Why is Debbie Harry in the headlines?
The pop icon and Blondie singer has just turned 80. She is now the same age as Rod Stewart, 12 months behind Mick Jagger and just ahead of Dolly Parton, Bette Middler and Neil Young.
How does she feel about reaching that milestone?
Conflicted, judging by a recent interview in Vanity Fair. Harry said she had been affected by the death of Blondie drummer Clem Burke in April. “What is this space I live in now? I’m curing – I’m doing a cure,” she said, meaning that she was taking stock and working out what she wants at this stage in life. “And part of that is decluttering up my space, which is crowded with that life. I need to get some breath, get some air in there.”
So that’s the end of Blondie?
Not quite: the band have a new album on the way – though, following Burke’s death, it is unclear if they will tour again. The record is to be produced by John Congleton, a well-known figure in alternative music who has worked with St Vincent and Mogwai.
Any idea what we can expect?
With no new music released, it’s still a guessing game. However, their last LP, 2017’s Pollinator, featured contributions from Joan Jett, Johnny Marr of The Smiths and a pre-Brat Charli XCX. So fans can look forward to something exciting and boundary-breaking – elevated, as ever, by Harry’s hard-as-diamond, soft-as-featherdown vocals.
Why are Blondie so important anyway?
In the 1970s and early 1980s they broke boundaries in numerous ways. The group emerged from the downtown New York punk movement, yet hits such as Sunday Girl, Hanging on the Telephone, and Atomic had a pop sheen. They also helped put a spotlight on the rap scene bubbling up in Harlem by incorporating elements of hip-hop into their 1980 song Rapture.
What happened then?
By 1981, they had been on the road quite a while and tensions were rising. Their sixth album, The Hunter, was regarded as a disappointment.
Plus, because they weren’t selling all that many records, they were under financial strain. More seriously, guitarist Chris Stein – Harry’s then romantic partner – had developed a rare autoimmune condition. He had to take time away to recuperate, and Harry put her career on hold to care for him. However, with Stein having recovered, they reformed in 1997 and achieved success with their comeback single, Maria, which peaked at number three in Ireland in 1999.
Why is Harry considered such an important pop star?
She was one of the great front people of the 1970s – a fashion icon as well as an influential singer. At a time when the music industry was still weighted against female performers, her take-no-prisoners outlook made her an important role model.
