A few days before I was scheduled to leave on vacation for Quebec City, I found out Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of Blondie fame were doing a book signing at Bookmarc (400 Bleecker St) in New York City. It wasn’t the most convenient but there was no way in hell I was missing an opportunity to meet Debbie Harry. I arrived two hours before the 3PM start time to claim my spot in line on the thankfully shaded sidewalk.
The line was already thirty or so deep, I was between a friendly guy who smiled while on his iPad and a professional autograph collector camping out on his stool with merch to get signed and sell. For the next two hours, the collector held court with his minions, comparing notes on celebs they needed to meet and score autographs from. They shit-talked other collectors ahead of us with garbage bags full of merch who’d take up valuable time because they had “too much stuff”. He was quite the hypocrite, when later, his overflowing bag crashed and spilled open all over the sidewalk.
Finally, an employee announced, only books would be signed. Anyone with bags would have to leave them outside with security. Creating moaning and concerns about merch safety. There was also outrage when those who brought books from elsewhere cut the line, instead of those who were in line to buy books. That was odd but I was close to the front of the line so it didn’t impact me, but felt bad for fans who didn’t get in before the store closed. I purchased Debbie’s autobiography “Face It”, handed a staff member my phone for a pic and got to thank Debbie and Chris for coming and all the years of music.
I read “Face It” on the train home, it traveled with me to Quebec and was finished before I got home. I couldn’t put it down. In my gay opinion, Debbie comes across as incredibly honest, sex-positive and doesn’t hide her flaws. She owns up to everything from drug use to sexual partners and financial struggles to plastic surgery. While sharing stories of New York City’s seedier days during the birth of punk and the influencers from that era, giving a shout out to David Bowie’s penis, confirming rumors, of his well-endowment.
I’m a fan of Blondie’s hits but didn’t know half of the band’s history, so it was enlightening and made me an even bigger fan. To me, Debbie’s the personification of the tough punk chick who paved her way in a male-dominated industry. “Face It” confirms that. It also gave me an appreciation for Chris Stein and I’m glad I got to meet him also.
Debbie has always been in the background of so many of my personal memories. Listening to “The Tide Is High” on my boombox as I shared mashed potatoes with my parakeet Tiger as he bopped his head to the beat. Rushing to the local casino after work to catch Blondie in concert, the one and only time I was lucky enough to see them live. One of the first dates with my partner to see Debbie co-star in the movie “My Life Without Me” at an old-school indie theater with it’s rising velvet curtain.
The most personal and meaningful memory was meeting my partner’s mother for the first time when she was in the hospital. The first thing she asked us when we entered her room (and every visit for years after) was “How do I look?” My partner told her she looked “fine” and she rolled her eyes (also a common occurrence every visit) because that wasn’t good enough. She turned to me for a better response. I wanted to impress. “You look like Debbie Harry from Blondie!” Being unfamiliar with Debbie, she demanded my partner pull up a pic on his phone, hospital rules banning cellphone use be damned. Once she saw Debbie, she accepted the compliment as it was intended, and it endeared me to her. She passed away earlier this year and being a big believer in needing to live life more fully for those who have passed, I felt I needed to meet Debbie for myself and for her. So, meeting Debbie was like visiting with Nancy one more time.
