page_title: Debbie Harry
section_title: 1966–1975: Early projects; formation of Blondie
hierarchical_section_title: Debbie Harry / Life and career / 1966–1975: Early projects; formation of Blondie
caption_attribution_description: Blondie (Debbie Harry)
context_page_description: Deborah Ann Harry is an American singer, songwriter and actress, known as the lead singer of the band Blondie. Her recordings with the band reached number one in the U.S. and UK charts on many occasions from 1979 to 2017.
  Born in Miami, Florida, Harry was adopted as an infant and raised in Hawthorne, New Jersey. After attending college, she worked various jobs, including as a secretary, dancer, and Playboy Bunny, before breaking through in the music industry. Harry co-formed Blondie in 1974 in New York City. The band released their eponymous debut album in 1976, and released a further three albums between then and 1979, including Parallel Lines, which spawned six singles, including "Heart of Glass". Their fifth record, Autoamerican, afforded Harry and the band further attention, spawning such hits as a cover of "The Tide Is High", and "Rapture", the latter of which is considered the first rap song to chart at number one in the United States.
  In 1981, Harry released her debut solo album, KooKoo, and, during a hiatus of Blondie, embarked on an acting career, appearing in lead roles in the neo-noir Union City and in David Cronenberg's body horror film Videodrome.
context_section_description: In the late 1960s, Harry began her musical career as a backing singer for the folk rock group The Wind in the Willows, which released an eponymous album in 1968 on Capitol Records.
  In 1974, Harry joined the Stilettoes with Elda Gentile and Amanda Jones. Shortly thereafter, the band added guitarist Chris Stein, who became her boyfriend. In her memoir, Face It, Harry describes having been raped at knifepoint during a burglary of the home she shared with Stein.
  After leaving the Stilettoes, Harry and Stein formed Angel and the Snake with Tish Bellomo and Snooky Bellomo. Shortly thereafter, Harry and Stein formed Blondie, named after the catcall men often directed at Harry after she bleached her hair blonde. The band quickly became regulars at Max's Kansas City and CBGB in New York City.
caption: Harry performing with Blondie in Toronto, 1977
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