A group of drummers wearing dashikis and kufis in Accra, Ghana.

Man wearing a dashiki

The dashiki is a colorful men's garment widely worn in West Africa that covers the top half of the body. It has formal and informal versions and varies from simple draped clothing to fully tailored suits. Traditional female attire is called a caftan, or kaftan. A common form is a loose-fitting pullover garment, with an ornate V-shaped collar, and tailored and embroidered neck and sleeve lines.

Etymology[link]

Dashiki is a Yoruba word that means shirt. The cap worn with a dashiki is call a kufi. Sokoto is the Yoruba word for trousers, and is worn with a dashiki. They are not named after the city of Sokoto, in Nigeria.

The dashiki in the West[link]

The dashiki found a market in America during the Black cultural and political struggles in the 1960s. A prototype was developed in 1967 by Jason Benning, Milton Clarke, Howard Davis, and William Smith. These young professionals formed a company called New Breed to produce dashikis. It was located in a 2-room clothing store at 147th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue in the Harlem section of Manhattan. Articles on New Breed appeared in Ebony Magazine and the New York Times (4/20/69).

The dashiki was featured in the movies Uptight (1968), Putney Swope (1969), and the weekly television series Soul Train (1971). See also Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America, Track 14:28 (2010). Jim Brown, Wilt Chamberlain, Sammy Davis Jr., and Bill Russell were among the well-known Black athletes and entertainers who wore the dashiki on talk shows.

The term dashiki begins appearing in print at least as early as mid-1968: an article by Faith Berry in the New York Times Magazine includes it on July 7, 1968. Reporting on the 1967 Newark riots in the Amsterdam News on July 22, 1967, George Barner refers to a new African garment called a "danshiki." "Dashiki" first appeared in the Webster’s New World Dictionary, 1st College Edition 1970/72.

Former District of Columbia mayor and current councilmember Marion Barry is famous for wearing the dashiki at various times, particularly in the time period leading up to elections. More recently he has donned a modified dashiki that combines the traditional form with a Western-style button-down shirt.^{[citation needed]}

Dashiki versions[link]

The informal version is a traditional print or embroidered dashiki. Three formal versions exist. The first type, consists of a dashiki, sokoto (drawstring trousers), and a matching kufi. This style is called a dashiki suit or dashiki trouser set and it is the attire worn by most grooms during wedding ceremonies. The second version consists of an ankle length shirt, matching kufi, and sokoto. The second style is called a robe or Senegalese kaftan. The third type, is usually only worn by Tribal chiefs, Nigerians, or Muslims, and it consists of a dashiki, and matching trousers. A flowing gown is worn over these. This type is called a Grand boubou in various Francophone countries. In the English speaking world, it is called an Agbada, see the Grand boubou article for further information.

There are several different styles of dashiki suits available from clothing stores. The type of shirt included in the set determines the name. The traditional dashiki suit includes a thigh length shirt. The short sleeve, traditional style is preferred by purists. A long dashiki suit includes a shirt that is knee length or longer. However, if the shirt reaches the ankles, it is called a robe or Senegalese kaftan. Finally, the lace dashiki suit includes a shirt made of lace. A hybrid of the dashiki and caftan worn by females is a traditional male dashiki with a western skirt.

Western formal equivalents[link]

The following chart gives a type of formal wear on the left and lists the African equivalent on the right. Some merchants distribute similar charts to their customers with equivalent men's and women's styles listed. In the trade, they are referred to as African Attire Equivalency Charts. This type of chart is only used in the Caribbean, Europe, Canada, and the United States of America. In West Africa, a man's tribal affiliation governs his mode of dress. When wearing African attire to a formal event, any color is acceptable. However, many men prefer to wear black with gold embroidery, or dark blue with gold embroidery, to blend in with the dark tuxedos. In Afro-Latin American communities, white is the norm, see Abadá.

