Face It

A Memoir

By: Debbie Harry

Narrated by: Debbie Harry, Clem Burke, Gary Valentine, Alannah Currie, Chris Stein

Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's Summary

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.

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.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio on our desktop site.

©2019 Debbie Harry (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Delightful

As a fan of Blondie and Debbie Harry all my life, this tome is a real treat. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

Excellent

I’ve always loved Debbie Harry and was keen to get my hands on a copy of Face It. The audio version is all the more special as Debbie herself is the primary narrator. As such, I know it’s reliable, honest and heartfelt.
This isn’t a Blondie book. Inevitably the story of Blondie is included but it’s a fascinating narrative of the protagonist, sometimes funny, sometimes sad and sometimes even quite surprising (in both good and bad tunes).
Debbies life has massive highs and massive lows and they’re all included here.
I loved the book and hope in years to come we hear the succeeding volume.
Thanks Debbie for the music and the story.

singer yes, narrator no

unable to finish listening, Debbie Harry is a fabulous singer and icon but is not a great narrator she sounds bored with her own book.

Kaleidoscopic Memoir

Debbie Harry is unquestionably a massive cultural icon and her 'Blondie' persona is part Marilyn, part Barbie, part Punk and part Artist. This memoir is certainly a compelling listen but it is not a linear A - Z type of memoir; it is more fragmented and drawn from memory with all of the component parts thrown into the dizzying mix which makes for a fascinating, if not entirely revealing listen. In some cases Harry claims perfect recall such as her earliest memories as a three month old baby and in other cases events are glossed over or lost in the hallucinogenic mists of time. This is by her own account partly attributable to the absence of a diary and the desire for privacy butting heads with the need to reveal something as this is, after all, a memoir. So the mask slips a little when Harry wants it to but she's in control and knows that the best tease is always to leave the punters wanting more.

Debbie by Debbie

If you are a fan of Debbie Harry, as pretty much everybody of my age was, this was a thoroughly interesting listen.

A fantastic insight into the 1st Ladies of Rock.

I once spent a very drunken few hours with Ms Harry and it was an absolute privilege to sit with her drinking Champagne and then Vintage Port, putting the world to rights.
It was the summer she was staying with Alanah Currie in London and it simply just happened. The trouble is we drank a little too much and very little of possibly the most fascinating chat I have ever had remains in my memory.
I remember she was charming, friendly generous of spirt and disarmingly honest, a thing that I admire in anyone.
I never met her again, but often wonder what we talked about.
This book has given me a lovely insight into Debbie's life and times and hearing her tell itbin her own words brings a little of our encounter back to life.
A great biography, honest, witty and true.
Wear your heart on your sleeve and long may you continue to rock.
Andy.

debbie treat

loved it but love this lady so very biased great insight into this the icon who is debbie harry

She should have gotten a professional narrator!

I could not listen to this. It’s badly read and uncomfortable to listen to. So bad it’s difficult to follow the story! It needs to be re-recorded with professional readers so people can actually listen to and enjoy the story.

fabulous book. brilliant Debbie

I really enjoyed this book. it was such a great insight in her life. Debbie's voice is soft and soft spoken and I loved hearing about the scuzzy bits too.

Debbie 😍

Love Blondie, never realised things were quite so tough for her but she never gave up a lesson for us all to learn from, she’s beautiful thanks Deb.

Can’t wait to play it again!

Loved it, loved it, loved it. A fabulous genuine memoir.Debbie is a wonderful and amazing creature. I Also own the hardback but for her to tell it in audio with the addition of other influential music contributors, is such a treat.

I do hope She writes another.