Interview with Debbie Harry

Joe spent a few minutes with Debbie Harry while she was on her Necessary Evil tour. Despite a mildy difficult telephone connection, he managed to wake her one chilly December morning while her tour bus was winding through the Smokey Mountains in North Carolina. She was down to earth, modest and was very kind to this nerd-boy with a 32-old crush. She called me "hun." *sigh*



J: Hi Debbie

DH: Hello

J: Hi, how are you today?

DH: Okay, how are you?

J: Great! Where are you now?

DH: We're in North Carolina in the Smokey Mountains.

J: Okay. I didn't think you'd be up this early . . . you're busy touring.

DH: (chuckle) I didn't think I'd be up this early either, hun!

J: So a couple of questions I wanted to ask, first I have to say I'm a long time fan and when your Parallel Lines album came out, I bought it, and the first 12 inch single I bought with Heart of Glass . . .

DH: Oh thank you

J: I'm a huge fan. You were ...
(we lost Debbie - assistant gets her back on the line...)

J: So I guess the Smokeys makes it a little bit spotty with the phones; are we on a cell phone or a land line?

DH: Sorry, I'm in a tour bus.

J: Gotcha! What I started to say was you are like the first independent, liberated, sexy rock and roll queen, and that's pretty good title to have.

DH: Oh thank you! I thought Tina Turner was!

J: Tina was there, but you got the pop success first. And not knocking Tina but I think even Tina, she did it, but it was inlive performances. She didn't have that crossover-pop radio success that you achieved until later on.

DH: uh huh (with a very modest reluctance)

J: I kinda think Madonna looked at you and thought, 'how can I compete with that?' and she started wearing her underwear on the outside.
But anyway, a couple of some questions I want to ask . . . you were, being the blond pretty woman-pretty girl- you were Blondie before you were in the band I guess. How do you settle in your mind between Debbie Harry, Deborah, Blondie the band and Blondie the little girl?

DH: I don't think there's really anything to really think about. It's just that, you know, I have just a lot of identities I suppose.

J: I guess that my question is who is the woman who's at home, when your not touring and things like that, what's on your mind . . . what do you do? And I know you've been touring for a long time and - well, busy I should say, not just touring.



DH: Well, just ah, either I'm relaxing or hanging out with my friends somewhere - go see a band. I'm really into it - I'm a rock and roll animal.

J: I always, again, looking at you from where I am here in the Philadelphia area, I always thought it would be so fun to be you.

DH: It's not bad!

J: I did read that you - did you know Andy Warhol?

DH: yea

J: Wow that must have been so interesting- we have Andy Warhol paintings in our office up on our wall.

DH: really?

J: Well, PRINTS. He defined pop culture in this half of the century.

DH: He was a genius - yea.

J: Another person you worked with was Andy Kaufman.

DH: I did. Another Andy, yea.

J: I guess you were in a show that lasted - I guess a night on Broadway or off Broadway?

DH: No, we ran for about six weeks off Broadway, and then they brought it up to Broadway and it opened and closed in one night. I think they should have left it run downtown because it real kind of downtown show.

J: Gotcha

DH: But for some reason they decided to move uptown and they couldn't sustain it.

J: Now regarding Andy, he was another cultural icon, a lot of people said he was a very unusual character. I guess you rehearsed with him; did you get to know him a little bit?

DH: Not very much - just a little tiny bit. He was very quiet in those days. He was just concentrating on working on the show - he was a nice guy actually.

J: Okay. Now through your career, you've gone- you're into the electronic advance now. You've definitely evolved. How do you get yourself going creatively? You've been busy for 30 years - 40 years actually. That's pretty exciting.

DH: That's what I do. That's the way my mind works.

J: That's definitely good because you've always kept things fresh. You know, you've dabbled with the old school reggae with "The Tide Is High"; you introduced a lot to a lot of different people musically. "Rapture" - I remember when I heard that I thought that was a pretty funny song, a pretty good song. And I know last year they did a "Rapture/Riders on the Storm" remix. What do you think of that?

DH: I think it worked out pretty well.

J: Were you involved in that at all? I don't know anything about that outside of hearing it.

DH: yea - it was done by a DJ and we heard it and like it so we put it on an album.

J: Oh okay, I read that there is a movie coming up with Kirstin Dunst...

DH: No - that's not true.

J: Oh it's not true. See, I'm reading stuff and it's not true. What caused that to spread? I read it in several places.

DH: Yea I know.

J: What's the story? Never was gonna happen or not gonna happen?

