Face It: A Memoir

Written by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein

Narrated by Debbie Harry and Clem Burke

Featuring exclusive additional content and guest contributions from Chris Stein and Clem Burke.

‘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.’

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 front-woman 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 recreates 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 break-up 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9780008229467

Debbie Harry

DEBBIE HARRY with Blondie has sold millions of albums worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Harry had the pleasure of acting in some of the most interesting independent films of the last twenty years. She is devoted to environmental issues such as clean water and saving pollinators as well as the promotion of the LGBTQ community and human rights.

Reviews for Face It

[mooingzelda · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm a huge Blondie fan, so I was really looking forward to reading Face It. Debbie Harry is known for being a rather private person, so I didn't know a lot about her before I started the book. The memoir is chronological and starts with her childhood, first with the mother who put her up for adoption when she was only a few months old, then with her adopted parents. I liked this section as I felt I did get to know her a bit as a (young!) person. The book progresses through her college years and the various jobs she held down in New York before deciding to go into music. There are a lot of name-dropping anecdotes here, as you might expect, as well as some harrowing stories. The focus on Harry as a person definitely shrinks at this point; it's more on the goings-on with Blondie and their circle of eclectic friends. She briefly recounts being raped, but she shrugs it off and says the rapist stealing the band's equipment from her and Chris Stein's apartment was worse. I find this hard to believe, but I suppose we'll never know her exact feelings about it, because she won't divulge them.There's a similar shrugging off when she recounts her split with Stein. This is obviously a momentous event that would devastate anyone in such a long and close relationship, but again, we only get the odd flash of her feelings about it throughout the book.I did enjoy Face It overall - the informal tone makes for easy reading, and I loved reading about New York and the punk scene in the 70s and 80s, as well as about how some of my favourite records were made. But while I feel like I know a bit more about Harry than I did before, she definitely remains at a distance emotionally.

[Andrew Farnsworth · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Warts and all biography by the High Priestess of Punk. From the after war year of small town USA of white picket fences, to the seedy bankrupt New York and then on to world domination with Blondie this a great autobiography, well told by the narrator.

[Mary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved the honesty and self-reflections in this book. It was wonderful to find out what such a strong musical presence in the western world thinks and muses upon. This is an extremely memorable book. I highly recommend this book. Thank you so much, Debbie, for writing it and narrating it.

[Helle Julin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very matter of factly, which I like. Also a vivid recollection of 1970’ies NYC. A female punk pioneer tells her story.

[Alice Gyllenkrok · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It’s strange to read an autobiography by someone who is very guarded and very matter of fact. She’s honest but not very introspective, which makes it quite one-note. I’d say it’s only worth listening to if you’re a die hard fan.

[CRAIG LLOYD · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Authentic, a little dishevelled and raw, it's a fascinating read (listen).

[ridgewaygirl · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It turns out that heroin use is not a good way to build memories. Debbie Harry's memoir, is hampered by this fact as well as her unwillingness to say anything bad about anyone, tell juicy stories or get personal. She's lead an interesting life, what with being a part of the punk/new wave music scene, hanging out and performing at CGBG, a legendary music club in the seventies and eighties, with people like Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and assorted drag queens and musicians, being part of Blondie and touring the world and acting in movies like Hairspray and Videodrome. I just wish there hadn't been so much missing from her memoir.The book itself is a lovely object. The paper is the kind of thick, matte paper that photographs look good on and there are pictures. Mostly, there is fan art; drawings of Harry sent to her through the years and which she kept. It's a nice, surprisingly sentimental touch from a woman intent in making sure we all know how tough she is (she is very tough, and had to be). There's a lot of name-dropping, but not much in the way of stories. Harry isn't going to say anything bad about anyone and anyway she doesn't remember much of the early CGBG days, has only nice things to say about most of the members of Blondie (there's a bit about two former members behaving badly in 2006) and she's too guarded to say anything about how she felt about any of it along the way.I'm sure that people who loved Blondie will enjoy this, but it's dull stuff.

[mstrust · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The autobiography by Harry and rock journalist Sylvie Simmons. If you're a Blondie fan, as I have been since elementary school, you'll love this. Harry's childhood, discussions about her adoption, and growing up in the 50's and then the hippie era. She talks about spending years trying out this and that, looking for something that made her happy while knowing she didn't want to get married and be normal. Harry's natural weirdness comes through even when she isn't talking about music, something that I find endearing.She discusses meeting Chris Stein, her Blondie co-founder, co-writer and longtime boyfriend, Blondie bandmates, the infamous Hall of Fame induction and the managers who ripped them off, along with discussing the tours and meeting lots of famous people, and the start of punk at CBGB's. She is candid about drug use and rape, and her looks and aging.This is a heavy book, both because Harry has a lot to say and because it's made with heavy cardstock. It's really heavy. There are photos, of course, but not an excessive amount, and probably even more drawings of Harry from fans that she's saved over the years. I would have given this 5 stars if not for the still unanswered questions about the band's fracturing.

[adonisguilfoyle · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm not sure why I wanted to read Debbie Harry's memoirs - I like Blondie's hits, and Maria was lodged firmly in my brain while reading, but I'm not really a fan. Face It hasn't changed my mind, either - Debbie is gorgeous ('Luckily, the face I was born with has been a huge asset and I have to admit I like being a pretty person') and Blondie were actually more successful than I realised - although I've never thought of them as 'punk' - but there's nothing new here. Wannabe singer/artist living in the right city at the right time forms a trendy band, makes some bad choices, hits the big time, the band breaks up, some personal and emotional angst, bit of acting on the side, name dropping, band makes a come back. That's it, that's Debbie Harry and Blondie. And every other band ever.Debbie tells her story in a very friendly, forthright and 'kooky' style, however - the last chapter is some stream of consciousness tangent on thumbs ('I thought a little bit of levity might be a good way to end my somewhat morose memoir, hence all this thumb business') - and there are a couple of interesting chapters. She was adopted and tried to find out about her birth parents, she was once raped, and also claims to have been picked up by Ted Bundy ('My story has been debunked since, because Bundy is said to have been in Florida at that time and not NYC'), for instance. Also, I was mostly motivated to learn about her relationship with Blondie guitarist Chris Stein, who she nursed through a particularly nasty illness (pemphigus vulgaris), which she talks about. They split up, and he's married with a family, but they're still good friends.Debbie's crazy narrative is interspersed with photographs and artwork from fans, mostly of Debbie herself, hence the title. Recommended for fans of Blondie, obviously, otherwise wait until the price drops, like I did, or borrow a copy.

[norinrad10 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'll admit I've got a weakness for musician biographies. I read them voraciously. I'm also a disciple of New York punk rock. Choosing to read Deborah Harry's new memoir should have been a no-brainer. Yet I approached it with trepidation. That was a mistake. The book is phenomenal. Sure it's got it's salacious stories but more than that it captures a spirit and a period of time where the value of art stood on it own and not as a tool to attract more likes, followers, or memes. A time people didn't leave the garage after the first band rehearsal looking for a manager, agent, and videographer. A time when the journey truly was as important as the end result. I'm very glad I got over my initial trepidation with this book and allowed Harry to share her tale with me. I'd recommend that you do the same.