Name	Blondie
Background	group_or_band
Origin	New York City, New York, US
Genre	New Wave, punk rock, pop rock, post-punk, power pop, hip hop
Years active	1974–19821997–present
Label	Chrysalis/EMIBeyond/BMGEpicSanctuaryPrivate Stock
Current members	Debbie HarryChris Stein Clem Burke Leigh Foxx Matt Katz-Bohen Tommy Kessler Jimmy Destri
Past members	Nigel HarrisonFrank InfanteGary ValentineFred SmithBilly O'ConnorEddie MartinezIvan KralKevin Patrick ''aka'' Kevin ToppingPaul Carbonara
Website	blondie.net }}

Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s. Their first two albums contained strong elements of these genres, and although successful in the United Kingdom and Australia, Blondie was regarded as an underground band in the United States until the release of ''Parallel Lines'' in 1978. Over the next three years, the band achieved several hit singles and became noted for its eclectic mix of musical styles incorporating elements of disco, pop, rap, and reggae, while retaining a basic style as a New Wave band.

Blondie broke up after the release of their sixth studio album ''The Hunter'' in 1982. Debbie Harry continued to pursue a solo career with varied results after taking a few years off to care for partner Chris Stein, who was diagnosed with pemphigus, a rare autoimmune disease of the skin.

The band reformed in 1997, achieving renewed success and a number one single in the United Kingdom with "Maria" in 1999. The group toured and performed throughout the world during the following years, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Blondie has sold 40 million records worldwide and is still active today, with a new album, ''Panic of Girls'', released 30 May 2011 in the UK.

History

Early career (1975–1978)

In the early 1970s, Chris Stein moved from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Inspired by the burgeoning new music scene at the Mercer Arts Center, he sought to join a similar band. He joined The Stilettos in 1973 as their guitarist and formed a romantic relationship with one of the band's vocalists, Debbie Harry, a former waitress and Playboy Bunny. Harry had been a member of the folk-rock band, The Wind in the Willows in the late 1960s. In 1974, Stein parted ways with The Stilettos and Elda Gentile, the band's originator. Stein and Harry formed a new band with drummer Billy O'Connor and bassist Fred Smith. By 1975, after some personnel turnover (including sisters Tish and Snooky Bellomo on backing vocals), Stein and Harry were joined by drummer Clem Burke, keyboard player Jimmy Destri and bass player Gary Valentine. Originally billed as Angel and the Snakes, they renamed themselves ''Blondie'' in late 1975. The name derived from comments made by truck drivers who catcalled "Hey, Blondie" to Harry as they drove by. Later, band members were amused to learn that the name was shared by Adolf Hitler's dog Blondi, a fact acknowledged in parody when, in 1997, they semi-anonymously contributed a cover of "Ordinary Bummer" to the Iggy Pop tribute album ''We Will Fall'' under the pseudonym 'Adolph's Dog'.

Blondie became regulars at Max's Kansas City and CBGB. They got their first record deal with Private Stock Records in early 1976 and released their debut single "X-Offender" on June 17, 1976. Their debut album ''Blondie'' (AUS #14, UK #75) was issued in December 1976. In September 1977, Blondie bought back its contract with Private Stock and then signed with Chrysalis Records. The first album was re-released on the new label in October 1977. ''Rolling Stone'''s review of the debut album observed the eclectic nature of the group's music, comparing it to Phil Spector and The Who, and commented that the album's two strengths were Richard Gottehrer's production and the persona of Deborah Harry, saying she performed with "utter aplomb and involvement throughout: even when she's portraying a character consummately obnoxious and spaced-out, there is a wink of awareness that is comforting and amusing yet never condescending." It also noted that Harry was the "possessor of a bombshell zombie's voice that can sound dreamily seductive and woodenly Mansonite within the same song".

The band's first commercial success occurred in Australia in 1977, when the music television program ''Countdown'' mistakenly played their video "In the Flesh", which was the B-side of their current single "X-Offender". Jimmy Destri later credited the show's Molly Meldrum for their initial success, commenting that "we still thank him to this day" for playing the wrong song. In a 1998 interview, drummer Clem Burke recalled seeing the episode in which the wrong song was played, but he and Chris Stein suggested that it may have been a deliberate subterfuge on the part of Meldrum. Stein asserted that "X-Offender" was "too crazy and aggressive [to become a hit]", while "In the Flesh" was "not representative of any punk sensibility. Over the years, I've thought they probably played both things but liked one better. That's all." In retrospect, Burke described "In the Flesh" as "a forerunner to the power ballad".

Both the single and album reached the Australian top five in October 1977, and a subsequent double-A release of "X-Offender" and "Rip Her to Shreds" was also popular. A successful Australian tour followed in December, though it was marred by an incident in Brisbane when disappointed fans almost rioted after Harry canceled a performance, due to illness.

In February 1978, Blondie released their second album, ''Plastic Letters'' (UK #10, US #78). The album was recorded as a four-piece band because Gary Valentine left the band. ''Plastic Letters'' was promoted extensively throughout Europe and Asia by Chrysalis Records. The album's first single, "Denis", was a cover version of Randy and the Rainbows' 1963 hit. It reached number two on the British singles charts, while both the album and its second single, "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear", reached the British top ten. Chart success, along with a successful 1978 UK tour, including a gig at London's Roundhouse, made Blondie one of the first American New Wave bands to achieve mainstream success in the United Kingdom. By this time, Gary Valentine had been replaced by Frank Infante (guitar, bass guitar), and shortly after that Nigel Harrison (bass guitar) joined, expanding the band to a six-piece for the first time.

Mainstream success (1978–1981)

''Parallel Lines'' (Australia #2, UK #1, US #6) Blondie's third album, produced by Mike Chapman, became the group's most successful effort, selling 20 million copies worldwide. The album's first two singles were "Picture This" (UK #12) and "Hanging on the Telephone" (UK #5).

