Chris Stein facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chris Stein
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Stein at SXSW in 2014
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Christopher Stein |
| Born | January 5, 1950 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1970s–present |
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Christopher Stein, born on January 5, 1950, is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as a co-founder and guitarist for the famous new wave band, Blondie. Chris Stein also worked as a producer and musician for the soundtrack of the hip hop film Wild Style. He also wrote music for the film Union City and is a talented photographer.
Music Career
In 1973, Chris Stein became the guitarist for a band called the Stillettoes. There, he met Debbie Harry, who was one of the singers. In the summer of 1974, Stein, Harry, and the band's rhythm section decided to form their own group. They eventually named their band Blondie.
Blondie quickly became a popular band in the punk and new wave music scenes. They often played at famous clubs like CBGB and Max's Kansas City in New York City. By the end of the 1970s, Blondie became famous all over the world.
Blondie broke up in 1982, but they got back together in 1997. They have been performing on and off ever since. Chris Stein wrote the Blondie song "Sunday Girl" all by himself. He also worked with Debbie Harry to write many other hit songs. These include "Heart of Glass", "Dreaming", "Island of Lost Souls", "Rapture", and "Rip Her to Shreds". From 1982 to 1984, Stein also managed his own music label called Animal Records.
In 2015, Blondie members Debbie Harry and Chris Stein appeared on an episode of Songify the News with The Gregory Brothers. They worked together again to make a funny video about the 2016 United States presidential debates.
Photography and Writing
Chris Stein is also a talented photographer. He took many pictures of the early punk music scene in New York City. He also captured the unique style of Debbie Harry and Blondie. Stein worked with famous artists like Andy Warhol and H.R. Giger, and he photographed their collaborations.
In September 2014, a book of Stein's photographs was published by Rizzoli. It was called Chris Stein / Negative: Me, Blondie, and the Advent of Punk. Stein also took photos for Punk magazine between 1976 and 1979. He often used the magazine to help promote Blondie.
The book Negative: Me, Blondie and the Advent of Punk was launched with a special art show. This show was put together by Jeffrey Deitch at the Chelsea Hotel's Storefront Gallery in New York City. It also featured photos by other famous photographers like Mick Rock and Annie Leibovitz. The exhibition happened around the same time as Blondie's fortieth anniversary. There was also a similar exhibition at Somerset House in London.
Some of the photos from Negative were also in an earlier book. This book was called Making Tracks: The Rise of Blondie. Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, and Victor Bockris wrote it together. It was first published in London in 1982 and later reissued in New York in 1998.
Stein's photographs have been shown in other exhibitions too. In August 2013, his work was displayed at the Morrison Hotel Gallery in West Hollywood. He also had a joint exhibition with Eddie Duggan at the University of Suffolk in April–May 2017. This show was called A la recherche du punk perdu. His photos were also featured in a Blondie 'pop-up' shop in London's Camden Market in 2017. This was connected to a Blondie concert at the Roundhouse.
A second book of Stein's photography was released on April 18, 2023. It is titled H.R. Giger: Debbie Harry Metamorphosis: Creating the Visual Concept for KooKoo. This book shows the work between Chris Stein, Debbie Harry, and H.R. Giger for Debbie Harry's solo album from 1981.
Chris Stein also wrote a third book, which is a memoir called Under a Rock. A memoir is a book where someone tells stories from their own life. He wrote it over several years, and it was published on June 11, 2024.
Personal Life
Chris Stein was born in Brooklyn, New York, on January 5, 1950. He grew up in the Midwood area of Brooklyn. He went to Midwood High School but was expelled because of his long hair.
From 1978 to 1982, Stein co-hosted a public-access TV show in New York City called TV Party. In 1983, doctors found that Stein had a rare skin condition called pemphigus vulgaris. This is an autoimmune disease, meaning his body's immune system mistakenly attacked healthy cells. His partner at the time, Debbie Harry, helped care for him. He has since recovered and can live a normal life. Stein had a mild form of the disease and was able to manage it with medication.
While they were in Blondie, Chris Stein and Debbie Harry were in a romantic relationship, but they never got married. They went their separate ways in 1985. However, they have continued to work together professionally on music projects. In 1999, Chris Stein married actress Barbara Sicuranza. They have two daughters together.
In July 2023, Stein shared that one of their daughters had passed away in May.
Chris Stein has not toured with Blondie since 2019 because of heart problems. He has a condition called Atrial Fibrillation (AFib), which causes his heart to beat irregularly. He said that the condition and the medicine he takes for it make him too tired to tour. However, he is still an active member of the band and is helping a lot with a new Blondie album that is coming out.
See also
In Spanish: Chris Stein para niños
- List of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees
