Who is Deborah Harry

Like many, my first exposure to Debbie Harry came through the edgy pop hits that Blondie produced in the 1980s. Songs like Call Me, Heart of Glass, and The Tide Is High displayed her powerful voice and musical abilities, along with the willingness of the band to explore various sounds. Naturally, I was curious to hear more.

What I discovered was not only catchy pop tunes but a dedication to making music that wasn't easily pigeon-holed into a genre. Blondie released its first album in 1976, filled with punk-influenced songs that combined anger and humor. My favorite from that self-titled album is The Attack of the Giant Ants, although the group's first hit was X-Offender (from which the band was forced to remove the beginning "Se" to get radio play).

The band combined sounds from punk, disco, 80s New Wave, and rock to make a distinctive sound, helped by Debbie Harry's distinctive voice. Her growing reputation (fostered by her first solo album released in 1981), the illness of one of the band members, and increasing pressure to record pop tunes without the edge of their best earlier hits caused Blondie to break up in 1982, although the re-formed after 15 years and found new, if short-lived, success. They left behind a string of hits, like One Way or Another, that showcased the possibilities in an era of change in popular music.

Debbie Harry's first solo release, "Koo Koo", came in 1981, while on hiatus from Blondie. She's since released four other solo albums, including 2007's "Necessary Evil", and a string of singles and collaborations like 2008's Fit Right In (which you can enjoy on Debbie Harry's MySpace page) and work with Moby, Elvis Costello, and the Talking Heads, among others.

With the relatively innocuous Strike Me Pink, from her 1993 album "Debravation", Deborah Harry generated controversy by including some disturbing images in the music video. Despite the notoriety, Ms. Harry found more success overseas than in the US. This did not discourage her from touring and recording, however, and the many albums, projects, and inventions have led to new sounds and influenced many musicians over the years.

She spent four years, from 1994 to 1998, traveling with The Jazz Passengers. Tracks from the albums in those years are difficult to find on-line, but well worth the trouble to track down. The improvisational jazz group gave Debbie Harry a whole new vocal avenue to explore. The 1996 album "Individually Twisted" offered such greats as Porkchop and the Elvis Costello dues Don'cha Go 'Way Mad.

Between musical adventures, Deborah Harry appeared on Broadway, in films, and on television, as well as acting as an advocate for gay rights and AIDS research. She recorded Cole Porter's Well Did You Evah with legend Iggy Pop for the "Red, Hot, + Blue" album in 1989. She currently lends her celebrity to the MAC AIDS fund, which sells cosmetics, the profits from which are all donated to AIDS research.