"Heart of Glass" was their first U.S. hit. The disco-infused track topped the U.S. charts in April 1979. It was a reworking of a rock and reggae-infused song that the group had performed since its formation, updated with strong elements of disco music. Clem Burke later said the revamped version was inspired partly by Kraftwerk and partly by the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive", whose drum beat Burke tried to emulate. He and Stein gave Jimmy Destri much of the credit for the final result, noting that Destri's appreciation of technology had led him to introduce synthesizers and to rework the keyboard sections. Although some members of the British music press condemned Blondie for "selling out", the song became a success, worldwide. Selling more than a million copies and garnering major airplay, the single reached number one in many countries including the U.S., where Blondie had previously been considered an "underground" band. The song was accompanied by a music video that showcased Debbie Harry's hard-edged and playfully sexual persona, and she began to attain a celebrity status that set her apart from the other band members, who were largely ignored by the media.

Blondie's next single in the U.S. was a more aggressive rock song, "One Way or Another" (US #24), which became their second hit single in the United States. Meanwhile, in the UK, an alternate single choice, "Sunday Girl", became a #1 hit. ''Parallel Lines'' is ranked #140 on Rolling Stone's list of 500 greatest albums of all time. In June 1979, Blondie, photographed by Annie Leibovitz, was featured on the cover of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine.

Their fourth album, ''Eat to the Beat'' (Australia #9, UK #1, US #17), released in October 1979, was well-received by critics as a suitable follow-up to ''Parallel Lines'', but in the U.S., its singles failed to achieve the same level of success as in the UK, where "Atomic" (UK #1, US #39) reached number one, "Dreaming" (UK #2, US #27) reached number two, and "Union City Blue" (UK #13) charted in the top 20.

Blondie's next single, the Grammy-nominated "Call Me" was the result of Debbie Harry's collaboration with the Italian songwriter and producer Giorgio Moroder, who had been responsible for Donna Summer's biggest hits. This track was not included on any Blondie studio album; rather, it was the title theme of the soundtrack for the film ''American Gigolo''. Released in February 1980, "Call Me" spent six consecutive weeks at #1 in the U.S. and Canada, reached #1 in the U.K. and became a hit throughout the world. The song is the band's biggest selling single in the U.S. (over a million copies sold - gold status) and was ''Billboard'' magazine's #1 single of 1980.

In November 1980, Blondie's fifth studio album, ''Autoamerican'' (Australia, #8, UK #3, US #7) was released and contained two more #1 US hits: the reggae-styled "The Tide Is High", a cover version of a 1967 song by The Paragons, and the rap-flavored "Rapture", which was one of the earliest songs containing elements of rap vocals to reach number one in the U.S., sweeping the world by storm. "Rapture" would be the band's only single to achieve a higher chart position on the U.S. charts than in the UK, where it peaked at #5. ''Autoamerican'' was a departure from previous Blondie records, featuring less New Wave and rock in favor of stylistic experiments, including acoustic jazz: "Faces", and from an early Broadway show, "Camelot", came "Follow Me". As the title somewhat suggested, a recurring general theme of the album was the car as a subject; obvious for example in the song "T-Birds", referring to the Ford Thunderbird, and Debbie's spoken intro after the first instrumental track, "Europa". ''Autoamerican'' was, however, not generally well-received by critics.

In October 1981, Chrysalis Records released ''The Best of Blondie'' (Australia #1, UK #4, US #30), the group's first greatest hits compilation.

Hiatus, ''The Hunter'', and breakup (1981–1982)

Following their success of 1978-80, Blondie took a brief break in 1981. That year, Debbie Harry and Jimmy Destri both released solo albums; Stein helped out with Harry's album ''Koo Koo'' (UK #6, US #28) and Burke with Destri's ''Heart on a Wall''. Frank Infante sued the band regarding a lack of involvement during the ''Autoamerican'' sessions; it was settled out of court, and Infante remained in the band (though Harry has subsequently said Infante was not on the next LP).

The band reconvened in 1981 to record and release (in 1982) ''The Hunter'' (Australia #15, UK #9, US #33). In contrast to their earlier commercial and critical successes, ''The Hunter'' was poorly received and failed to hit the top 20 in the U.S. The album did have two moderate hit singles: "Island of Lost Souls" (#13 Australia, #11 UK, #37 US) and "War Child" (#39 UK). War Child stalled due to lack of interest from the band itself, and a largely uninterested public, and the unfortunate fact that the Falklands War broke out the week before the single's release.

With tensions within the band on the rise due to the act's commercial decline and the attendant financial pressures that brought, as well as the constant press focus on Harry to the exclusion of the other band members, events reached a breaking point when Stein was diagnosed with the life-threatening illness pemphigus.

As a result of Stein's illness, coupled with drug use by members of the band, financial mismanagement, and slow ticket sales, Blondie canceled their tour plans early in August 1982. Shortly thereafter, the band splintered, with at least one (unspecified) member quitting and instigating lawsuits against the other group members. The group formally announced their breakup in November, 1982.

Stein and Harry, still a couple at the time, stayed together and retreated from the public spotlight for a few years, with the exception of the minor single releases "Rush Rush" (1983, from the film ''Scarface'') and 1985's dance track "Feel the Spin". Harry was forced to sell the couple's five-story mansion to pay off debts that the band had run up, Stein owed in excess of $1 million, and drug use was becoming an increasing concern for them. Harry decided to call off her intimate relationship to Stein and moved downtown. She stated in a 2006 interview that she felt she was having a sort of breakdown due to all the stress. After Stein recovered from his illness, Harry resumed her solo career with a new album (''Rockbird'') in 1986, with active participation from Stein. Meanwhile, Burke became a much-in-demand session drummer, playing for a time with the Eurythmics, and Destri maintained an active career as a producer and session musician.

