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No, Debbie Harry’s too cool for any of that. She decided to call back later instead. Harry founded Blondie with guitarist Chris Stein in 1974, and although the band has seen various line-ups, the 68-year-old has always remained the frontwoman. As drummer Clem Burke commented last year: “There’s no Blondie without Debbie Harry.” They have sold more than 40m records worldwide and this year they’re celebrating their 40th anniversary.
Sounds like an award of some kind is in order…
Funny you should say that - last night Harry was hailed as the NME’s ‘Godlike Genius’, along with the rest of the group, at the music magazine’s annual awards ceremony. The band, which fused new wave with punk, have enjoyed enormous critical and commercial success over the years thanks to hits such as “Call Me”, “Heart of Glass” and “Atomic”. They split up in 1982 but reformed in 1997 and reached number one in the UK singles chart with “Maria” in 1999, 20 years after their first number one.
They sound like deserving recipients…
Their influence, particularly Harry’s, has had a tremendous impact on the music, fashion and art worlds. “There could be no other band more worthy of being honoured as NME’s Godlike Genius 2014 than Blondie,” said Mike Williams, the magazine’s editor. “They re-wrote the rulebook in the late 1970s by dragging punk rock to the top of the charts…[Harry is] the most iconic frontwoman rock’n’roll has ever produced.”
So who was there to see her scoop the prize?
Paul McCartney, Arctic Monkeys and Lily Allen were just some of the stars that turned out for the ceremony, held at the O2 Academy in Brixton, south-west London. Harry was, as ever, nonplussed by the news. “This is great, it’s nice to be recognised,” she said. “To be honoured so nicely, and to play music. What could be better?”
Are there any other Godlike geniuses out there?
Past recipients of the prize include The Clash, The Cure, Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters, Noel Gallagher, Manic Street Preachers and Paul Weller. Last year’s award went to The Smiths’ songwriter and guitarist Johnny Marr. Rock photographer Pennie Smith shared the award with music journalist Nick Kent in 2002 but Harry is the first woman to have won.
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