The life of Debbie Harry

Brut America

She was often catcalled as 'blondie' for her iconic bleached hair. The name became her punk rock identity.  Pioneering lead singer, addict, and activist. This is the life of Debbie Harry.

Transcript

00:00The Curse of Blondie is the sort of catch-22 of life.

00:06I don't know, it was supposed to be some sort of a joke, actually.

00:11She's really from a time and place in New York that is almost like mythology, and she's

00:35stood the test of time.

01:01Her life before Blondie is just as wild and crazy and interesting.

01:31Part of the reason that Blondie has been sort of always noted for being an explosive

01:42kind of ensemble was because we didn't really put together a group that was mostly just

01:52sort of side men.

01:54We tried to find people that were as charismatic as possible, and that sort of makes for a

02:02lot of competition, sometimes healthy, sometimes unhealthy, but excitement.

02:10It makes people sort of manic or crazed or obsessed with what they're doing, and I think

02:16that that sort of worked in our favor.

02:27When you become one of the first of anything, which she is kind of one of the first of this

02:31female fronting a band, the blonde, I mean, there's hundreds after her.

02:36When you're the first, your iconography sort of solidifies.

02:44I sort of went through a stage where, when I was performing, where I just didn't want

02:48to wear anything, and I really very often took my clothes off, you know, various different

02:53parts of my clothing or all of my clothing or whatever it was, and sort of, I don't know

02:58what that is, what that's really about, except that, you know, you're just prepared for,

03:03you know, to be there, be all of you.

03:14I think that it was a fortunate thing for her to find that amount of fame later, because

03:27if you, knowing her, she had an entire life before Blondie, and so she had enough wherewithal

03:35and experience in life to not, to kind of deal with that amount of fame that quickly

03:40and that catapulted her.

04:10I guess my primary things are environmental right now, but I've been known to do appearances

04:29for all kinds of different charities.

04:40I mean, I have had, you know, family members that have had cancer, and a very dear friend

04:52of mine years ago had a problem, and she passed.

04:59So yeah, I think it touches everyone's life, and, you know, it's something that we should

05:04really be able to take care of.

05:12The beauty of it all is that she doesn't need validation, and that's what's cool about it.

05:17That's what keeps her going.

05:18She doesn't need someone to give her an award.

05:23Inside, I always want to wear, you know, the sort of look that I've always worn, but I've

05:30sort of become, I guess, self-conscious in a way about dressing more my age, but basically

05:39I try to feel gorgeous and comfortable and sexy, you know, and however that plays out,

05:49that's it.

06:30But that is, there was a cultural exchange program with the Cuban Ministry of Culture,

06:38and so it was, you know, an opportunity to go and play with Cuban musicians for two nights

06:43in Havana.

06:44They've formed this culture that is unique and beautiful and has been an influence around

07:02the world.

07:03Such an intense amount of culture and energy to come out of this island is really phenomenal.

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