Debbie Harry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Debbie Harry
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Harry in 1977
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Angela Trimble
July 1, 1945 Miami, Florida, U.S.
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| Other names | Deborah Ann Harry |
| Education | Centenary College (AA) |
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| Years active | 1966–present |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
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Deborah Ann Harry (born July 1, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is best known as the lead singer of the famous band Blondie. With Blondie, four of her songs became number one hits in the United States between 1979 and 1981.
Debbie Harry was born in Miami, Florida, and was adopted as a baby. She grew up in Hawthorne, New Jersey. In 1974, she helped form Blondie in New York City. The band released their first album in 1976. They quickly became very popular with hit songs like "Heart of Glass".
Blondie's album Autoamerican (1980) featured more hits, including "The Tide Is High" and "Rapture". "Rapture" was one of the first rap songs to reach number one in the U.S. charts.
Debbie Harry also had a successful solo career, releasing her first solo album, KooKoo, in 1981. She also became an actress, appearing in movies like Videodrome (1983) and John Waters's Hairspray (1988). Blondie reunited in the late 1990s and continued to release new music and tour.
Contents
Debbie Harry's Early Life and Career
Growing Up and Starting Out (1945–1975)
Debbie Harry was born Angela Trimble on July 1, 1945, in Miami, Florida. When she was three months old, she was adopted by Catherine and Richard Harry. They owned a gift shop in Hawthorne, New Jersey. They renamed her Deborah Ann Harry.
Debbie learned she was adopted when she was four years old. She later found her birth mother, who was a concert pianist. Debbie remembered being a tomboy who loved playing outdoors as a child.
She went to Hawthorne High School and graduated in 1963. She then earned an Associate of Arts degree from Centenary University in 1965. Before becoming a singer, she moved to New York City. She worked as a secretary for the BBC and as a waitress at a famous club called Max's Kansas City. She also worked as a dancer in a discothèque.
In the late 1960s, Debbie started her music career as a backup singer. She sang for a folk rock group called The Wind in the Willows. They released an album in 1968.
In 1973, Debbie joined a band called the Stilettoes. Soon after, a guitarist named Chris Stein joined the band. He also became her boyfriend. In 1974, Debbie and Chris left the Stilettoes. They formed a new band called Angel and the Snake. They soon changed the band's name to Blondie. This name came from the catcalls men would often shout at Debbie because of her bleached blond hair. Blondie quickly became a popular band at clubs like Max's Kansas City and CBGB in New York City.
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Blondie's Rise to Fame (1976–1980)
With her unique style and blond hair, Debbie Harry quickly became a punk music icon. Blondie released their first album, Blondie, in 1976. It became popular in Australia and the United Kingdom. Their third album, Parallel Lines (1978), made the band famous worldwide.
This album included the global hit song "Heart of Glass". This song was a mix of disco and new wave music. It reached number one in both the U.S. and the UK. It sold millions of copies.
In 1979, Blondie was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Many people thought "Blondie" was Debbie Harry's name. The band even started a campaign with "Blondie is a group" buttons to show that it was a band, not just one person. The band's success continued with their album Eat to the Beat (1979).
Their album Autoamerican was released in 1980. Blondie had more number one hits with songs like "Call Me", "Atomic", and "The Tide Is High". Their song "Rapture" also reached number one in the U.S. It was one of the first rap songs to top the Billboard charts.
During this time, Debbie and Chris became friends with graffiti artist Fab Five Freddy. He introduced them to the new hip-hop music scene in the Bronx. Fab Five Freddy is even mentioned in the song "Rapture".
In 1980, famous artist Andy Warhol created several artworks of Debbie Harry. He made portraits of her using different colors. Debbie Harry was also the first guest on Andy Warhol's MTV show, Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes. Debbie said that Andy Warhol taught her to always be open to new things, like new music, styles, and technology.
Solo Work and Acting Career (1981–1996)
In 1981, Debbie Harry wanted to make it clear that her name was Deborah Harry, not "Debbie Blondie." She began her solo music career with the album KooKoo (1981). This album was produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards from the band Chic. It reached number 25 in the U.S. and number 6 in the UK. The first song from the album, "Backfired", was a hit.
After a break, Blondie got back together and released their album The Hunter in 1982. This album was not as successful as their earlier ones. The band's world tour was cut short. Around this time, Chris Stein became very ill with a rare disease. Because of his illness, lower album sales, and other problems, the band decided to split up.
