Historical Figure
Debbie Harry
b. 1945
American singer-songwriter and actress (born 1945)
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Biography
Deborah Ann Harry is an American singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Blondie. Four of her songs with the band reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 between 1979 and 1981.
In Their Own Words (5)
I sort of thought: ‘Gee, maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad to have kids.’ But I don’t know if I could have done it while I was working so much…My natural inclination is to really throw myself into things. It wouldn’t be like I could hand over the baby. I would really want to be involved.
On her decision to not become a mother , 2019
I’ve never been a diarist… I wish I had done that. Selfishly, I wanted to have all these moments in my life shape me, but I didn’t necessarily want to share them. And I guess that makes me a nasty bitch.
On how she would have ideally approached her autobiography , 2019
And I always felt that since all my life, I was always called ‘Debbie’ or ‘Harry’ – so I embodied this myself and it’s just the way it was. It probably still is!...Yeah, so I don’t know – I never really had any problems with that and I’m always surprised when people have a fear or frustration about their combination of sexualities – I think we do better recognising both within ourselves.
On how she views terms such as genderqueer and non-binary , 2019
Yes, but, you know, in a way it was good because I can sneak up on them unawares. I think times have changed in that respect. Women are serious wage-earners, and we create great things, and it seems clear to me that we can be supportive of one another regardless of what sex [we are].
On how she was initially dismissed as a serious performer due to her gender , 2019
I don’t actually regret taking it, but I do regret the amount of time … it’s a time-consumer. But I think at that point it was a necessary evil. To some degree, it was self-medicating. It was a rough, depressing time of life and it seemed to suit the purpose, but then it outlived its benefits.
On her past drug use and how it impacted her career and personal life , 2019
Timeline
The story of Debbie Harry, told in moments.
Born Angela Trimble in Miami, Florida. Adopted as an infant and raised in Hawthorne, New Jersey. Worked as a Playboy Bunny, a beautician, and a secretary at the BBC's New York office before music.
Co-founded Blondie with guitarist Chris Stein in New York City. They came out of the CBGB punk scene alongside the Ramones, Television, and Patti Smith.
"Heart of Glass" hit No. 1 worldwide. It was a disco song from a punk band. Purists hated it. Everyone else danced.
"Rapture" became the first rap song to reach No. 1 in the United States. Harry's rap section name-checked Fab Five Freddy and Grandmaster Flash, bringing hip-hop to a mainstream pop audience.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Blondie. She became the face of the crossover between punk, disco, and new wave in late-1970s New York.
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