Blondie: Get to know the group behind 'Heart of Glass'
From forming in 1974 to their recent Glastonbury set
Rock group Blondie formed in 1974 and brought out their self-titled debut album in 1976. They made a name for themselves throughout the late 70s and early 80s, giving us plenty of massive hits like 'Hanging On The Telephone', 'One Way Or Another', 'Sunday Girl', and 'Heart of Glass'.
As pioneers of the American new wave scene, their songs covered a range of genres including disco, pop, reggae, and early rap. The 70s and 80s wouldn't have been the same without Blondie's records playing, so to celebrate this amazing band we have put together everything you need to know about them - from band members, to their biggest songs, most successful albums and their past and recent tours.
Who is in Blondie?
Blondie is an American new wave band formed in 1974 in New York, who brought out incredible songs that blended pop, disco, and reggae music. The band was founded by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein and they were initially joined by drummer Billy O'Connor, and Fred Smith on bass.
The line-up has changed several times since and has seen Ivan Kral on guitar, sisters Tish Bellomo and Snooky Bellomo on backing vocals, Clem Burke on drums, Gary Valentine on bass, Jimmy Destri on keyboard, Nigel Harrison on bass, and Frank Infante on guitar.
Co-founders Debbie Harry and Chris Stein have consistently been in the band. The current group is also made up of Clem Burke on drums, Leigh Foxx on bass, Matt Katz-Bohen on keyboard, and Tommy Kessler on guitar.
How did Blondie get their band name?
The band got their name from Debbie Harry being catcalled, with men commenting on her bleached blonde hair. They were originally called Blondie and The Banzai Babies, but they soon shortened their name as it had a better ring to it.
Blondie at Glastonbury 2023
Blondie played at Glastonbury in June 2023. Earlier in the year, Clem Burke, the band's drummer, confirmed in an interview that the band were performing at Glastonbury.
In the interview, Clem said: "I guess it hasn’t really been announced, the full list of artists to be playing Glastonbury, but we are going to be playing Glastonbury, so maybe you got an exclusive there!"
The band previously played at Glastonbury on the Other Stage in 2014, and the iconic Pyramid Stage back in 1999.
Check out Blondie's biggest career moments:
1974 - Debbie Harry and Chris Stein meet
Debbie Harry was in the female trio The Stilletos when she met fellow musician Chris Stein. The pair then formed genre-spanning band Blondie in 1974 and started playing in clubs in New York.
1977 - Blondie go on tour and release 'Plastic Letters'
After releasing their debut self-titled album in 1976, the group went on tour the following year. In 1997, they also released their next album 'Plastic Letters' which included hit song 'Denis'.
1978 - Blondie release 'Parallel Lines'
Blondie released their third album in 1978, and the album brought them huge commercial success. 'Parallel Lines' included hit tracks 'Heart of Glass', 'Hanging On The Telephone', and 'One Way or Another' — the latter which has now been certified Platinum.
1980 - 'Autoamerican' album
Following the release of their 'Eat to the Beat' album the year before, Blondie released 'Autoamercian' in 1980. The album included smash hit songs 'Tide Is High' and 'Rapture'. That year they also released their chart-topping track 'Call Me'.
Debbie Harry's acting career
As well as fronting Blondie, Debbie Harry has also acted in several films over the years. She has appeared in the films Union City (1980), Videodrome (1983), Hairspray (1988), Heavy (1995), Six Ways to Sunday (1997), and My Life Without Me (2003), as well as a few TV shows like Wiseguy and The Adverture of Pete and Pete.
1981 - Debbie Harry releases solo music
In her time as a solo artist, Debbie Harry has released numerous albums starting with 'Kookoo' in 1981. She has since brought out 'Rockbird' (1986), 'Def, Dumb and Blonde' (1989), 'Debravation' (1993), and 'Necessary Evil' (2007).
Some of her most popular songs include 'French Kissin (in the USA)', 'I Want That Man', and 'I Can See Clearly'.
1982 - Blondie take a break
In 1982, to fans' disappointment, the band broke up. By this point both Debbie Harry and keyboardist Jimmy Destri had released solo albums.
At this time guitarist Chris Stein was ill with a life-threatening auto-immune disease and Debbie Harry - his girlfriend at the time - took time out of her career to look after him. Thankfully after four years, Chris recovered from the illness.
1997 - Blondie reunite
Following a 16-year break, the group got back together and celebrated with a tour of Europe. They also released their album 'No Exit' in 1999 which included the hugely popular song 'Maria'.
2006 - Blondie are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
In 2006, Blondie were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They were awarded by Shirley Manson of 90s rock band Garbage.
2014 - 'Ghosts of Download' album
In 2014, the band released their 10th studio album 'Ghosts of Download' which was made up of re-recorded versions of their greatest hits.
Since then they have released one more studio album, 'Pollinator', which came out in 2017 and included hit track 'Fun'.