After Blondie broke up in 1982, Debbie Harry focused on caring for Chris Stein. She released a single called "Rush Rush" in 1983, which was from the movie Scarface. That same year, Debbie Harry played a main role in David Cronenberg's movie Videodrome. She received great reviews for her acting.
In 1986, Debbie released her second solo album, Rockbird. This album reached number 31 in the UK. The song "French Kissin' in the USA" became her only solo top 10 hit in the UK. Another song, "In Love with Love", became a number one hit on the U.S. Dance Charts.
In 1988, Debbie Harry starred as Velma Von Tussle in John Waters's movie Hairspray. Her next solo album was Def, Dumb and Blonde in 1989. For this album, she started using "Deborah" as her professional name again. The first song, "I Want That Man", was popular in Europe and Australia. The album reached number 12 in the UK.
From 1989 to 1991, Debbie Harry toured a lot around the world. In 1991, a "best of" album called The Complete Picture: The Very Best of Deborah Harry and Blondie was released. It included songs from Blondie and her solo career. This album reached number 3 in the UK. It also featured her duet with Iggy Pop called "Well, Did You Evah!".
Her fourth solo album, Debravation, came out in 1993. The first song, "I Can See Clearly", was a hit in the UK and on the U.S. dance charts. Debbie Harry also worked as a guest singer on several projects in the mid-1990s. She joined a jazz group called the Jazz Passengers in 1994. She also sang a duet with actor Robert Jacks for the movie Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation.
In movies, Debbie Harry co-starred with Liv Tyler in Heavy (1995). She played a waitress in a restaurant. The next year, she was in the movie Cop Land (1997), where she played a bartender.
Blondie Reunites and More Music (1997–Present)
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In 1997, Blondie started working together again after 15 years. The original members, including Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Clem Burke, and Jimmy Destri, began recording their seventh album, No Exit (1999). The first song from the album, "Maria", became a number one hit in the UK. It also reached number one in 14 other countries. No Exit debuted at number 3 in the UK and number 17 in the U.S.
Debbie Harry continued to sing on other artists' albums. In 2003, Blondie released another album called The Curse of Blondie.
In 2006, Debbie Harry began working on her fifth solo album, Necessary Evil, which was released in 2007. The first song, "Two Times Blue", reached number 5 on the U.S. Dance Club Play chart. The album itself reached number 86 in the UK.
In 2007, Debbie Harry explained that she wanted to keep her solo projects separate from Blondie. She said she hoped her fans would enjoy both her solo music and Blondie's music.
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In 2008, Debbie Harry sang on Fall Out Boy's album Folie à Deux. Blondie released their ninth album, Panic of Girls, in 2011.
In 2014, Debbie Harry made a special appearance with the band Arcade Fire at the Coachella festival. Blondie also performed at Coachella in 2023. In May 2014, Blondie released their tenth album, Ghosts of Download.
Blondie's eleventh album, Pollinator, was released in May 2017. It reached number 4 in the UK. In October 2019, Debbie Harry released her memoir, Face It. In 2023, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Debbie Harry among the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
In 2023, Debbie Harry worked with the bands Dandy Warhols and NALA on a song called "IWNSLY". She also sang on "I Will Never Stop Loving You," which was on the Dandy Warhols' 2024 album Rockmaker.
Debbie Harry's Personal Life
Debbie Harry was in a relationship with Blondie guitarist Chris Stein. They broke up in 1987 but remained good friends. Debbie Harry is also the godmother to Chris Stein's two daughters.
As of 2019, Debbie Harry lives in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. She also has a home in Middletown Township, New Jersey, where she lives with her four dogs.
Helping Others (Philanthropy)
In a 2011 interview, Debbie Harry said that seeing Elton John's work against HIV/AIDS inspired her. She decided to make helping others her main focus. She said, "These things are important to my life now. I have the privilege of being able to get involved, so I do." She supports charities that work to fight cancer and endometriosis.
Debbie Harry's Music (Discography)
Studio albums
- KooKoo (1981)
- Rockbird (1986)
- Def, Dumb & Blonde (1989)
- Debravation (1993)
- Necessary Evil (2007)
Compilation albums
- Once More into the Bleach (1988, Debbie Harry and Blondie)
- The Complete Picture: The Very Best of Deborah Harry and Blondie (1991, Deborah Harry and Blondie)
- Deborah Harry Collection (1998)
- Most of All: The Best of Deborah Harry (1999)
Debbie Harry's Movies (Filmography)
Images for kids
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Harry at the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2024
See also
In Spanish: Debbie Harry para niños
