Women Over 40 Rock!

Blondie, the new wave band, with Debbie Harry, is on an international tour this summer to coincide with the reissue of their album “Parallel Lines”, which has sold more than 20 million copies since its debut in 1978.  Miss Harry is 63 and, I believe, has no retirement plans in her future.  What an inspiration!  Catch the sly humor and playfulness that she brings to “One Way or Another” and “Hanging on to the Telephone”, both hit singles on the CD.   “Heart of Glass”, also from that album, reveals the effortlessly cool, sexy Debbie Harry, the iconic Blondie.  This song, which was their breakout hit, almost didn’t get released.  Their label felt it was “too disco” and Blondie was the pioneer punk rock/new wave group.  It’s ironic that “Heart of Glass” went on to become one of the all time disco anthems.

Debbie Harry and Chris Stein formed the band Blondie in the mid-1970s.  They were part of the downtown New York music scene and gained national recognition performing at CBGB, a now famous club in the Bowery district.   The band’s named changed from “Angel and the Snakes,” to “Blondie” based on the countless whistles and screams of “Hey, Blondie!” that Harry got from truck drivers and passing cars.  The band was the cutting edge of cool, hanging with the Andy Warhol crowd and performing at Studio 54, where the video to “Heart of Glass” was shot.  The band explored a range of styles from new wave, punk, disco and even rap.  In fact, a 1981 release, a song called “Rapture”, was the first rap–like song to be a hit.  This single mixed new wave, pop, funk and rap.

In 1983, Stein came down with pemphigus, a stress-related and often fatal skin disease. Unable to look after himself, he was cared for by Harry, who put her solo career on hold. She dismissed any praise or glowing testimonials to the sacrifices she made for him. “Actually, it didn’t seem like a sacrifice at all,” she says. “Because our careers were so entwined, so enmeshed. We had always worked as a team. And being sick on your own is no fun.”   By the way, Chris fully recovered.  To do this selfless act with grace and humility tells you what kind of sweetheart Debbie Harry is, far removed from her cool, hip image.

Debbie Harry is not slowing down and continues to write, perform and act.  In 1999, she entered the Guinness World Book of Records as the “Oldest Female Singer to Reach No.1 in the UK Chart” with Blondie’s hit “Maria”.  Debbie Harry was 53 years old.  She also is a tireless supporter of many Gay Rights Organizations and has done many benefit shows in support of AIDS charities.  She’s been ranked #12 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll.  In 2006 Blondie was inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.  She also collaborates with other artists and in 2006 sang vocals on Moby’s single “New York New York”.

If you want to re-live one of the most vibrant eras in popular music, pick up the re-issue of Blondie’s “Parallel Lines”.  Or, if you were like me, too busy in the ‘80’s with family and career to be into the music scene, now you can catch up.  The songs on this CD are a lot of fun and in these grim times it’s awfully nice to hear tunes that make you smile and jump up and dance.    Maybe it’s time for an ‘80’s party.

Jan Bina, blogger for In the Trenches Productions.com, The First Entertainment Website Celebrating the Power and Beauty of Women Over 40