tongo)

[@CoolAce1-dv1pn]

Wow, that should've won maybe.

[@AndriyKolodiychyk]

who song this sing I think Keicey TSISYK

[@Robi6942]

Debby Boone

[@LarryLeeMoniz]

Kasey Cisyk originally sang this song in the movie and on the soundtrack album. When the monster that wrote the song (the very monster that accepted the award) didn't get his way with her after making sexual advances, he had Debby Boone record over the original backing tracks to re-record the music... and Debby got all the fame.

[@markelijio6012]

@@Robi6942 She did an excellent job at the 1978 Oscars.

[@markelijio6012]

But thanks to Pat and Shirley Boone, Debby Boone got all the fame for the first time in 1978.

[@jamesarkell2594]

I still say puff the magic dragon. He lived by the sea ya know. I think he was from honolee somewhere there or so He's still never won a music award! His music was amazing

[@porflepopnecker4376]

He was from a land called Harmony.

[@Cunninghamily]

2:02

[@JustSomeCanadianGuy]

“I’ll bet the guy she was singing about was real happy.” “Actually she was singing about God.” “Oh he’s always happy…… no wait, he’s always mad.”

[@user-wz9vo2gs8r]

Оскар дают автору музыки , а не исполнителю . так что все честно .

[@EBLLC]

I don’t even know that was accepting the Oscar. Where was Debbie Boone, who made that song so great and memorable? p.s. How awesome that would have been to be there that night among a legend such as the great Fred Astaire! There has never been a replacement of him since his death. He was irreplaceable, a one and only! 😎

[@billlozier5551]

Debbie Boone did not sing it in the movie. Kasey Cisyk did. The asshole who wrote the song and made sexual passes at Kasey which she rejected. In return he snubbed her the credit and Debbie was picked to record it for radio. Her voice match so well with Kasey nobody knew the difference. Anyway, Kasey got robbed of the glory. It's her voice that people fell in love with.

[@porflepopnecker4376]

Singers don't win Oscars for Best Song. The songwriter wins the Oscar. That would be like Marlon Brando winning the Oscar for Best Screenplay just because he acted in a movie.

[@beverlygregson4994]

I noticed Pat Boone in the audience. His daughter Debbie Boone made the song popular

[@klausweasley]

"Candle in the Water" and "Nobody Does It Better" are both far better songs.

[@rjohannesen4959]

klausweasley are you kidding?

[@kidmack1121]

Have to agree, Carly Simon's "vocalese" is legendary. People couldn't tell the difference between either K.C. or Debbie Boone, but no one wouldn't be able to not know Carly Simon.

[@CoolAce1-dv1pn]

No way. Candle in the Wind is better than Candle in the Water.

[@paulorocco4322]

Eu sei quem é o Maligno. Nasceu como homem. Estava ouvindo a bíblia narrada por Cid Moreira quando ouvi : " Ele tem uma mecha de cabelo loiro na testa a qual não consegue tirar". Procurei onde estava escrito isto na bíblia e não achei. Procurei o Cid falando isto e não encontrei. Não sou nada nem ninguém, mas acredito que estas palavras foram uma revelação divina.` Mas de qualquer forma digo aos que amo: Morram de fome mas não coloquem a marca ou sinal da besta. Morram torturados mas não neguem Jesus. Não sei qual é a marca ou sinal, mas sei que sem ela ninguém vai comprar e nem vender. Nasci, cresci e vou morrer falando o nome de Jesus. Nenhum outro nome descoberto recentemente, ou há alguns anos, vai me fazer negá-lo. Meu Deus é o Deus de Abrão , de Isaac e de Jacó. Não achei certo guardar esta revelação e por isto a estou divulgando.

[@jeanettesmith765]

Beautiful song, but it is sad that the songwriter committed suicide.

[@philipmoore4615]

He committed suicide because he totally disregarded the original and best performer of this song, Kasey Cisyk. She didn't accept his advances. She was devoted to her husband. So he gave the song to Debby Boone who made millions from it. Not her fault. But a very sad and incredibly unprofessional action. Most people don't even know who Kasey Cisyk is to this day because of this. She sang this song with incomparable intonation.

[@batvette]

Best serial rapist.

[@RBerube76]

That song is so freaking cheesy.

[@jamesarkell2594]

Your too young to understand what it did for us older people back then it was a weird time death ,suicides depression drugs alcohol the war effects that cast over the 70s. It was a bad time but a song like this was as she sings about. Light in the lives for people. Funny how even puff the magic dragons song had effect on alot of us lol

[@LarryLeeMoniz]

As opposed to any pop song on the radio today?

[@steverector6850]

Maybe that's because cheesy people like you interpret things

[@CoolAce1-dv1pn]

Not for the 70's. It had that magical sound like the Bee Gees also had in their music. Hard to describe.

[@simonsmatthew]

Very forgettable line up of songs, considering what great music was around at the time . You Light Up My Life is up there with The Heart Must Go On and The Way We Were for the title of Banality of the Century.

[@waveygirl]

How Deep is Your Love of Saturday Night Fever should be nominated!

[@simonsmatthew]

@@waveygirl Also Stayin' Alive. I don't think SNF was even nominated for best musical or soundtrack. Crazy since it is almost synonymous with the era. Few people today would know You LIght Up My LIfe - thank goodness.

[@CoolAce1-dv1pn]

Maybe since it was released in Sept 77, it was overlooked and was eligible for 78? Who knows. But yeah it was a great song that you hear on the radio today but you never hear Light up my life on radio which is sad.@@waveygirl

[@kibitznec700]

Wrong song won that years odcar