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Debbie HarryAmerican singer and actress
Date of Birth: 01.07.1945
Country: ![]() |
Content:
- Debbie Harry: The Iconic American Singer and Actress
- The Early Years
- The Birth of Blondie
- Rise to Stardom and Solo Career
- Personal and Philanthropic Endeavors
Debbie Harry: The Iconic American Singer and Actress
Debbie Harry, an American singer and actress, is best known as the lead vocalist of the new-wave band Blondie, which gained immense popularity in the 1970s. Born on July 1, 1945, in Miami, Florida, Deborah Ann Harry spent her first three months in a foster home as her parents had abandoned her. She was later adopted by Catherine and Richard Smith Harry, owners of a souvenir and gift shop in Hawthorne, New Jersey. Debbie received her education at a local school, where she began her creative career.

The Early Years
In sixth grade, Debbie performed a solo part in the play "Tom Thumb" and later participated in the local church choir. However, due to her desire to stand out, she was not allowed to sing in the choir. Nonetheless, her beautiful voice and budding talent were already being noticed. At the age of 18, Debbie packed her bags and moved to New York with a dream of becoming a singer. Before pursuing her musical aspirations, she worked as a secretary at the New York office of the British radio station BBC, a waitress at Max's Kansas City and Dunkin' Donuts, and even as a dancer at clubs in Union City and Playboy Bunny. Her association with these places also led to her struggle with drug addiction, which she eventually overcame. Debbie then enrolled in the School of Visual Arts with the goal of becoming a professional photographer.

The Birth of Blondie
One day, Debbie attended a concert by Elda Gentile and her band Pure Garbage. After getting closer to Elda, Debbie offered herself as the fourth member of Pure Garbage. The band later changed its name to Stilettoes and transformed from a trio into a quartet with the addition of Chris Stein, who was a guitarist for the group The Magic Tramps. After going through several lineup changes, Debbie and Chris decided to form their own band, which they named Blondie. In 1976, the band released their first single, "X-Offender," which tells the story of a young rapist. However, breaking into the mainstream music scene was not easy for Blondie. Debbie later stated, "No one in New York pushed us; we had no connections in newspapers, radio, or television." The first two albums of Blondie, "Blondie" and "Plastic Letters," achieved greater success in the UK than in the US, leading the band to begin their first tours in Europe. Their success came quickly and subtly, with Iggy Pop, David Bowie, and Television among the bands that opened for Blondie.

Rise to Stardom and Solo Career
In 1978, Blondie released their third album, "Parallel Lines," which became "platinum" and earned the band a Grammy Award for "Best Rock Vocal Performance - Female." A year later, they released their album "Eat to the Beat," which was equally commercially successful. Around the early 1980s, Debbie Harry began her acting career. Throughout her career, she appeared in more than two dozen films, although many of them were not box office hits. However, the soundtracks she and Chris composed became more popular. In 1980, they wrote the song "Call Me," which became the theme song for the movie "American Gigolo" starring Richard Gere. This song dominated the American charts for a long time and later earned Debbie and Chris a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. As tensions within the band grew, every member of Blondie began pursuing their solo projects.

Personal and Philanthropic Endeavors
Debbie's debut solo album, "Koo Koo," was released in 1981 and eventually went "gold" in the US. In 1983, Chris Stein's genetic illness, which often led to death, worsened. Debbie disbanded Blondie and spent three years caring for Chris. Once his health started improving, Debbie Harry returned with the provocative song "French Kissin' In the USA". A year later, Debbie and Chris ended their romantic relationship. From the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, Debbie focused more on her film career. She appeared in films such as "Hairspray," "Tales from the Darkside: The Movie," and "Intimate Stranger." After a long hiatus, in 2006, Debbie collaborated with Moby and released the single "New York, New York." Today, Debbie Harry continues to act in films, record new albums and singles, and actively participates in the MAC Cosmetics' Viva Glam VI advertising campaign. Every percentage of the cosmetics sold goes to the MAC AIDS Fund, which supports people worldwide affected by HIV/AIDS.
