Debbie Harry was born Deborah Ann Harry on July 1st 1945 in Miami, Florida. She was adopted at 3 months by a family from Hawthorne, New Jersey. 

She attended Hawthorne High School before leaving to work as a secretary at the BBC Radio New York office. Later jobs included being a waitress, a dancer at Union City and a Playboy Bunny.

Debbie joined folk rock group Wind in the Willows before going on to become part of the trio The Stilettos. The guitarist of the band was Chris Stein, who eventually decided to form Blondie, so named because of the cat calls men gave Debbie whilst passing her in their cars. Debbie and Chris were in a relationship for over a decade.

Blondie became regulars on the New York scene especially at Max Kansas City and the infamous C.B.G.B.’s.

Blondie’s debut album, Blondie first found success in Australia with In The Flesh before quickly becoming a smash hit in the UK and eventually, with Heart of Glass hitting No.1 on the American Billboard, in the U.S.

Blondie’s fourth album Eat to the Beat is released In the UK, the single "Atomic" reached number one, "Dreaming" number two, and "Union City Blue" was another substantial hit.

Deborah Harry worked with the Giorgio Moroder to compose Call Me for the soundtrack of the film American Gigolo. The song became the biggest hit of Blondie's career, spending six weeks at number one in the U.S. and becoming a hit throughout the world.
Their fifth album Autoamerican was released and contained two more worldwide hits, the reggae-styled The Tide is High and the rap-flavored Rapture, each hitting number one in the U.S. Rapture was the first song containing rapping vocals to reach number one in the U.S. and helped introduce the then underground rap genre to a larger audience. Rapture would be their only single to achieve a higher chart position on the U.S. charts than in the UK, where it peaked at number five.

Debbie began her solo career with the Gold Certified album Koo Koo. At the time, Blondie had not officially disbanded, so the solo album was seen as a side project. Koo Koo was a collaboration with Chic’s Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards and featured the (now infamous) artwork of H R Giger on the cover.

Blondie regrouped and released their sixth studio album The Hunter – whilst I’ve been a life long Blondie fan, there’s no two ways about it – the album was dreadful although it did manage to produce hit singles Island of Los Souls and War Child.

Blondie launched a North American tour to support the album release however, this was cut short when Chris Stein became ill with the rare genetic disease Pemphigus.  It’s something of a fallacy however to suggest Debbie halted her career to take of him, she did take care of him, they were after all long term lovers, however, Blondie was caput and the time was there to make that kind of sacrifice (this isn’t conjecture on my part, but the words of Debbie read on many occasion). Whilst Chris recovered from his illness the relationship between him and Debbie ended in 1987, however, they continue to be the best of friends and Debbie is even godmother to his children.

With the demise of Blondie (which as a ten year old fanatical Blondie fan seemed like the end of the world to me!) Debbie teamed up with Giorgio Moroder once again.
Debbie built upon a fledgling acting career appearing on Broadway with Andy Kaufman in the wrestling play Teaneck Tanzi. However it opened and closed in one night. Later that year Debbie made her major motion picture debut in the David Cronenberg film Videodrome in which she plays the character Nicki Brand.

Feel the Spin, produced by John “Jellybean” Benitez was released along with the whole soundtrack to the film Krush Groove which peaked at #2 on the U.S. Dance Charts. The song's 'uno dos tres quatro' intro has been sampled on a number of records including S-Express's 'Theme From S-Express'.

Debbie’s second solo album was released – Rockbird. The single French Kissing In The USA reached the U.K. top 10 singles chart. In Love With Love hit #1 on the U.S. Dance Charts.

Debbie’s third solo album Def, Dumb and Blonde released – anchored by the songwriting partnership of Debbie and Chris Stein and produced primarily by Blondie producer Mike Chapman (the Thompson Twins and Arthur Baker also produced two tracks each).
The first single from this album I Want That Man was a big hit in Europe, Australia, and on the U.S. Modern Rock Charts. Kiss It Better was also a Top 15 Modern Rock single in the U.S.
Debbie begins using “Deborah” professionally.

Deborah toured extensively across the world with Chris Stein.

In July 1991 Deborah played Wembley Stadium with INXS. She also starred in the film Intimate Stranger in which she played a telephone sex worker pursued by a serial killer.

In 1991 Chrysalis released a compilation album The Complete Picture: The Very Best of Deborah Harry and Blondie, containing hits with Blondie as well as Deborah’s solo hits. The collection reached number three in the UK album charts. The album also included her duet with Iggy Pop of the Cole Porter song Well Did You Evah! – which Chris produced for the Red, Hot and Blue AIDS charity album released at the end of 1990.

While recording her next album in 1992 Deborah collaborated with Die Haut on the track Don't Cross My Mind, and released the song Prelude to a Kiss on the soundtrack to the film of the same name. She also released a cover of Summertime Blues from the soundtrack to the film That Night in Australia.