A remix album entitled ''Once More into the Bleach'' was released in 1988, and featured remixes of classic Blondie tracks and material from Harry's solo career.

Reformation and ''No Exit'' (1997–2004)

During the 1980s and 1990s, Blondie's past work began to be recognized again by a new generation of fans and artists including Madonna and Gwen Stefani. Chrysalis/EMI Records also released several compilations and collections of remixed versions of some of its biggest hits.

Harry continued her successful solo career after the band broke up, which helped keep the band in the public eye. In 1990, she reunited with Stein and Burke for a summer tour of mid-sized venues, as part of an "Escape from New York" package with Jerry Harrison, the Tom Tom Club and the Ramones.

In 1996, Stein and Harry began the process of reuniting Blondie and contacted original members Burke, Destri, and Valentine. Valentine had by this time moved to London and become a full-time writer under his real name Gary Lachman; his ''New York Rocker: My Life in the Blank Generation'' (2002) is a memoir of his years with the band. Former members Nigel Harrison and Frank Infante did not participate in the reunion, and they unsuccessfully sued to prevent the reunion under the name Blondie.

In 1997, the original five-piece band reformed, including Valentine on bass, did three live performances, all at outdoor festivals sponsored by local radio stations. Their first reunion performance occurred on May 31, 1997, when they played the HFStival at R.F.K. Stadium in Washington, DC. An international tour in late 1998 and early 1999 followed.

A new album, ''No Exit'' (UK #3, US #18), was released in February 1999 and was described by Jimmy Destri as "15 songs about nothing". The band was now officially a four-piece, consisting of Harry, Stein, Burke and Destri. Valentine by this point had left the group, and did not play on the album or contribute to the writing of any songs. (The two songs on the album co-authored by "Valentine" were in fact co-authored by Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go's, no relation to Gary Valentine.) Session musicians Leigh Foxx (bass) and Paul Carbonara (guitar) played on this and subsequent Blondie releases.

''No Exit'' reached number three on the UK charts, and the first single, "Maria", which Destri had written thinking about his high school days, became Blondie's sixth UK number one single exactly 20 years after their first chart-topper, "Heart of Glass", giving the band the distinction of being one of only two American acts to reach number one in the UK singles charts in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s (the other being Michael Jackson who had no.1 hits with The Jacksons and solo in the same decades).

The reformed band released the follow-up album ''The Curse of Blondie'' (UK #36, US #160) in October 2003. ''Curse'' proved to be Blondie's lowest-charting album since their debut in 1976, although the single "Good Boys" managed to reach number 12 on the UK charts. The album remains a cult favorite with fans and despite the low chart placing was acclaimed by the critics on its release in 2003.

In 2004, Jimmy Destri left the group in order to deal with problems related to drug addiction, leaving Harry, Stein and Burke as the only members of the original line-up still with the band. Though Destri's stint in rehab was successful, he has not been invited back into Blondie. He intended to work on their 2011 album ''Panic Of Girls'', but did not contribute as either a songwriter or a musician to the finished product.

Legacy

By 1982, the year the band broke up, Blondie had released six studio albums, each exhibiting a stylistic progression from the last. The band is known not only for the striking stage persona and vocal performances of Harry but also for incorporating elements in their work from numerous subgenres of popular music, reaching from their punk roots to embrace New Wave, disco, and hip hop. Each of the group's four #1 singles in the U.S. demonstrated a different style, or influence, of music including disco ("Heart of Glass"), Europop ("Call Me"), reggae/ska ("The Tide Is High") and rap/hip hop ("Rapture").

In March 2006, Blondie, following an introductory speech by Shirley Manson of Garbage, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Seven members were invited to the ceremony, which led to an on-stage spat between the extant group and their former bandmates, Nigel Harrison and Frank Infante, who asked during the live broadcast of the ceremony to be allowed to perform with the group, a request refused by Harry. On May 22, 2006, Blondie was inducted into the Rock Walk of Fame at Guitar Center on Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard. New inductees are voted on by previous Rock Walk inductees.

''Parallel Lines'' 30th anniversary tour and ''Panic of Girls'' (2008–present)

On June 5, 2008, Blondie commenced a world tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of ''Parallel Lines'' with a concert at Ram's Head Live in Baltimore, Maryland. The tour covered some Eastern and Midwestern US cities throughout the month of June. In July, the tour took the band overseas to Israel, the UK, Russia, Europe and Scandinavia, wrapping up on August 2, 2008 at Rockefeller in Oslo, Norway.

Clem Burke and Paul Carbonara both told interviewers in 2008 and 2009 that the band was working on another record, which would be their first new album since the release of ''The Curse of Blondie'' in 2003. Carbonara described it as "a real Blondie record."

Blondie undertook a North American tour of mid-sized venues with Pat Benatar and The Donnas in the summer of 2009. Following the tour, in October, the band began recording sessions for their ninth studio album with producer Jeff Saltzman in Woodstock, New York. In December 2009, the band released the song "We Three Kings" to coincide with the Christmas holiday. The new album, to be titled ''Panic of Girls'', which was being mixed at the time, was said to follow in 2010. Chris Stein stated that Dutch artist Chris Berens would provide the cover art. In April 2010, it was announced that guitarist Paul Carbonara had amicably left Blondie to pursue other projects and was replaced by Tommy Kessler.

In June 2010, Blondie began the first leg of a world tour named "Endangered Species Tour", which covered the United Kingdom and Ireland, supported by UK band Little Fish. The set lists featured both classics and new material from the forthcoming ''Panic of Girls''. After a break in July, the tour resumed in August and covered the United States and Canada over a course of six weeks. Blondie then took the "Endangered Species Tour" to Australia and New Zealand in November–December 2010, co-headlining with the Pretenders. It was revealed that the band's album was going to be released first in Australia on the Australian Sony label December 2010, but Sony later backed out of the deal, leaving the album still unreleased. The album's release date was finally set for June 1 with a the lead single 'Mother' being released the week before and receiving critical acclaim and good radio play.