• Suit - dashiki shirt with matching kufi, and black dress pants. This style of attire is equivalent to a suit and may be worn by men of any nationality, race, or background. It is best for informal weddings, and beach weddings. In South Africa, the dashiki or madiba shirt and black dress pants are the national costume. This attire is the African version of the Jamaican bush jacket.
• Morning dress - dashiki suit, Senegalese kaftan, or Grand boubou. All three of these suits are acceptable attire for functions that require morning dress.
• Black tie - dashiki suit, Senegalese kaftan, or Grand boubou. All of these styles are worn to black tie events. Unscrupulous merchants will attempt to persuade customers to purchase a grand boubou in order to make a profit. Although it is called a suit, a dashiki pant set is equivalent to the tuxedo. A dashiki suit is perfectly suitable for any black tie event.
• White tie - Senegalese kaftan, or Grand boubou. The dashiki suit is informal and out of place at white tie events. White tie events require an African robe or gown.

London suit[link]

The London suit is a style of attire worn in the United Kingdom, named after the city of London. The suit consists of a pair of black dress trousers men's dress shirt, and tie. The Agbada gown (also called a Grand boubou, which means big robe in French) is worn on top of the shirt and tie in place of the Western suit jacket. A kufi cap that matches the gown completes the suit. The suit originated among members of the Black British community who wanted to wear heirloom gowns for christenings, weddings, funerals, and Easter or Christmas dinners in the home. The dashiki suit worn under the Agbada (gown) wears out quickly, but a well maintained Agbada will last a lifetime. Old gowns do not have the corresponding dashiki suit. Use of the London suit has spread throughout the African diaspora. In some families, it is a tradition for a son to wear his father's or grandfather's Agbada gown for wedding ceremonies with a shirt and tie, or tuxedo shirt and bow tie. Although it is a tradition, the London suit is not true African attire but a blend of Africa and the West.

A traditional Agbada or Grand boubou consists of a dashiki (shirt), sokoto (drawstring pants), and the Agbada or Grand boubou (gown) is worn on top of these with a kufi (cap).^[1] Men who wish to wear heirloom gowns should invest in a long sleeve, white, dashiki suit. A white dashiki suit can be worn under an Agbada of any colour.

Wedding colours[link]

White is the traditional colour for West African weddings.^[2] Most grooms wear white dashiki suits during wedding ceremonies. For Christians, white represents purity and salvation. For Muslims, white represents purity and equality among believers or ummah. The bride's attire is a woman's kaftan or a blouse and skirt set that is the same colour as the groom's dashiki. A traditional African-American wedding was shown in the blaxploitation film Five on the Black Hand Side. Some couples wear non-traditional colours. The most common non-traditional colours are purple and blue.

• Purple and lavender: the colour of African royalty.^[3]
• Blue: blue is the colour of love, peace, and harmony.

European style[link]

European style is a colloquial term for a wedding in which the bride and groom wear light and dark shades of the same colour. In Europe the bride wears a white wedding dress and the groom wears a black tuxedo. Some African and African-American couples prefer this light and dark colour scheme. Popular European style wedding schemes include:

• European style blue: the groom wears navy or royal blue, the bride wears light or sky blue.
• European style purple: the groom wears purple, the bride wears lilac or lavender.

Funeral colours[link]

It is taboo for couples to wear funeral colours during weddings. Black and red are the colours of mourning.

• Red: honours the blood shed by slaves during captivity, and political struggle, see Pan-African flag.^[4]
• Black: black garments represent death and communion with the ancestors.

Kwanzaa[link]

Many African-Americans are of West African ancestry ^[5] and dashikis of all colours and styles can be seen during Kwanzaa celebrations in the United States.

The dashiki today[link]

Formal and festival dashiki styles are often seen on special occasions in West Africa. Perhaps due to immigration, the formal dashiki is also in common use in large Western cities. Many dashikis can be seen at houses of worship including, mosques, and churches and the dashiki is frequently worn at weddings, graduations, and other special occasions.

See also[link]

	Africa portal
	Fashion portal

• National costume
• African textiles
• Jumping the broom
• Kurta
• Tunic

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Anyiam, Thony C. (2007), Jumping the Broom in Style, Authorhouse, ISBN 1-4259-8638-2.
• Cole, Harriette (2004), Jumping the Broom: The African-American Wedding Planner, 2nd Ed., Owl Books, pg. 117, ISBN 0-8050-7329-9.
• Hoyt-Goldsmith, Diane (1994), Celebrating Kwanzaa, Holiday House, ISBN 0-8234-1130-3.

