Debbie Harry has never described hitting “rock bottom,” but she’s been candid about facing one of the most difficult chapters of her career after Blondie’s original run came to an end in the 1980s.
“I don’t really know if I feel like I’ve had a worst phase,” the legendary frontwoman reflected to Vice in a 2017 resurfaced interview. “I mean, there’s been worst times… I guess there was a time in the second half of the 80s that was pretty awful.”
That low point coincided with multiple personal and professional crises. “It mostly had to do with when the band broke up, when Chris [Stein] was sick, when the IRS took the house. I mean, everything just went ‘Braah!’ That was pretty awful. But I guess I just wiggled through. And I really love Chris, and that was important, you know. I couldn’t have walked away from the situation.”
Blondie rose to fame in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s with chart-toppers like “Heart of Glass,” “Call Me” and “Rapture.” Their success made Harry a household name, but by 1982, the band had called it quits.
While fans speculated about what caused the split, Harry has always pointed to a combination of burnout and bad business.
“It was a madhouse,” Harry recalled in a 1993 interview with Q. “We didn’t take any vacations and that was the big mistake. Whenever we read bad reviews, we’d have these tremendous fist fights and everybody would be really freaked out and pissed off with everybody else for being jerks. It was like punching up your brothers, a family feud thing.”
Still, despite the hardships, and even turning down iconic roles, including one in Blade Runner due to label obligations, Harry continued pushing forward.
In 1997, Blondie officially reunited with four original members and eventually released No Exit, featuring the No. 1 hit single “Maria.” The band has since dropped multiple albums, while Harry has also released solo work.
Fans waiting for new music won’t have to wait too much longer. Blondie recently announced in a press release on their official website that their new album, High Noon, is set for release in spring 2026.
High Noon will be the beloved band’s first studio album since 2017’s Pollinator, marking a major return after nearly a decade.
The band has been quietly working behind the scenes. In July, founding guitarist Chris Steinshared a photo of Harry with Grammy-winning producer John Congleton, confirming he produced the new record.
Stein also confirmed on X that late drummer Clem Burke performed on the entire album. Burke, a founding member of Blondie, passed away from cancer in April 2025 at the age of 70.
His final performances will no doubt make High Noon an emotional release for longtime fans — and a fitting tribute to one of punk’s greatest drummers.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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