Debbie Harry: facts about her personal life and career

Debbie Harryis unfortunately a rarity: a 78-year-old punk icon whose career has evolved in an era of insane endless partying, inadequate fan followers and concert chaos, as well as serious addictions... This blonde seems carefree in the photo, but she's been through a lot - things most of her fans don't even realise she's been through.

In his. memoirs Harri shares intimate details and reveals a new, previously unknown side to the public....

Attempts to find parents that turned out to be a disappointment

The future lead singer of Blondie was adopted at the age of three months by Katherine Harry and Richard Smith, owners of a gift shop in Hawthorne, New Jersey. She grew up in a healthy environment, with loving parents and a wonderful sister who supported her love of singing. But Debbie always wanted to find her biological parents... And one day she hired a detective who managed to find the girl's mother! But a warm reunion was out of the question.

"She said: "Please don't ever bother me again. I don't want to be disturbed.' She didn't even say anything or ask anything about me..."

During the investigation, it was discovered that Debbie's father had died a long time ago. Her mother apparently did not know that the man she was dating was married and had several children until she told him that the pregnant.

"She was heartbroken, left, took me and put me up for adoption. I don't know anything else..."

And even though it didn't lead to anything (at least not a warm relationship), Debbie doesn't regret finding out the truth - even if it is bitter.

"I thought I was doing the right thing, and I still feel like I did the right thing for me."

The dark side of fame

Debbie Harry declares: superstar status doesn't get rid of the feelings and issues one struggles with "mere mortals". Both in the dawn and at the height of her fame, she often faced challenges, and even more...

"In the '70s, Chris (Stein) and I were attacked right outside our flat. We were dragged inside, tied up, and then a man came at me..."

Harry admits: the most painful thing was not the so-called "physical blow", but the psychological - and the fact that when the attacker stole their guitars, he stole their livelihood.

"I was angry and felt victimised. I wasn't beaten or harmed physically, it was all emotional or mental. I was devastated mentally... some stranger against my will, at knife point... It wasn't happiness."

Debbie claims: Chris helped her cope, but there have been times in her professional life when she felt just as much offended.

"Rock 'n' roll and pop music has to do with this: you're not a girl, you're a piece of meat, bait..."

The consequences of fame have also been persecution and even... kidnapping. In her memoir, "Blondie" recounts:

"I was stalked by an ex-boyfriend after I ended my relationship with him. He broke into my flat, threatened me with a knife... He followed me even when I moved to New York. That's when I went to the police and complained, but they said, 'We can't do anything until he hurts you.' It was horrible! The horror is the complete and utter lack of help or compassion..."

As for the kidnapping, in Debbie's own opinion, she was confronted by the very Ted Bundy - the serial horror of '70s America! In her interview, the singer said:

"I was trying to hitchhike. A guy in a white car stopped and offered me a lift. When I got in, I discovered that there was no door handle or anything else in the car! Miraculously, I managed to stretch my arm through the slit of the window, which was not completely closed, to open the door and get out...".

The decline of "Blondie" was inevitable

In retrospect, Harri realises: she did everything necessary to capture the audience. And everything possible. But fame has reverse sideand not everyone can handle its power...

"For those times when I wanted to cut out a part of my life or when I was depressed, there was nothing better than substances. Nothing. No one thought about the consequences..."

At some point, Harri discovered that she was addicted. Her depressive states began to worsen under the pressure of realisation of the inevitability of aging. The whole thing was like a terrible dream.....

"I didn't want to get old. Age prejudice is very, very strong, especially in the corporate world. I had plastic surgery, I had a party lifestyle... It gave me a certain enthusiasm and satisfaction"

But in the end, she accepted it. She accepted reality and was able to live without the "dope" that made her feel young and carefree. Could she have done so much more? It is impossible to say for sure - even Harri herself cannot answer this question. The end of the Blondie era was largely due to illness Chris SteinBut as the vocalist herself admits, she didn't try to cling to the possibility of staying afloat.

"Chris hadn't performed for about two and a half years, but by the time we were ready to start touring again, we found that the outside world wasn't waiting for us..."