On May 18, 2011, Blondie released the official music video for "Mother". The video was directed by Laurent Rejto, and includes cameos by Kate Pierson of The B-52s, James Lorinz (Frankenhooker), Johnny Dynell, Chi-Chi Valenti, The Dazzle dancers, Rob Roth, Barbara Sicuranza, Larry Fessenden, Alan Midgette (Andy's Warhol double), The Five Points Band, Guy Furrow, Kitty Boots, and Hattie Hathaway. As of July 2011, Clem Burke confirmed on the bands "Panic Of Girls" Facebook page, that the next single will be "What I Heard".

Band members

Current members

Debbie (Deborah) Harry – lead vocals (1975–1982, 1997–present)

Chris Stein – guitar, bass (1975–1982, 1997–present)

Clem (Clement) Burke – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1975–1982, 1997–present)

Leigh Foxx – bass (1997–present)

Matt Katz-Bohen – keyboards, piano, organ (2008–present)

Tommy Kessler – guitar (2010–present)

Former members

Gary Valentine – bass, guitar (1975–1977, 1997)

Jimmy Destri – keyboards, piano, synthesizer, organ, backing vocals (1975–1982, 1997–2003)

Frank Infante – guitar, bass, backing vocals (1977–1982)

Nigel Harrison – bass (1977–1982)

Eddie Martinez – guitar (1982)

Kevin Patrick (Kevin Topping) – keyboards, piano (2004–2007)

Paul Carbonara – guitar (1997–2010)

Discography

;Studio albums

''Blondie'' (1976)

''Plastic Letters'' (1978)

''Parallel Lines'' (1978)

''Eat to the Beat'' (1979)

''Autoamerican'' (1980)

''The Hunter'' (1982)

''No Exit'' (1999)

''The Curse of Blondie'' (2003)

''Panic of Girls'' (2011)

Awards and nominations

! Year	! Type	! Award	! Result
1980		Juno Award for Best Selling Single
1981		[[Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
		[[Juno Award for Best Selling Single

See also

[[List of best-selling music artists

List of best-selling albums worldwide

Notes and references

External links

Official Blondie website

Official European Blondie website

The Complete Blondie Discography

Blondie discography at Discogs

Category:Chrysalis Records artists Category:American punk rock groups Category:Musical groups established in 1974 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1982 Category:Musical groups reestablished in 1997 Category:American New Wave musical groups Category:American post-punk music groups Category:Musical groups from New York Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees

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name	Debbie Harry
background	solo_singer
birth name	Deborah Ann Harry
born	July 01, 1945Miami, Florida, US
instrument	Vocals, percussion, tambourine, tambura,finger cymbals, clarinet
genre	New wave, pop, rock,punk rock, power pop, disco
occupation	Vocalist, musician, actress
years active	1965–present
label	Capitol RecordsChrysalis RecordsGeffen/Warner Bros.Sire/Warner Bros.
associated acts	The Wind in the Willows The Stilettos Blondie DivinylsThe Jazz PassengersChris SteinJimmy DestriLos Fabulosos CadillacsClem Burke
website	Official Website
notable instruments	}}

Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry (born July 1, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers. Her acting career spans over thirty film roles and numerous television appearances.

Life and early career

Harry was born in Miami, Florida and adopted by Catherine Harry and Richard Smith, gift shop proprietors in Hawthorne, New Jersey. She attended Hawthorne High School, where she graduated in 1963. She graduated from Centenary College in Hackettstown, New Jersey, with an Associate of Arts degree in 1965. Before starting her singing career she moved to New York City in the late 1960s and worked as a secretary at BBC Radio's office there for one year. Later, she was a waitress at Max's Kansas City, after which she was a dancer in Union City, New Jersey, and a Playboy Bunny.

Deborah Harry began her musical career in the late '60s with the folk rock group The Wind in the Willows, who recorded one album for Capitol Records. Harry then joined The Stilettos, with Elda Gentile and Amanda Jones, in 1974. The Stilettos included her eventual boyfriend and Blondie guitarist Chris Stein. When Harry and Stein left the Stilletos, they formed Angel and the Snake, with Tish and Snooky Bellomo. Shortly thereafter, Harry and Stein formed Blondie, naming it for the term of address men often yelled at Harry. Blondie quickly became regulars at Max's Kansas City and CBGB in New York City. After a debut album in 1976, commercial success followed in the late 1970s to the early 1980s, first in Australia and Europe, then in the United States.

While leading Blondie, Harry and Stein became life as well as musical partners, although they never married; Harry has no children. In the mid-1980s, she took a few years off to nurse Stein back to health after he suffered a life-threatening disease. Stein and Harry broke up in the 1990s, but they have continued to work together. In 1999, she was called the 12th greatest woman of rock and roll by VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll and in 2002, she was called the 18th sexiest artist of all time by VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists.

Blondie

With her two-tone bleached-blonde hair, Harry quickly became a punk icon. Her look was further popularized by the band's early presence in the music video revolution of the era. She was a regular at Studio 54. In June 1979, Blondie was featured on the cover of ''Rolling Stone''. Harry's persona, combining cool sexuality with streetwise style, became so closely associated with the group's name that many came to believe "Blondie" was the singer's name. The difference between the individual Harry and the band Blondie was famously highlighted with a "Blondie is a Group" button campaign by the band in 1979. In 1981 Harry issued a press release to clarify that her name was not "Debbie Blondie" or "Debbie Harry", but Deborah Harry, though Harry later described her character in the band as being named "Blondie", as in this quote from the ''No Exit'' tour book:

During 1976 and 1977 Blondie released their first two albums. The second experienced some marginal success outside the United States. However, 1978's ''Parallel Lines'' (US #6, UK #1) shot the group to international success and included the global smash hit single "Heart of Glass." Riding the crest of Disco's domination, the infectious track hit #1 in the US and sold nearly two million copies. The follow-up single "One Way Or Another" reached #24 on Billboard's Hot 100. The album was the band's biggest success, having sold over 6 million copies in the United States alone. The band were also pioneers of the music video movement with ''Eat To The Beat'' being heralded as the first ever music video cassette album.

