About the Book
"I was saying things in songs that female singers didn't really say back then. I wasn't submissive or begging him to come back, I was kicking his ass, kicking him out, kicking my own ass too. My Blondie character was an inflatable doll but with a dark, provocative, aggressive side. I was playing it up yet I was very serious."--From Face It
BRAVE, BEAUTIFUL AND BORN TO BE PUNK
DEBBIE HARRY is a musician, actor, activist, and the iconic face of New York City cool. As the frontwoman of Blondie, she and the band forged a new sound that brought together the worlds of rock, punk, disco, reggae and hip-hop to create some of the most beloved pop songs of all time. As a muse, she collaborated with some of the boldest artists of the past four decades. The scope of Debbie Harry's impact on our culture has been matched only by her reticence to reveal her rich inner life--until now.
In an arresting mix of visceral, soulful storytelling and stunning visuals that includes never-before-seen photographs, bespoke illustrations and fan art installations, Face It upends the standard music memoir while delivering a truly prismatic portrait. With all the grit, grime, and glory recounted in intimate detail, Face It re-creates the downtown scene of 1970s New York City, where Blondie played alongside the Ramones, Television, Talking Heads, Iggy Pop and David Bowie.
Following her path from glorious commercial success to heroin addiction, the near-death of partner Chris Stein, a heart-wrenching bankruptcy, and Blondie's breakup as a band to her multifaceted acting career in more than thirty films, a stunning solo career and the triumphant return of her band, and her tireless advocacy for the environment and LGBTQ rights, Face It is a cinematic story of a woman who made her own path, and set the standard for a generation of artists who followed in her footsteps--a memoir as dynamic as its subject.
About the Author :
Debbie Harry is a singer and actress famous for leading Blondie, a new wave band known for their US #1 hits "Heart of Glass," "Call Me," "The Tide Is High," and "Rapture." With her musical know-how and mesmerizing aesthetics, she became a pop icon, influencing many female singers to come.
Debbie Harry is a singer and actress famous for leading Blondie, a new wave band known for their US #1 hits "Heart of Glass," "Call Me," "The Tide Is High," and "Rapture." With her musical know-how and mesmerizing aesthetics, she became a pop icon, influencing many female singers to come.
CHRIS STEIN is the co-founder, songwriter and guitarist of the iconic band Blondie. Chris' photographs have been featured in galleries and press around the world, and published in Negative: Me, Blondie, and the Advent of Punk (Rizzoli). Beyond his era-defining music with Blondie, he has collaborated with a host of artists over the years, including Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, William Burroughs, Devo, Glenn O'Brien, and Shepard Fairey. He lives in New York City.
Review :
"[An] insightful new memoir...At each dramatic turn--and there are plenty--she remains unflappable."
-- "Los Angeles Times"
"Here the musician becomes a narrator to regale us with stories of her unique life as the lead female singer of Blondie in the mid-to-late 1970s. Fans of the group will be delighted that this book is punctuated with cameos by her band members Clem Burke and Gary Valentine, who pepper the drug-filled escapades with their gruff sense of humor. Listeners who grew up listening to punk music will be riveted by this tell-all behind-the-scenes romp of Harry's colorful life. She holds nothing back as she shares with frank honesty the toll of fame, drugs, and financial ruin."
-- "AudioFile"
"One of the most esteemed musicians in history...writes about Blondie's rise in '70s New York City, her path to commercial success, overcoming addiction, and her career as an actress and activist."
-- "Bustle"
"Readers, both familiar and unfamiliar with Harry's career, will enjoy this memoir...She was a young woman who fell under the spell of New York and made herself into the performer she always knew she'd become, one who went on to cast her own spell on millions of listeners."
-- "Washington Post"
"Blondie fans will love its piquant atmospherics and the energy and honesty of Harry's take on her singular saga."
-- "Publishers Weekly"
