A Baddie in a Barbie World

There was once a shy and dreamy child with strawberry blonde hair and a moon shaped face. She was adopted by a couple who brought her home to a small New Jersey borough. They gave her a new name that would one day became iconic in the punk rock and new wave scene.

They called her Debbie Harry.

For as long as she could remember, Debbie dreamed of being on stage. She loved visiting the film cinema where it cost a quarter to go to Saturday matinees. Admiring the talented women on screen, she dyed her hair platinum Blonde with a bottle of peroxide to look just like Marilyn Monroe. 

Debbie was a natural born star. She wasn’t shy when she sang. She had a strong voice, wild ideas, and a beautiful mind. More than anything, she hated when people only talked about her physical appearance. 

Growing up, she often paid $1 to ride a bus into NYC to spend all day in Greenwich village where she was enamored by the art and music. After junior college, Debbie moved to NYC where she rented an unfinished warehouse apartment for $67. 

She began waitressing at Max’s Kansas City to meet bands. She didn’t mind serving steak and cocktails to the rich and famous— she knew that one day, she would become them.

In the late 60’s, Debbie joined a band called The Wind in the Willows as a backup singer but quit soon after because she wanted to be more than a “pretty decoration.” She worked jobs that allowed her to meet musicians and perform small gigs as often as possible. 

Finally her grit paid off. She was a girl in a boys club, pushing her way through a male dominated industry to create a name and space for herself. 

Debbie became the subject and muse of artists like Andy Warhol, Robert Mapplethorpe and Chris Stein. All of her unique, punk- couture outfits and styles came from second-hand shops. She scoured New York City’s thrift stores for garments she could cut up and stitch to create rock pinup outfits before shows and photo shoots.

Debbie fought for creative freedom during a time when women were groupies, not leading their own bands. She didn’t follow trends, she invented them. Her best work came from a place of being unapologetically herself. Debbie Harry is an artist, singer, songwriter, actress, founder and lead singer of the band BLONDIE. 

This month she celebrated her 78th birthday. As for the music, Debbie is addicted to it. She still writes and performs with songs that have repeatedly hit No. 1 in the US and UK charts for the past four decades.

Celebrate Debbie Harry with the Punk is Coming tee or onesie from The Lady Rocker’s Collection.

“I was saying things in songs that female singers didn’t really say back then.”

— DEBBIE HARRY

Previous
Previous

Once Upon a Purple Summer

Next
Next

The Witch Who Broke up the Beatles