Formed
1974 in New York City
Debbie Harry
Net Worth: $20 million
Debbie Harry, an American singer, songwriter, and actress, is best known as the band Blondie’s main singer. From 1979 through 2017, several of her band’s recordings peaked at number one in the U.S. and UK charts.
Chris Stein
Net Worth: $10 million
Chris Stein, a co-founder and guitarist for the new wave band Blondie, also produced and played on the legendary music for the hip-hop movie Wild Style.
In 1974, Chris Stein approached Deborah Harry to join his band, The Stilettos, while she was singing with a little-known folk rock band called The Wind in the Willows. They were a part of the original Angel and the Snake lineup, which also included Clem Burke, Jimmy Destri, and Gary Valentine.
Blondie, one of the numerous punk bands that were propelled to national popularity from CBGB, a now-famous club in the city’s Bowery quarter, performed in clubs all across New York City.
Their second album, Plastic Letters, was released in 1977 and debuted as high as #10 on the UK album chart after their self-titled first failed to chart. With the publication of Parallel Lines, which peaked at #6 in the US and #1 in the UK and yielded five hit singles, the group finally broke through.
With each album, Blondie advanced into new musical genres, eventually performing hip-hop, punk, disco, and new wave.
1982 saw the band’s breakup. Harry pursued a solo career and made a few appearances in big-budget movies. Since their reunion in 1999, the band has continued to perform and release music.
Original Blondie Members:
Deborah Harry – lead vocals
Chris Stein – guitar
Clem Burke – drums
Jimmy Destri – keyboards
Gary Valentine – bass
Significant Facts About Blondie:
- Early pioneers of punk rock and new wave music
- Debut album was released in 1976, failed to chart in either US or UK
- Their first #1 single, “Heart of Glass” almost wasn’t released because the label felt it was “too disco”
Current Blondie Members:
Deborah Harry – vocals
Chris Stein – guitar
Clem Burke – drums
Jimmy Destri – keyboards
Paul Carbonara – guitar
Leigh Foxx – bass
Kevin Patrick – keyboards