Debbie Harry
Debbie Harry at the premiere of SqueezeBox! at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival
Background information
Birth name	Deborah Ann Harry
Born	(1945-07-01) July 1, 1945 (age 66) Miami, Florida, U.S.
Genres	New Wave, pop, rock, punk rock, power pop, disco, hip hop
Occupations	Vocalist, musician, actress
Instruments	Vocals, percussion, tambourine, tambura, finger cymbals, clarinet
Years active	1965–present
Labels	Capitol Records Chrysalis Records Geffen/Warner Bros. Sire/Warner Bros.
Associated acts	Blondie
Website	www.deborah-harry.com

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[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2011)

Harry was born in Miami, Florida, and adopted by Catherine Harry and Richard Smith, gift shop proprietors in Hawthorne, New Jersey.^[1] She attended Hawthorne High School, where she graduated in 1963.^[2] She graduated from Centenary College in Hackettstown, New Jersey, with an Associate of Arts degree in 1965.^{[citation needed]} 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.^[3] Later, she was a waitress at Max's Kansas City,^[4] a go-go dancer in Union City, New Jersey, discothèque,^{[citation needed]} and a Playboy Bunny.^[5]

Deborah Harry began her musical career in the late '60s with the folk rock group The Wind in the Willows,^[6] that 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.^[7] When Harry and Stein left the Stilettos, 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 when she bleached her hair.^[8] Blondie quickly became regulars at Max's Kansas City and CBGB in New York City.^[4] 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.^[9] In the mid-1980s, she took a few years off to care for Stein while he suffered with Pemphigus, a rare autoimmune disease that affects the skin and mucous membranes. Stein and Harry broke up in the 1990s, but continued to work together. In 1999, Harry was deemed the 12th greatest woman of rock and roll by VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll^[10] and in 2002, she was called the 18th sexiest artist of all time by VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists.^[11]

Blondie[link]

Debbie Harry performing in Toronto in 1977

With her two-tone bleached-blonde hair, Harry quickly became a punk icon.^[12] 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.^[13] 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:

Hi, it's Deb. You know, when I woke up this morning I had a realization about myself. I was always Blondie. People always called me Blondie, ever since I was a little kid. What I realized is that at some point I became Dirty Harry. I couldn't be Blondie anymore, so I became Dirty Harry.^[14]

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, a platinum-selling top ten success in the US and was also the biggest selling album of 1979 in the UK.

The release of the platinum-selling 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 in the US and falling rapidly off the charts. The single "Island of Lost Souls" briefly cracked the US Top 40 though narrowly missed the top ten in the UK, where the album had been a top ten entry but sold far less than their previous albums. Blondie launched a worldwide tour to support the release, but it was cut short due to slow ticket sales. Stein also fell seriously ill with the rare autoimmune disease, pemphigus. Coupled with declining record sales and internal struggles, 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[link]

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.

Harry performing in July 2007.

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."^[15]

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,^[16] 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'.

The album got released first in July 2011 in the United Kingdom, with Germany, USA and Japan following. As a marketing innovation, the band made a lot of special editions with different bonus tracks and added content (extra cds, magazines, etc.). It got good reviews from the press and spotted Nº1 in Amazon. "Mother" was the first single, accompanied by a video, and "What I Heard" was the second.

Solo albums[link]

Harry has released five solo albums. She began her solo career in 1981 with KooKoo. Produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic, the album peaked at #28 in the US and #6 in the UK;^[17] 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 created the album's front 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.^[17] "The Jam Was Moving" was lifted as the second single and peaked at #82 in the US. After Blondie split up in 1982, Harry's solo output slowed down as she cared for ailing partner Chris Stein. She released the single "Rush Rush" in 1983 (taken from the film Scarface), but this was unsuccessful. A new single, "Feel The Spin" (taken from the film Krush Groove) was released as a limited 12" single in 1985, but again was unsuccessful.

