Going blonde ‘I was 15
when I dyed my hair platinum. I felt
drawn to Marilyn Monroe. She had
a big effect on women and was such
a magnetic character. Having come
up through the era of misogyny, I felt
she had been misunderstood and
undervalued. That meant something
to me in my innocence. As far as
becoming the ‘Blondie’ character,
I think it helped me as a performer
to disengage from any frailties and
embody a women I admire.’Moving to the city ‘My dream was to live in
New York City and become a beatnik. I was commuting to
my job on Fifth Avenue from New Jersey, and I hated it. My
boss was a nice Ukrainian woman. I told her: “I’m looking
for an apartment, but I can’t afford it.” She said, “Haven’t
you heard of the Lower East Side?” I ended up on St Marks
Place [in Manhattan’s East Village]; my rent was $64 a
month in 1965. It was an exciting period, a creative mecca.
Poets like Allen Ginsberg and Gregory Corso walked
around. And, of course, Andy Warhol was a big presence.’ELLEPlaySearching for roots
‘I was always curious to find my
biological parents. When I was
told [I was adopted] at age four,
I was surprised, but I didn’t think
on it. Then it became a part of my
conscience, but the laws forbade
any connection. Recently the laws
changed – I thought, ‘I’m not getting
younger and if I don’t initiate some
kind of discovery, I’ll never know’.
So, I reached out. I was born out
of wedlock. Basically, I was a lust
child. There was some resentment.
Sometimes you have to hold onto this
hardness, as it’s the easiest way out.’Sharing her stories
‘I still love doing music. I think the most memorable thing is when
[a fan] says, “Oh gosh, your music helped me get through a rough
patch.” And I think,Oh sh*t, that happens to me when I listen to
The Velvet Underground. It’s all about the music for me. I’m not
really super public, so writing this book [Face It] has been a little
bit revealing for me. I guess I come from a different era. But I’m
getting used to the idea that I can live with my past as the person
that I am now. Perhaps I do have a lot of stories to tell, after all.’MUSIC LEGENDS
Debbie Harry
with longtime
friend Joan Jett
in 1977QUEENS OF PUNK
Siouxsie Sioux,
Viv Albertine,
Debbie Harry,
Pauline Black, Poly
Styrene and Chrissie
Hynde in 1980FAMOUS FRIENDS
From left: Paloma Picasso,
Truman Capote, Debbie Harry,
Andy Warhol, Jerry Hall and
Bob Colacello in 19781O6