Debbie Harry

As the charismatic frontwoman of Blondie, Debbie Harry was more than just a dumb, photogenic singer crooning unforgettable new-wave pop songs. From her beginnings in the '60s folk-rock act Wind in the Willows to her experimental, poppy post-Blondie albums, Harry has consistently proved herself to be a versatile artist with...

By Tom Murphy

June 7, 2007

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As the charismatic frontwoman of Blondie, Debbie Harry was more than just a dumb, photogenic singer crooning unforgettable new-wave pop songs. From her beginnings in the '60s folk-rock act Wind in the Willows to her experimental, poppy post-Blondie albums, Harry has consistently proved herself to be a versatile artist with a consistently compelling voice. Although she mostly dropped out of music for much of the past two decades, she remained visible through memorable roles in such movies as Videodrome and Hairspray. In 1999, Debbie and Blondie returned to the fore with their best album in twenty years. And despite the fact that the group's recent tours have been part of the nostalgia circuit, Harry — who comes to town as part of the True Colors Tour with Cyndi Lauper, Erasure and the Dresden Dolls — is anything but a relic. On the contrary, she's still a powerful and mesmerizing performer.

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Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

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