In 1986, Harry released her second solo album on Geffen Records called Rockbird, which peaked at #97 in the US and #31 in the UK^[17] (where it has been certified Gold for 100,000 sales by the BPI). The single "French Kissin' in the USA" gave Harry her only UK solo top 10 hit (#8) and became a moderate US hit (#57). Other singles released from the album were "Free to Fall" and "In Love with Love", which hit #1 on the US Dance Charts and was released with several remixes.

Her next solo venture was the album Def, Dumb and Blonde in 1989. At this point Harry reverted from "Debbie" to "Deborah" as her professional name. The first single "I Want That Man" was a hit in Europe, Australia, and on the US Modern Rock Charts. The success of the single propelled the album to #12 on the UK chart^[17] where it earned a Silver disc. However, with little promotion from her record company in the US, it peaked at #123. She followed this up with the ballad "Brite Side" and the club hit "Sweet and Low". "Maybe for Sure", a track originally recorded by Blondie for the Rock and Rule animated film, was the fourth single released from the album in June 1990 to coincide with a UK tour (her second in six months). "Kiss It Better" was also a Top 15 Modern Rock single in the US.

From 1989 to 1991, Harry toured extensively across the world with former Blondie guitarist Chris Stein, Underworld's Karl Hyde, and future Blondie bassist Leigh Foxx. In July 1991, she played Wembley Stadium supporting INXS. In 1991, Chrysalis released a new "best of" compilation in Europe entitled The Complete Picture: The Very Best of Deborah Harry and Blondie, containing hits with Blondie as well as solo hits. The collection reached #3 in the UK album chart^[17] and earned a Gold disc. The album also included her duet with Iggy Pop on the Cole Porter song "Well, Did You Evah!" from the Red Hot + Blue AIDS charity album produced by the Red Hot Organization and released at the end of 1990.

Harry's fourth solo album, Debravation, appeared in July 1993. The album's first single was "I Can See Clearly", which peaked at #23 in the UK^[17] and #2 on the US dance charts. This was followed by "Strike Me Pink" in September. Controversy surrounded the latter track's promotional video, which featured a man drowning in a water tank, resulting in it being banned. US editions of the album feature two additional tracks recorded with pre-recorded music by R.E.M.: "Tear Drops" and "My Last Date (With You)," a remake of a 1961 Skeeter Davis hit.

In November 1993, Harry toured the UK with Stein, Peter Min, Greta Brinkman and James Murphy ^{[disambiguation needed ]}. The set list of the Debravation Tour featured an offbeat selection of Harry material including the previously unreleased track "Close Your Eyes" (from 1989) and "Ordinary Bummer" (from the Stein-produced Iggy Pop album Zombie Birdhouse; a track that, under the moniker "Adolph's Dog," Blondie covered in 1997). Tentative plans to record these shows and release them as a double live CD never came to fruition. However, a cover of The Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" is available as a bootleg. At the end of 1993, Chrysalis released the Blondie rarities collection Blonde and Beyond, which featured the previously unreleased tracks "Scenery" and "Underground Girl". In early 1994, Harry took the Debravation tour to the US.^[18] In the UK, Harry's long tenure with Chrysalis Records also came to an end after lacklustre sales of Debravation, but the label released all of Blondie's albums and Harry's KooKoo album (for the first time on CD) as remastered editions with bonus tracks.

As Blondie had reconvened in the late 1990s, it was several years before Harry resumed her solo career. 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.^[19][20]

Harry's fifth solo album, Necessary Evil, was released in 2007 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 peaked 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.^[21]

Other musical projects[link]

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. Rush Rush was also sampled and covered by the rapper Cam'ron (under the title "Yeo Man (Rush Rush Get The Yeo)". 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".

Marky Ramone of the Ramones and Harry attend a screening of Burning Down the House, a 2009 documentary about CBGB's heyday.

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" compilation of her solo recordings entitled Most of All - The Best of Deborah Harry, and a remix of her 1989 hit "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. She also sang on the version of "Waltzing Matilda" recorded by Dan Zanes and Friends, released on the 2003 album House Party.

