Deborah Harry

by Cathay Che

Book Overview

The first biography of the great female pop icon. Deborah Harry, who became one of the biggest stars of the eighties with her sensationally popular band Blondie, has returned to the spotlight with the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0880642181
• ISBN13: 9780880642187
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Fromm International
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A must have for Deborah Harry and Blondie fans

Cathay Che wrote this biography from a series of interviews with Deborah Harry. It was first published in the UK as "Platinum Blonde". It provides insights into the life of Deborah Harry, the history of Blondie, and more information than in other biographies or band books. But, I am biased: I contributed to writing the book. When Cathay Che wanted a complete discography, she inquired and was referred to me, as I have the most complete collection of Deborah Harry/Blondie recordings in the US.

Good bio

Other reviewers have written about the book, I shall just say this is a decent book, and Blondie fans will like it.

Golden "Blonde"

Before Gwen Stefani, Madonna and Courtney Love, the original and premier rock blonde of the world was Deborah Harry. So it's a given that she would be adored as an icon of rock, punk and pop music -- but does Cathay Che have to adore her quite so much? "Platinum Blonde" is a useful, interesting look at the life and work of Debbie Harry -- adopted at three months into the New Jersey Harry family, Debbie later went on to the legendary Max's Kansas City, and then to become the frontwoman of the hit punk band called Blondie. (Contrary to legend, SHE is not Blondie herself) Later, when the band broke up, Debbie embarked on a solid solo career as a singer and actress. Biographies are always a lot better when the subject goes along with it, or even helps. Debbie Harry did both, and that means that the details are plentiful and the background is as well-researched as it possibly can be. In addition, Che has some very exclusive interviews with Harry and her bandmate Chris Stein. These interviews are intelligent, insightful, and give a great deal of insight into Harry, her career, and her band, and are without a doubt the best part of the book. What is more, the book has a great deal of other input on Harry and Co., most of which add to the overall "feel" of the book. (Except for one mildly icky story about a photographer getting a naughty glimpse in one of his photos). And Che has a great deal of enthusiasm for her subject, and the impact Blondie and Harry had on the world. The main problem is Che's rosy lenses -- it's understandable that a fan would get a bit adoring of Harry, especially after interviewing her in person for this. However, it gets a bit tiresome to be told repeatedly what a great band Blondie was, and what a flawlessly amazing human being Debbie Harry is, and so on and so forth. I adore Harry too, yet not quite that much. However, Che's excellent research and solid writing make up somewhat for the gushy tone; most die-hard fans can't write anywhere near this well. "Platinum Blonde" has one major flaw, but is otherwise an excellent biography of one of rock's first ladies.

Complimentary portrait of Deborah Harry

Cathy Che's book traces Harry's life from her birth in New Jersey to her becoming drummer and vocalist in the psychedelic group Wind In The Willows, singing with the Stilettoes, to Blondie, and beyond. However, she divides the book thematically, such as Harry as a movie actress, Harry's influence on music after Blondie's departure from the music scene, as an icon for gays, and on fashion. All this leads up to the Blondie reunion, which yielded the No Exit album and the accompanying tour.The coverage of the CBGB's scene and the onset of Blondiemania is done well, and certain movie roles, i.e. Videodrome, Heavy, and Hairspray, have added detail, as they were starring roles for her.The key content of the book are the series of interviews with Deborah Harry and the one with Chris Stein. Che does reveal at the outset that Harry despises idiotic questions like "how does it feel to be a sex symbol?" And that good manners and intelligent questions are a prerequisite to have a successful and interesting interview with her. Her answers are honest, open, with a twist of humour every now and then. However, what struck me was her belief that her accomplishments wasn't worth a full book. Even Chris Stein thinks Harry doesn't realize the influence she has had on pop culture, which is bringing the "movie starlet sensibility into rock."What's important to emphasize, as Che does is that Blondie is all five members of the group, i.e. Harry, Stein, Clem Burke, Jimmie Destri, Gary Valentine, and as may have been apparent, Blondie became solely equated with Deborah Harry, an inaccuracy on one hand, but that's something that Chris Leeds, Blondie's manager from 77-79, fervently argues, that the men were "backing up this particularly beautiful woman." Leeds is portrayed as a controlling force and someone who had what it took to push Blondie in the spotlight, and he isn't portrayed too flatteringly here, perhaps justifiably so, as a clause in the exit contract gave him 20% royalties.Another way to put it was 'Blondie' as Harry's onstage persona, a 70's Jean Harlow or Marilyn Monroe. As Harry said, "The initial idea was to be desirable, feminine, and vulnerable, but a resilient, tenacious wit at the same time." "For this reason, technically Deborah Harry both is and isn't Blondie." I can go for that.The brief commentary by those influenced by her include Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo, Fred Schneider of the B-52's, whose new track "Debbie" on their Future Generation greatest hits is a nod to Ms. harry, Michael Stipe of REM, and Theo Kogan of the Lunachicks is quite rewarding to read. And Che also mentions Madonna, whose fiery independent, self-assured image was surely taken from Deborah Harry.There is a series of photographs, including Andy Warhol's wonderful silk-screen portrait, a very interesting surreal painting by Robert Williams, and the usual bunch of photos.Warm, accessible, and generous is how Che portrays Harry in this book, but Evelyn McDonnell's final wo

A "must" for all Blondie fans!

This biographical sketch of the leader of Blondie traces both her personal life and stage personality, from her punk roots to her influences on film and fashion. This provides an excellent focus on Harry's life and times and considers the world in which she was born, raised, and influenced. Essential for any fan of Blondie or Harry.