'I was shy about performing, but had a tremendous drive, or need, to do it. I am not a natural performer.'
, an autobiography that blends interviews with archival material and fan art. As she prepared for the book’s October release this past summer, Harry got on the telephone with her friend, the photographer Cindy Sherman, to discuss how she became one of the most enduring voices in music, one way or another.DEBBIE HARRY: Great, I did a mini-tour that went well. The band sounds terrific.HARRY: I struggle because of my work schedule in the summer.
, who was Leonard Cohen’s biographer, but she had an accident in Tucson, Arizona, and seriously hurt her arm.HARRY: So we had to stop for a while, but then we got back into it, putting all the pieces together and filling it out. That’s the way to go if you’re not a writer. Sitting down to the dreaded blank page can be horrifying.HARRY: With lyrics, I have a basic idea, and then I write little phrases that fit with the music and encapsulate a feeling.
SHERMAN: I’ve heard that, too. But actors can get into character so they don’t have to reveal themselves. When you’re onstage, are you playing a character? I read on yourthat a lot of people thought you were called Blondie, or Debbie Blondie, so there was a sense that your stage persona was separate from you. Did you need that to get onstage in front of thousands of people?
HARRY: Back then it was probably more severe than it is today. I think men are a bit more cautious about their intentions or of expressing their lascivious nature. But also, I operated as a couple with Chris [Stein], so people were a bit more respectful because I was there with my partner. It wasn’t like I was this little chick walking into a studio or an office looking for a record deal. So I never really confronted that. And it has improved. I think it’s hormones and we’re animals.
HARRY: I think I grew into it. Anybody who starts a band imagines themselves playing arenas. In your mind, you just go right to the top. But it was a very gradual process. It’s a business. I’m sure it was the same for you.
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