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[link]

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.^{[citation needed]} 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.^[22]

Current projects[link]

• 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 was released on July 4, 2011.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Compilation albums[link]

Other albums[link]

Harry has made guest appearances on several albums:^[33]

• 'Bout Love (Bill Withers album featuring backing vocals by Debbie Harry) (1978)
• 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: 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)
• Just Say Da (Various artists CD - Debbie Harry song: "Maybe for Sure (Tunguska Event 7" Mix)") (1990)
• Prelude to a Kiss Soundtrack - (Various artists - Debbie Harry song: "Prelude to a Kiss") (1992)
• 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 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 Soundtrack - (Soundtrack featuring 2 Debbie Harry songs: "Sunday Girl" (with Blondie and "More, More, More" a short speaking part in "Sex Ed")
• Covers EP (Franz Ferdinand EP featuring the duet "Live Alone") (2011)

Singles[link]

Filmography[link]

Features[link]

• 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)
• Intimate Stranger (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[link]

• 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[link]

External links[link]

This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (September 2011)

	Book: Blondie
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

Official sites[link]

• www.dhbis.com — Deborah Harry & Blondie Mailing List
• Deborah Harry discography at Discogs
• Debbie Harry on Myspace
• Deborah Harry at the Internet Movie Database
• www.blondie.net/deborah_harry.shtml, Deborah Harry's personal blog on Blondie site

Media links[link]

• Media related to Debbie Harry at Wikimedia Commons
• 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

v t e Deborah Harry Studio albums Koo Koo (1981) Rockbird (1986) Def, Dumb and Blonde (1989) Debravation (1993) Necessary Evil (2007) Main compilations Once More into the Bleach (Debbie Harry and Blondie) (1988) The Complete Picture: The Very Best of Deborah Harry and Blondie (1991) Deborah Harry Collection (1998) Most of All - The Best of Deborah Harry (1999) French Kissin' - The Collection (2004) Singles "Backfired" (1981) "The Jam Was Moving" (1981) "Chrome" (1981) "Rush Rush" (1984) "Feel the Spin" (1985) "French Kissin" (1986) "In Love with Love" (1987) "Free to Fall" (1987) "Liar, Liar" (1988) "I Want That Man" (1989) "Kiss It Better" (1989) "Brite Side" "Sweet and Low" (1990) "Maybe for Sure" (1990) "Well, Did You Evah!" (Duet with Iggy Pop) (1991) "I Can See Clearly" (1993) "Strike Me Pink" (1993) "I Want That Man (Remix)" (1999) "New York, New York" (Moby featuring Debbie Harry) (2006) "Two Times Blue" (2007) "If I Had You" (2008) "Fit Right In" (2008) Related articles Blondie Chris Stein The Wind in the Willows Book:Blondie

v t e Blondie Clem Burke Jimmy Destri Debbie Harry Chris Stein Leigh Foxx Nigel Harrison Frank Infante Paul Carbonara Kevin Patrick Matt Katz-Bohen Tommy Kessler Gary Valentine Studio albums Blondie Plastic Letters Parallel Lines Eat to the Beat Autoamerican The Hunter No Exit The Curse of Blondie Panic of Girls Compilations The Best of Blondie The Complete Picture: The Very Best of Deborah Harry and Blondie Blonde and Beyond The Platinum Collection Denis Picture This - The Essential Blondie Collection Atomic - The Very Best of Blondie Greatest Hits Greatest Hits: Sight + Sound Greatest Hits: Sound & Vision Live albums Picture This Live Livid Live By Request Blondie at the BBC Singles "X Offender" "In the Flesh" "Rip Her to Shreds" "Denis" "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear" "Picture This" "I'm Gonna Love You Too" "Hanging on the Telephone" "Heart of Glass" "Sunday Girl" "One Way or Another" "Dreaming" "Union City Blue" "The Hardest Part" "Atomic" "Call Me" "The Tide Is High" "Rapture" "Island of Lost Souls" "War Child" "Maria" "Nothing Is Real but the Girl" "No Exit" "Good Boys" "Mother" "What I Heard" Remixes Once More into the Bleach Beautiful - The Remix Album Remixed Remade Remodeled - The Remix Project Related articles Discography Book:Blondie