The release of the platinum-plus ''Eat to the Beat'' album (US #17, UK #1) in 1979 and ''Autoamerican'' (US #7, UK #3) in 1980 continued the band's run of hits, including "Dreaming", Atomic" and three more US #1 singles: "The Tide Is High", "Rapture" and "Call Me" from the soundtrack to the film ''American Gigolo'', which became Billboard's #1 song of 1980.

After a year-long hiatus in 1981, during which Harry released her first solo album (see below), Blondie regrouped and released their sixth studio album ''The Hunter'' (US #33, UK #9). The album met with a disastrous reception, peaking at #33 and falling rapidly off the charts. The single "Island of Lost Souls" briefly cracked the US Top 40. The band's "War Child" was released as a single in the UK. Blondie launched a North American tour to support the release, but it was cut short when Stein fell seriously ill with the rare autoimmune disease, pemphigus. Coupled with declining commercial fortunes, the band split up.

Later in the 1980s, the remix album ''Once More Into The Bleach'' was released, featuring remixes of tracks by Blondie and from Harry's solo career. The mid-1990s saw the release of further Blondie remix albums ''Beautiful'' in Europe and ''Remixed Remade Remodeled'' in the US. New mixes of "Heart of Glass", "Atomic" and "Union City Blue" were released as singles and all made the UK Top 40, while remixes of "Atomic", "Rapture" and "Heart of Glass" had major success on the US dance charts.

Reunion

In 1997, Blondie began working together again for the first time in 15 years. Two tracks were recorded with TV Mania, the production trio of two Duran Duran members, Nick Rhodes and Warren Cuccurullo, and producer Anthony J. Resta. "Studio 54" and "Pop Trash Movie" were scheduled for release on a Blondie compilation, entitled ''This Is Blondie''. However, the project and the tracks were shelved as the four original members (Harry, Stein, Clem Burke and Jimmy Destri) embarked on sessions for what would become Blondie's seventh studio album. During this period, they released a cover of Iggy Pop's "Ordinary Bummer" on the tribute album ''We Will Fall'' (1997).

After a final tour of Europe with The Jazz Passengers in the summer of 1998, Deborah Harry resumed duties as lead vocalist of Blondie. Prior to the release of ''No Exit'', the band completed a sold out tour of Europe. Dates at London's Lyceum Theatre were recorded by the BBC and aired on national BBC Radio 1. A week before the release of ''No Exit'', the lead single "Maria" debuted at No. 1 in the UK, giving Blondie their sixth UK No.1 hit. "Maria" also reached #1 in 14 different countries, the top 10 on the US Dance Charts and Top 15 on the US Adult Top 40 Charts. ''No Exit'' debuted at No.3 in the UK and #17 in the US and Blondie announced dates for a major arena tour that summer, during which they played the Glastonbury Festival and Party in the Park in London. "Nothing Is Real but the Girl" was another UK Top-30 hit, while the title track was released as a limited-edition single to coincide with further arena dates in November of that year.

Tracks culled from dates throughout the 1999 world tour were released as a live album, titled ''Live'' in the US and ''Livid'' in the UK and were released in late 1999 and early 2000, respectively. A ''Blondie Live'' companion DVD was also released, recorded at a show in New York City's The Town Hall.

Although Blondie commenced recording tracks for the follow-up to ''No Exit'' in 2001, the sessions were besieged with problems including the loss of master tapes after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In the winter of 2002, Blondie returned with a full-scale UK tour. This preceded the release of a new single in 2003 entitled "Good Boys" (a hit across the UK and Europe that autumn, and top 10 on the US Dance Charts the following spring) and the release of Blondie's eighth studio album, ''The Curse of Blondie''. The band toured throughout 2003 and 2004, completing two further full-scale tours of the UK.

A second live album, entitled ''Live By Request'', was released in 2005, along with a companion DVD set. In that year, the band also released the mash-up "Rapture Riders," which combined their 1981 hit "Rapture" with The Doors' "Riders on the Storm". This track was taken from a greatest hits compilation entitled ''Sound and Vision'' (first issued in the UK as ''Sight + Sound''), released with a companion DVD and new mixes of "In the Flesh" and "Good Boys".

In the winter of 2005, Blondie toured the UK for the fourth time in as many years. In 2006, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Around this time, Blondie released a new studio track, a cover of Roxy Music's 1982 hit "More Than This". This was to promote their "Road Rage" tour and the single was made available for free download.

At the end of 2006, a new mix of "Heart of Glass" became a club hit in Europe, while Harry released the single "New York New York", a collaboration with Moby. The song debuted on YouTube, some four weeks before its official release.

In the summer of 2007, Blondie toured in the UK once again. Around this time, Harry delineated the different personas (Blondie the band, her role in the band, and Deborah Harry the singer) to an interviewer who asked why she played only solo music on the 2007 True Colors Tour: "I've put together a new trio with no Blondie members in it—I really want to make a clear definition between Debbie's solo projects and Blondie—and I hope that the audience can appreciate that and also appreciate this other material."

On July 3, 2008, Blondie commenced a world tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of ''Parallel Lines'' with a sell-out concert at the amphitheatre in Ra'anana, Israel. During the tour, drummer Clem Burke stated that the tour had inspired the band to make another record, ''Panic of Girls'', their first new album since the release of ''The Curse of Blondie'' in 2003.

