From the spit and sweat of the New York Punk scene to the glamour and polish of New Wave success, Debbie Harry has relentlessly maintained her invincible aura of cool. For the first time Blondie’s enigmatic frontwoman breaks her silence about her turbulent journey to global fame, sex symbol status and the depths of addiction and bankruptcy. A riveting portrait of a music icon.
As a musician, an actor, a muse, an icon, the breadth of Debbie Harry’s impact on our culture has been matched by her almost Sphinx-like reticence about her inner life. Through it all – while being acclaimed as one of the most beautiful women in the world, prized by a galaxy of leading photographers and fashion designers, beloved by legions of fans for her relentless, high-octane performances, selling 50 million albums or being painted by Andy Warhol – Debbie Harry has infused her perennial Blondie persona with a heady mix of raw sexuality and sophisticated punk cool.
In Face It, Debbie Harry invites us into the complexity of who she is and how her life and career have played out over the last seven decades. Upending the standard music memoir, with a cutting-edge style keeping with the distinctive qualities of her multi-disciplined artistry, Face It includes a thoughtful introduction by Chris Stein, rare personal photos, original illustrations, fan artwork installations and more.
Peppered with colourful characters, Face It features everyone from bands Blondie came up with on the 1970s music scene – The Ramones, Television, Talking Heads, Iggy Pop and David Bowie – to artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Marina Abramović and H.R. Giger of Alien fame. It explores her successful acting career (she has starred in over 30 film roles, including David Cronenberg’s Videodrome and John Waters’s Hairspray), her weekends with William S. Burroughs and her attempted abduction by serial killer Ted Bundy. Ranging from the hardscrabble grit and grime of the early New York City years to times of glorious commercial success, interrupted by a plunge into heroin addiction, the near-death of partner Chris Stein, a heart-wrenching bankruptcy and Blondie’s break-up as a band, an amazing solo career and then a stunning return with Blondie, this is a cinematic story of an artist who has always set her own path. Inspirational, entertaining, shocking, humorous and eye-opening, Face It is a memoir as dynamic as its subject.
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 9780008229443
Number of pages: 368
Weight: 400 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 32 mm
‘In this whirlwind tour of her life, Harry deploys an irreverent style well suited to her story. Her tales are intermixed with interludes that capture the eclectic and electric passion she has for the creative process. In a narrative that feels simultaneously heartfelt and spontaneous, Harry recounts close encounters with violence and harassment with the same immediacy as the moments that catapulted Blondie to worldwide fame. Readers will find reflection on life with a budding band and an uncensored view of what it took to succeed.’Kirkus ‘Blondie fans will love its piquant atmospherics and the energy and honesty of Harry’s take on her singular saga.’Entertainment Weekly ‘The ultimate rock’n’roll memoir’Sunday Times ‘A rollercoaster ride that music lovers will adore’Good Housekeeping ‘An entertaining reveal-all read’Woman & Home ‘Extra special’Red ‘[This] autobiography documents, brilliantly and brutally, the lawless, druggy streets of early 70s New York, living the hazy cosmic jive of the legendary downtown loft scene’Stylist ‘Harry offers a vivid portrait of a seedy, bohemian scene in late-60s New York… Engaging’Guardian ‘Face It: Debbie Harry’s cool and forthright memoir… The Blondie singer is a reluctant memoirist and what drove her to write this is unclear – but thank God she did’New Statesman ‘Intoxicating… This candid memoir is an absorbing read.’Daily Mirror, book of the week ‘Face It is a rollicking, riotous read, taking in Blondie’s ascent from gritty downtown New York to pop superstars to the band’s nosedive of heroin addiction, bankruptcy and break-up, and phoenix-like return to the top of the charts in 1999… a real page-turner… often jaw-dropping’NME ‘An astonishing memoir’The i ‘Debbie has us in raptures … Its tone is matter-of-fact, honest, self-aware and often humorous’Daily Express ‘An eye-opening memoir’The Times
Debbie Harry is Blondie. Right? Wrong!
Debbie writes at the start of this gorgeous memoir by saying that people only ever tend to remember the bad times in their life rather than the good but what if there weren’t...
More
Well can I start off by saying how gorgeous this book is! The art work throughout this book is stunning and the quality of the book is second to none. A very open and honest book from start to finish. With plenty... More
As a lifelong fan of Debbie Harry and Blondie, I was so excited when I heard about the book and it was top of my Christmas list. However, it has been rather a let down. The book jumps about from one thing and time to... More
Please sign in to write a review
Would you like to proceed to the App store to download the Waterstones App?