Deborah released her fourth solo album Debravation produced by Chris Stein, Arthur Baker and Ann Dudley. The album's first single was I Can See Clearly (a great pop song!) which was a hit in the U.K. and on the U.S. dance charts (reaching #2). The B-side was a duet with Joey Ramone – Standing In My Way. This was followed by Strike Me Pink in September. Controversy surrounded the latter track's drowning man video, which was banned and the subsequent record company promo cancelled. U.S. editions of the album feature two additional tracks recorded with pre-recorded music by R.E.M. Tear Drops and My Last Date (With You).

In November 1993 Deborah Harry toured the UK – and at the end of 1993 Chrysalis released the Blondie rarities collection Blonde and Beyond, which featured the previously unreleased tracks Scenery (I love that song) and Underground Girl. In early 1994 Deborah took the Debravation tour to the U.S.

Deborah collaborated on a number of projects with other artists such as providing vocals on Talking Heads side project No Talking Just Head (performing the title track and Punk Lolita). She also sang on a cover of Strawberry Fields by the Argentinean band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs.

Deborah collaborated with Jazz Passenger Bill Ware in his side project Groove Thing, singing lead vocals on the club hit Command and Obey. Another Jazz Passenger collaboration appeared on the Edgar Allan Poe tribute album Closed on Account of Rabies.
Between 1994 and 1998 Deborah became a permanent member of the Jazz passengers touring North America and Europe.

Deborah also reunited with Blondie keyboardist Jimmy Destri for a cover of Otis Blackwell’s 'Don't Be Cruel' for the tribute album Brace Yourself. She also recorded a duet with Robert Jacks entitled Die Enziger Weg (The Only Way) – Theme from Texas Chainsaw Massacre, although this did not surface until 1999.

In 1997 Blondie began working together again for the first time in 15 years. Two tracks recorded with T.V. Mania (the production duo of Duran Duran members Nick Rhodes and Warren Cuccurullo), Studio 54 and Pop Trash Movie' were scheduled to be released on a Blondie compilation entitled This Is Blondie. However, the project and the tracks were shelved as the four original members, Deborah, Chris, Clem and Jimmy, embarked on sessions for what would become Blondie's seventh studio album. During this period they released a cover of Iggy Pop's 'Ordinary Bummer' on the Pop tribute album We Will Fall.

Prior to the release of No Exit the band completed a rapturously received sell out tour of Europe. Dates at London's Lyceum Theatre were recorded by the BBC and aired on UK Radio. A week prior to the release of No Exit, the lead single 'Maria' debuted at number one in the UK, making Deborah the oldest female singer to reach No. 1 in the UK. 'Maria' hit #1 in 14 different countries, the top 10 on the US Dance Charts, and Top 15 on the US Adult Top 40 Charts. The album No Exit debuted at No.3 in the UK and #17 in the US, and Blondie announced dates for a major Arena tour that summer during which they played the Glastonbury Festival and Party in the Park in London. 'Nothing Is Real But The Girl' was another UK Top 30 hit, while the title track was released as a single to coincide with further arena dates in November that year.

Deborah also took the part of Velma Von Tussle in John Walters’ cult class ‘Hairspray’ and appeared in the U.S. TV series Wiseguy.

Tracks culled from dates throughout the 1999 world tour were released as a live album, titled Live in the U.S. and Livid in the U.K., and released in late 1999 and early 2000 respectively. A Blondie Live companion DVD was also released, recorded at a show in NYC Town Hall. Also at the end of 1999 Chrysalis Records released a best of Deborah’s solo recordings entitled 'Most of All' and a remix of 'I Want That Man'.

Deborah made an appearance on the Bill Ware album Vibes 4 singing the track Me and You and also appeared on ex-Police guitarist Andy Summers’ album Peggy's Blue Skylight on the track Weird Nightmare. A techno cover of Stan Jones' Ghost Riders in the Sky was featured on the soundtrack to the film Three Business Men and was available for download. Deborah also sang two tracks on Andrea Griminelli's Cinema Italiano project; Amarcord and You'll Come to Me, as well as on a tribute album reinterpreting the music of Harold Arlen, on which she sings the title track Stormy Weather.

Deborah, accompanied by The Jazz Passengers and the BBC concert orchestra performed a selection of her jazz material at the Barbican centre in London.

Deborah was featured vocalist on the song Uncontrollable Love by electro-clash dance producers Blow Up.

The follow up album to No Exit appeared cursed, what with the master tapes being stolen amongst other problems –hence Blondie’s 2003 album became The Curse of Blondie.  Blondie toured throughout 2003 and 2004 to promote the album and perform classic tracks.

A live album and DVD were released Live by Request along with the excellent mash up Rapture Riders (the video is on Abingdon’s My Space page folks!). Another UK tour followed (we Brits can not get enough of Blondie!)

Deborah’s fifth solo album Necessary Evil commenced – tracks include Dirty and Deep in which she spoke out against rapper Lil’ Kim’s incarceration.

Deborah releases the electro pop hit New York New York - recorded with Moby.

Blondie were also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

MAC Cosmetics announces Debbie Harry, Dita Von Teese, Eve and Lisa Marie Presley will be spokeswomen for the MAC Viva Glam VI campaign.