In 2009, Blondie went on tour with Pat Benatar for the "Call Me Invincible" tour. The majority of the shows were opened by The Donnas. In December 2009, Blondie recorded their version of the traditional song "We Three Kings" to coincide with the band's new album.

In the summer of 2010, Blondie began a UK tour, including venues in Newcastle, Manchester, Sheffield and Dublin. They also played festivals including the Isle of Wight and Rockness Festival in Inverness, Scotland. Tracks from their forthcoming album ''Panic of Girls'' were performed during their tour of the UK, notably 'D-Day' and 'What I Heard'. In an interview at the Isle of Wight Festival, drummer Clem Burke indicated that Blondie might return for another tour in 2011, depending on how well the record is received.

Solo albums

Harry has released five solo albums. Harry began her solo career with the Chrysalis Records album ''Koo Koo'' in 1981. The album peaked at #28 in the US and #6 in the UK; it was later certified gold in the US and Silver in the UK. "Backfired", the first single from the album, had a video directed by H. R. Giger (who also painted the album's eye-catching cover featuring Harry's face with metal skewers through it) and climbed to #43 on the Billboard Hot 100, #29 on the Hot Dance Club Songs and #32 on the UK Singles Chart.

In 2006, Harry started work in New York City on tracks for her fifth solo album ''Necessary Evil'' (2007). Working with production duo Super Buddha (who produced the remix of Blondie's "In the Flesh" for the 2005 ''Sound and Vision'' compilation), the first music to surface in was a hip hop track entitled "Dirty and Deep" in which she spoke out against rapper Lil' Kim's incarceration.

Throughout 2006, a number of new tracks surfaced on Harry's MySpace page, including "Charm Alarm", "Deep End", "Love With A Vengeance", "School for Scandal" and "Necessary Evil", as well as duets she recorded with Miss Guy (of Toilet Böys fame). These were "God Save New York" and "New York Groove". A streaming version of the lead single, "Two Times Blue", was added to Harry's MySpace page in May 2007. On 6 June 2007, an iTunes downloadable version was released via her official website.

Harry joined Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Tour for the Human Rights Campaign. She is a strong advocate for gay rights and same-sex marriage. Though she has stated that she identifies as mostly heterosexual, Harry has said she has had intimate relationships with both men and women.

''Necessary Evil'' was released on Eleven Seven Music after Harry completed both a solo tour of the US in June 2007 and a European tour with Blondie in July 2007. The first single, "Two Times Blue", peaked at #5 on the US Dance Club Play chart. The album debuted at #86 in the UK and #37 in the US Billboard Top Independent Albums chart.

To promote the album, Harry appeared on various talk shows to perform "Two Times Blue". She also started a 22-date US tour on November 8, lasting until December 9, playing small venues and clubs across the country. On January 18, 2008, an official music video for "If I Had You" was released.

Other musical projects

In 1983 Harry teamed up with Giorgio Moroder (with whom she had worked previously on Blondie's "Call Me") on the song "Rush Rush," which was featured in the film ''Scarface'' and in the video game ''Grand Theft Auto III''. Harry's single "Feel the Spin", produced by John "Jellybean" Benitez, was released (as a 12" single only) in 1985. That song, along with the whole soundtrack to the film ''Krush Groove'', peaked at #5 on the US Dance Charts. The song's "uno dos tres quatro" intro has been sampled on a number of records, including S'Express' "Theme from S'Express". While recording her fourth album in 1992, Harry collaborated with German heavy metal band Die Haut on the track "Don't Cross My Mind", and released the song "Prelude to a Kiss" on the soundtrack to the film of the same name. She also released a cover of "Summertime Blues" from the soundtrack to the film ''That Night'' in Australia.

In the mid-1990s, Harry teamed up with New York avant-garde jazz ensemble The Jazz Passengers. Between 1994 and 1998 she was a permanent member of the troupe, touring North America and Europe. She was a featured vocalist on their 1994 album ''In Love'' singing the track "Dog In Sand". The follow-up album, 1997's ''Individually Twisted'', is credited as "The Jazz Passengers featuring Deborah Harry" and Harry sings vocals throughout, teaming up with guest Elvis Costello for a cover of "Doncha Go Way Mad". The album also features a re-recorded version of the song "The Tide Is High". A live album entitled ''Live In Spain'', again featuring Harry on vocals, was released in 1998.

Harry collaborated on a number of other projects with other artists. She featured as vocalist on Talking Heads side project The Heads' 1996 release ''No Talking, Just Head'' (performing the title track and "Punk Lolita"). She also sings on a cover of "Strawberry Fields Forever" and on the song "Estrella de Mar" by Argentine band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. In 1997 she collaborated with Jazz Passenger Bill Ware in his side project Groove Thing, singing lead vocals on the club hit "Command and Obey". Another JP collaboration appeared on the Edgar Allan Poe tribute album ''Closed on Account of Rabies'' (1997). Harry also reunited with Blondie keyboardist Jimmy Destri for a cover of Otis Blackwell's "Don't Be Cruel" for the 1995 tribute album ''Brace Yourself''. During this period, she also recorded a duet with Robert Jacks entitled "Der Einzige Weg (The Only Way) - Theme from Texas Chainsaw Massacre," which was recorded in German and in English, although these did not surface until 1999. Likewise, at the end of 1999, Chrysalis Records released a best of her solo recordings entitled ''Most of All - The Best of Deborah Harry'' and a remix of "I Want That Man".