2019 - Debbie Harry releases memoir Face It
Debbie Harry wrote a memoir called Face It which came out in 2019. It details her story from Blondie's early days to global success.
Speaking about the book, she said: "I have led a very full life. I know there will be questions asked. I didn't want to write it – but I did."
2022 - 'Against The Odds' tour
Blondie toured the UK in April and May 2022, as part of their 'Against The Odds' tour which also took them across The US and Europe.
Unfortunatley before the tour started, long-time member Chris Stein announced that he would not be joining the tour due to a heart condition. Glen Matlock instead joined the group along with suppport act Johnny Marr.
2022: 'Against The Odds' box set
Blondie announced their first ever box set called 'Blondie: Against The Odds'. It was released on 26th August 2022 and features track by track commentary, an illustrated discography, and dozens of previously unpublished photos.
2022: An Evening With Debbie Harry and Chris Stein In Conversation gets postponed
Debbie Harry and Chris Stein were due to embark on their An Evening With Debbie Harry and Chris Stein In Conversation shows in November 2022, but postponed the dates to May 2023.
The shows will take place in London, Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham, where the pair will talk about their amazing lives, careers and working together.
2022: Chris Stein reveals Blondie are working on a new album
Chris Stein has spoken about a new Blondie album which is in the works. Although a release date hasn't been announced, he did reveal that Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock is collaborating on the record, having joined the band on their recent tour.
2023: Blondie perform at Glastonbury
Blondie performed on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2023.
2024: Blondie joins Sting as he headlines Belsonic
17-time Grammy Award winning artist, Sting performed a special My Songs concert in Belfast at Belsonic, Ormeau Park on 19th June 2024 — sharing the bill with Special Guest Blondie.
The concert delved into Sting's timeless hits like 'Fields of Gold', 'Roxanne', 'Every Breath You Take', 'Message in a Bottle', among a myriad of other iconic songs, and marked the continuation of his world-spanning tour, which captivated audiences across the US, Europe, Asia, the UAE and Australia.
With Blondie by his side, it was labelled 'an electrifying rock ensemble'.
Blondie's popularity
Blondie first rose to fame in the late 70s, immediately taking the world by storm and becoming one of the most popular bands of the early 80s. The band are incredibly popular to this day, and we still love to play Blondie's biggest hits here on Magic!
Following a hiatus from 1982-1997, the group are now back together and have continued to tour and make music, much to the delight of fans across the world.
Blondie's biggest songs
While they are still making music together to this day, Blondie released their most popular songs in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Take a look at our guide to their biggest chart-toppers, from the infectious 'Heart Of Glass' to their stomping hit 'One Way Or Another', which has now been certified Platinum.
In April 2022, Blondie confirmed that an exclusive version of their 1978 hit 'Sunday Girl' was now available to buy. They shared a 15-second clip of the song on Twitter.
Blondie share unreleased songs in 'Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982' box set
The band released their 'Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982' on 26th August 2022, complete with a track-by-track commentary, an illustrated discography, dozens of previously unpublished photos and 36 previously unreleased songs.
They previously released one of these songs, 'Mr Sightseer', on 9th August. The song has been recorded in 1978 in their bedroom and had never been released, but it has now been remastered.
Are Blondie still together?
The group disbanded in 1982 before getting back together in 1997 and releasing hit single 'Maria' in 1999. They have since toured and continued to release new music, and are working on their next album as we speak!
Are Blondie bringing out new music?
Blondie are working on their next album, which will include Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock, who joined the band on their 2022 tour.
Speaking about working together, Chris Stein said: "Glen has just been great. Unlike ‘Pollinator’, we’re mostly keeping this album in-house: it’s just the band and Glen playing on it. He’s fitted right in."
Debbie Harry has confirmed that despite not touring with the group, Chris Stein has been a 'major contributor' to Blondie's new album.
When was their last tour?
The group completed their 'Against The Odds' tour in September 2022, having played shows across the UK in April and May before continuing across the US.
The group were meant to perform in the UK in November 2021, but their shows were cancelled due to Covid-19. The tour was rescheduled to April and May 2022 in the UK.
Did Chris Stein go on tour with them?
Their UK shows were scheduled for April and May 2022, but unfortunately Chris Stein had to pull out of the shows due to ill health.
As well as this, Bassist Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols joined Blondie on their 2022 UK tour as their bassist Leigh Foxx suffered a back injury.
Who supported Blondie on their 2022 tour?
Former The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr joined Blondie for their UK shows.
Who is Debbie Harry married to?
Blondie singer Debbie Harry has never been married, however, she did have a 16-year relationship with bandmate Chris Stein.
What is Debbie Harry's real name?
Debbie Harry was born Angela Tremble, before she was adopted by Richard and Catherine Harry when she was 3 months old.
Is Blondie in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Yes, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.
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