DH: It neither here nor there. It was just a conversation that got publicized.

J: Oh, okay. Well thank you for clearing that up.

DH: Ridiculous gossipy things.

J: Well, it not like juicy sex gossip, I just read it like a news story. It's funny how things go. Now you named the album and the tour "The Necessary Evil" tour. How'd you get the name or what occurred to you with that?

DH: It's just, I thought it was something everybody could relate to.

J: Correct. "Necessary Evil". I like it a lot. It's got a little connotation to it.

DH: Of course.

J: I know in the pre-Blondie days you were in a band called the Stilettos, which I guess is a theatrical girly group?

DH: It was a trio, a girl trio.

J: Was it a stage show? I couldn't find much on it.

DH: No there was really nothing much happening with it, it was really early on. It was sort of like the pop version of the Dixie Chicks or something like that.

J: Okay

DH: We just worked locally in New York and never really- nothing really ever happened with it.

J: Now how old were you when you decided you know, 'I want to be a singer, I want to be on stage'?

DH: I was still a little girl.

J: Was there anybody you looked up to at that age that you said, "Aw I wanna be like her' or any thing or any girls that inspired you that way?

DH: I don't think it was any one particular one; it was just the whole idea in general.

J: Okay. I know you worked as a playboy bunny because I read that everywhere. Were there any other unusual jobs you have before that?

DH: No, not especially. I think I had a lot of different little jobs to you know, fill in and pay the rent and stuff. Whatever I could find, ya know?

J: That's pretty neat. Once you achieved your success with "Parallel Lines" did you - were you looking into the future with that? Did you put some money aside? Or did you live the good life while it was there? How did you handle it business wise?

DH: Well, I don't think we handled it very well, actually. We first somehow managed to stay in business, ya know. It is a funny business.

J: Yea. Do you still get - I don't know if this is too personal but - do you still get a residual or anything on songs like "One Way or Another" or whatever, that I still hear on the radio and I see in movies.

DH: Yea we still get our royalties and our authorship as the writers, so. . .

J: That's always good. Now you're in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Was there ever any doubt that you wouldn't make it?

DH: I didn't really think about it that much. I suppose it was a presence of time, actually.

J: What are your plans for after this tour? Going home to do a little relaxing?

DH: I hope so.

J: Where is your home these days?

DH: New York City.

J: New York City - your favorite place I imagine.

DH: Well that's where all my friends are, you know. Sometimes it seems like a harsh environment but the people are wonderful and there's a lot to do there. Everybody comes to New York at some point.

J: Yea we're up there occasionally.
I was supposed to see you on Friday, unfortunately I had car trouble so missed you at the Keswick in Philly. I'm very for that - I wanted to personally apologize.

DH: What happened?

J: My car - my starter went. So it didn't get fixed until the next day, but next time you're in the area, I'm definitely going to go up to see you.

DH: Well you missed a good show and there was even a fist fight.

J: Aww man, I always miss the good ones!

DH: Yea it was really funny. I don't know what they were getting mad at but they - this man and this woman - they really went at it.

J: Whoa that's pretty cool. Were they near the font where you could see them?

DH: Yea, they were right in front!

J: Oh well, I guess they add some spice to your day.

DH: Well not really. I mean, we were in the middle of a song and I had some guests on the show and I looked at my partner, I was doing a duet with Guy Furrow, I looked at him and he looked at me and "damn!" ya know.

J: I guess that can be distracting. Which makes me think of another question. Again, being the iconic, beautiful blond woman on the stage, what's been your strangest fan experience?

DH: Oh gee I don't know.

J: I bet you've had a lot.

DH: A lot, yea. It's hard to bring up one particular strange one.

J: okay

DH: Some very lovely things and some very sort of odd things.

J: Yea, I can imagine. Like I said, everything that I've known about you - you must have just such a fun life. Which is good, you can't ask for more than that.

DH: I think I've had my fair share of fun, but I also work very hard. The fortunate thing I think is that I really love what I do. I think that's a blessing. I think a lot of people in their lives don't do what they absolutely love to do.

J: I agree with you. I have two jobs and I love both of them. That does make a difference. My dad hated his job and he's not here anymore.

DH: Yep.

J: So, I don't want to take up too much more of your time. Are you gonna have naptime while your on the bus or are you up for the day?

DH: Well, I don't know. (chuckling)

J: Okay, I wanna thank you very much for your time. Have a great rest of your tour. And next time you're in the Philly area or even New York area I will definately try to come up and say "Hi".

DH: Okay

J: Thank you very much.

DH: Take care!

J: bye