Aside from writing and recording material for Blondie, Harry pursued various other projects. She appears on the 2001 Bill Ware album ''Vibes 4'' singing the track 'Me and You' as well as on ex-Police guitarist Andy Summers's album ''Peggy's Blue Skylight'' on the track "Weird Nightmare". A techno cover of Stan Jones' "Ghost Riders in the Sky" was featured on the soundtrack to the film ''Three Business Men'' and was available on her website to download. Harry sings on two tracks on Andrea Griminelli's ''Cinema Italiano'' project: "You'll Come To Me" (inspired by ''Amarcord'''s main theme) and "When Love Comes By" (from ''Il Postino''), as well as on a tribute album reinterpreting the music of Harold Arlen, on which she sings the title track "Stormy Weather". In May 2002, she accompanied The Jazz Passengers and the BBC Concert Orchestra in a performance of her jazz material at the Barbican Centre in London. In 2003, she was featured vocalist on the song "Uncontrollable Love" by electro-clash dance producers Blow Up.

Harry also contributed to Fall Out Boy's 2008 album ''Folie à Deux''. She sings on the chorus of the album's closer "West Coast Smoker".

Harry is a credited co-writer on a song called "Supersensual" that appears on Australian singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte's debut album ''1000 Stars''. The song samples the recognizable "woo-ooo-wo-oh" refrain from "Heart of Glass".

Acting roles

Harry appeared on Broadway with Andy Kaufman in the wrestling play ''Teaneck Tanzi''. A retitled version of the British play ''Trafford Tanzi'', the show opened and closed in one night. Later that year Harry, who had already appeared in a number of independent and underground films, made her major motion picture debut in the David Cronenberg film ''Videodrome''.

Following the release of ''Rockbird'', Harry took a number of acting roles including the villainous Velma Von Tussle in John Waters' ''Hairspray'' (1988).

A cover of The Castaways' "Liar Liar" from the soundtrack to the film ''Married to the Mob'' was released as a single in the US. Harry's version of Michael Jay's "Mind Over Matter" was also recorded in this period, but never released. Harry starred in a film called ''Forever Lulu'', also known as ''Crazy Streets'', in 1987 alongside Alec Baldwin. She had only one line but made appearances throughout the film. She also starred in the film ''Intimate Stranger'' as Cory Wheeler, a telephone sex worker being pursued by a serial killer. Harry's other film roles include ''Roadie'', ''Union City'', ''New York Beat Movie'' (otherwise known as ''Downtown '81''), ''Rock & Rule'', ''Tales from the Darkside: The Movie'', ''Six Ways to Sunday'', ''The Fluffer'', ''Cop Land'', ''Heavy'', ''My Life Without Me'', "Spun" and ''Full Grown Men''. Her television appearances include roles on ''Tales from the Darkside'', ''Will & Grace'', ''The Muppet Show'', ''MADtv'', ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'', ''Absolutely Fabulous'', ''Saturday Night Live'', ''The Adventures of Pete and Pete'', and ''Wiseguy''.

Current projects

Harry is one of the faces of MAC Cosmetics' Viva Glam VI campaign (2006). The campaign donates every cent of the selling price of their lipstick shades to the MAC AIDS Fund, which helps people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. She is also one of the faces of the RockStars of Science Campaign (2010) alongside other musicians Bret Michaels, Ann & Nancy Wilson of Heart, B.O.B., Keri Hilson, Jay Sean and Timbaland.

She recently completed recording a new album with Blondie titled ''Panic Of Girls'', which will be released on July 4, 2011.

Discography

Studio albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions								! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"
		''[[Koo Koo">Music recording sales certification
! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"
''[[Koo Koo''		* Release date: July 27, 1981	* Label: Chrysalis Records	* Formats: Compact cassette	25	—	17	24	17	7	6		CAN: Gold	British Phonographic Industry>UK: Silver	Recording Industry Association of America>US: Gold
''Rockbird''		* Release date: November 29, 1986	* Label: Geffen Records	Compact disc>CD, cassette	97	—	—	—	22	30	31		* UK: Gold
''Def, Dumb and Blonde''		* Release date: October 28, 1989	* Label: Sire Records	* Formats: CD, cassette	123	—	—	—	—	—	12		* UK: Silver
''Debravation''		* Release date: August 1993	* Label: Sire/Reprise Records	* Formats: CD, cassette	—	—	—	—	—	—	24
! scope="row"		* Release date: September 15, 2007	* Label: Eleven Seven Music	* Formats: CD, music download	—	37	—	—	—	—	86

Compilation albums

!Year

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* ''Heart on a Wall'' (Jimmy Destri album featuring backing vocals by Debbie Harry) (1981)

* ''Halfway to Sanity'' (Ramones album featuring backing vocals by Debbie Harry on 1 song: "Go Lil' Camaro Go") (1987)

Hairspray (1988 soundtrack)>Hairspray: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' (Debbie Harry features on the song "Hairspray" by Rachel Sweet)

* ''Like A Girl, I Want You To Keep Coming'' (Various artists CD - Debbie Harry song: "Invocation to Papa Legba") (1989)

* ''Standing in the Spotlight'' (Dee Dee Ramone album featuring backing vocals by Debbie Harry on 2 songs: "Mashed Potato Kid" and "German Kid") (1989)

* ''Big Trash'' (Thompson Twins album featuring backing vocals by Debbie Harry on 1 song: "Sugar Daddy", and spoken-word telephone vocals on "Queen of the USA") (1989)

* ''

* ''Cash Cow'' (Various artists CD - Debbie Harry song: "Moroccan Rock (Pipe of Pain)") (1993)

* ''Heck on Wheels Volume 3'' (Various artists promotional CD - Debbie Harry song: "Communion") (1993)

* ''Head On'' ([[Die Haut">Just Say Da (album)

* ''[[Prelude to a Kiss (film)

* ''Get Out'' (Various artists promotional CD issued with ''Out'' magazine charter subscriptions - Debbie Harry song: "I Want That Man (Remix/Edit)") (1992)

* ''Cash Cow'' (Various artists CD - Debbie Harry song: "Moroccan Rock (Pipe of Pain)") (1993)

