Biography
Who is Debbie Harry?
Early life and real name
Debbie Harry was born Angela Trimble on July 1, 1945. She was born at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. Catherine and Richard Harry adopted her when she was three months old. They raised her in Hawthorne, New Jersey. Her parents later owned a gift shop in Cooperstown, New York.
She has Scottish ancestry. Her biological parents had the surnames Trimble and Mackenzie. She learned about her adoption at age four. In the late 1980s, she located her birth mother. This woman was a concert pianist but chose not to have a relationship with her daughter.
Education and early work
Debbie attended Hawthorne High School and graduated in 1963. Her peers voted her Best Looking. She earned an Associate of Arts degree from Centenary College in 1965. In the late 1960s, she moved to New York City.
She spent one year as a secretary at the BBC Radio office. She also worked as a waitress at Max's Kansas City. She was a go-go dancer in Union City, New Jersey. Also, she worked as a Playboy Bunny.
Success with Blondie
Her music career began as a backing singer for The Wind in the Willows. They released an album in 1968 on Capitol Records. In 1973, she joined a group called The Stillettoes. She met guitarist Chris Stein in this band.
In 1974, they formed a group called Angel and the Snake. They later changed the name to Blondie. The band released a self titled debut album in 1976. Parallel Lines came out in 1978 and became a global hit. The song Heart of Glass reached No. 1 in the US and UK.
Solo projects and acting
Debbie released her first solo album, KooKoo, in 1981. H.R. Giger created the cover art. It showed her face with metal skewers through it. The single Backfired reached No. 43 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 1981, she acted in the film Downtown 81. She played a bag lady in that movie. In 1980, she starred in Union City. She had a lead role in Videodrome in 1983. She released another solo album, Rockbird, in 1986.
Later years and awards
Blondie reunited in the late 1990s. They released the album No Exit in 1999. The Curse of Blondie followed in 2003. In 2011, the band released Panic of Girls. They put out Ghosts of Download in 2014. The 2017 album Pollinator reached number 4 in the UK.
Debbie is a member of the New Jersey Hall of Fame. In 1980, Andy Warhol took her portraits at the Factory. He made acrylic and silkscreen ink paintings of her. Chris Stein also took photos of the session.
Birthday and age
Debbie Harry was born on July 1, 1945, which makes Debbie 81 years old today. That birthday falls under the Cancer sign. Debbie shares the date with 68 other famous people.
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