Blondie followed it up with two more platinum LPs, 1979's Eat to the Beat and 1980's Autoamerican, as the group became worldwide stars, and even broke into the movies with an appearance in the 1980 comedy Roadie. thanks to a pair of successful singles, "Denis" and "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear," and album number three, Parallel Lines, released in late 1978, broke the band in the United States, thanks to the disco-influenced number "Heart of Glass," which became a number one single while the album was certified platinum. Their second album, 1978's Plastic Letters, became a success in Europe and the U.K. The album didn't sell very well, but it made enough noise to attract the attention of Chrysalis Records, a larger and better established label who bought out Blondie's contract. Blondie became one of the first of the CBGB bands to land a record deal, signing with Private Stock Records and releasing their self-titled debut album in 1976. Blondie became regular performers at the club, and while their angular retro-'60s sound was far from what was making the rounds on mainstream radio, their songs were catchy, the band was energetic, and Harry was a strong, engaging vocalist that the camera liked. In 1974, Harry and Stein would form a group of their own, Angel & the Snake, and in time the group would adopt the name Blondie, after a common catcall Harry received after she began dying her naturally brown hair blonde.īlondie arrived on the New York City rock scene as a new sound and style was emerging from New York's Bowery, dubbed "punk" or "new wave" by the press, as new bands with an intelligent but nervy approach were making a noise at a club called CBGB. A guitarist named Chris Stein joined the combo he was a graduate of New York's School of Visual Arts, and soon he would become partners with Harry in both music and a long-term relationship. In 1973, Harry joined a group called the Stilettos, who delivered a campy take on classic girl group sounds.
Harry was a backup singer and percussionist with the group their album barely made the charts, and though they recorded a follow-up, the label opted not to release it, and they split up shortly afterwards. Harry became a member of a folk-rock band called the Wind in the Willows, who landed a deal with Capitol Records and released their self-titled debut album in 1968. In the late '60s, Harry left the Garden State for New York City, where she worked a variety of jobs, including waiting tables at the famed Manhattan rock club Max's Kansas City, serving as a secretary at the BBC's New York offices, and being a Bunny at the New York Playboy Club. Harry graduated from Hawthorne High School in 1963, and went on to attend Centenary College in Hackettstown, New Jersey, receiving an Associate of Arts degree.
When she was three months old, she was adopted by Richard and Catherine Harry, a couple from Hawthorne, New Jersey, who gave her the name Deborah Ann Harry. And while Blondie's popularity would rise and fall over time, Harry enjoyed a successful and respected solo career and retained a high profile, working in a variety of different projects well into the 21st century.ĭebbie Harry was born Angela Tremble in Miami, Florida on July 1, 1945. Harry was a strong, intelligent woman who achieved rock stardom when women were struggling to earn greater recognition in the music industry, winning fame on her own terms. As the lead vocalist with Blondie, Harry's cool charisma and breathy but strong vocal style helped take the band from cult popularity to mainstream success with a string of hit singles, while she also opened the doors for other punk and new wave bands to find greater recognition. Debbie Harry is a gifted vocalist and actress who became the biggest star associated with the New York punk explosion of the '70s.