* ''Heck on Wheels Volume 3'' (Various artists promotional CD - Debbie Harry song: "Communion") (1993)

* ''Head On'' ([[Die Haut album featuring vocals by Debbie Harry on 1 song: "Don't Cross My Mind") (1993)

* ''Brace Yourself! A Tribute to Otis Blackwell''(various artists tribute album - Debbie Harry song: "Don't Be Cruel") (1994)

* ''In Love'' (The Jazz Passengers featuring Deborah Harry vocals on 1 song: "Dog in Sand") (1994)

* ''Rey Azúcar'' (Los Fabulosos Cadillacs album - Debbie Harry Vocals on 2 songs: "Strawberry Fields Forever" & "Estrella de Mar") (1995)

Virtuosity>Virtuosity Soundtrack'' (Soundtrack album - Debbie Harry vocals on 1 song: "No Talking, Just Head" (with The Heads)) (1995)

* ''No Talking, Just Head'' (The Heads album - Debbie Harry vocals on 1 song: "No Talking, Just Head") (1996)

* ''Individually Twisted'' (The Jazz Passengers featuring Deborah Harry) (1996)

* ''Live In Spain'' (The Jazz Passengers featuring Deborah Harry) (1997)

* ''Six Ways to Sunday

'' (Franz Ferdinand (band)>Franz Ferdinand EP featuring the duet "Live Alone") (2011)

Singles

!Artist credit	!Year	!Song	!width="40"	!width="40"	!width="40"	Australia	New Zealand	Canada	!width="40"	Album
		"Backfired"			align="center"
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"The Jam Was Moving"		align="center"
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1983				align="center"
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1985	"Feel the Spin"	align="center"
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''Krush Groove'' (soundtrack)
1986				align="center"
	"In Love with Love"			align="center"
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"Free to Fall"	align="center"
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1988		align="center"
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''Married to the Mob'' (soundtrack)
		"I Want That Man"	align="center"
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"Kiss It Better"	align="center"
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"Brite Side"	align="center"
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"Maybe for Sure"	align="center"
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Deborah Harry & Iggy Pop	1991	"Well, Did You Evah!"	align="center"
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	''Red Hot + Blue''
		"I Can See Clearly"	align="center"
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"Strike Me Pink"	align="center"
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	1997	"Command and Obey"	align="center"
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''This Is No Time''
	"Command and Obey" (Remix)	align="center"
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''-''
Deborah Harry	"I Want That Man" (Almighty Remix)	align="center"
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''Most of All - The Best of Deborah Harry''
Moby featuring Debbie Harry	2006		align="center"
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	''Go – The Very Best of Moby''
	2007	"Two Times Blue"	align="center"
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"Fit Right In"	align="center"
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Filmography

Features

''Unmade Beds'' (1976)

''Deadly Hero'' (1976)

''The Blank Generation'' (1976) (documentary)

''The Foreigner'' (1978)

''Mr. Mike's Mondo Video'' (1979)

''Union City'' (1980)

''Roadie'' (1980)

''Downtown 81'' (1981)

''Rock & Rule'' (1983 (voice)

''Videodrome'' (1983)

''Terror in the Aisles'' (1984)

''Forever Lulu'' (1987)

''Satisfaction'' (1988)

''Hairspray'' (1988)

''New York Stories'' (1989)

''Tales from the Darkside: The Movie'' (1990)

'''' (1992)

''Body Bags (1993)

''Dead Beat'' (1994)

''Drop Dead Rock'' (1995)

''Heavy'' (1995)

''Wigstock: The Movie'' (1995) (documentary)

''Cop Land'' (1997)

''Six Ways to Sunday'' (1997)

''Joe's Day'' (1998)

''Zoo'' (1999)

''Red Lipstick'' (2000)

''The Fluffer'' (2001)

''Deuces Wild'' (2002)

''Spun'' (2002)

''Grand Theft Auto: Vice City'' (2002) (Voice)

''All I Want'' (2002)

''End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones'' (2003) (documentary)

''My Life Without Me'' (2003)

''A Good Night to Die'' (2003)

''Ghostlight'' (2003)

''The Tulse Luper Suitcases'' (2003)

''Mayor of the Sunset Strip'' (2003) (documentary)

''Picture This: Blondie and Debbie Harry'' (2004) (documentary)

''Kiki and Herb Reloaded'' (2005) (documentary)

''Face Addict'' (2005) (documentary)

''Too Tough to Die: A Tribute to Johnny Ramone'' (2006) (documentary)

''Full Grown Men'' (2006)

''Anamorph'' (2007)

''Elegy'' (2008)

''Hotel Gramercy Park'' (2008) (documentary)

Short subjects

''A New Face of Debbie Harry'' (1982)

''Sandman'' (1996)

''Who Is Harry Smith?'' (1998)

''Drive'' (2002)

''Honey Trap'' (2005)

''Patch'' (2005)

''I Remember You Now...'' (2005)

References

External links

Official sites

Debbie Harry — official website & blog

www.dhbis.com — Deborah Harry & Blondie Mailing List

Deborah Harry discography at Discogs

www.blondie.net/deborah_harry.shtml, Deborah Harry's personal blog on Blondie site

Media links

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame entry

Blondie at Rolling Stone Magazine

Debbie Harry Pop Culture Madness interview

Debbie Harry Interview on ''The Hour'' with George Stroumboulopoulos

Debbie Harry at NNDB

Category:1945 births Category:American dance musicians Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American punk rock musicians Category:American punk rock singers Category:Blondie members Category:Sire Records artists Category:Chrysalis Records artists Category:Geffen Records artists Category:Female punk rock singers Category:Female New Wave singers Category:Musicians from Florida Category:People from Miami, Florida Category:Pop punk singers Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States Category:American adoptees Category:Living people Category:American New Wave musicians

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