"Blondie" keyboardist sings new tune as drug counselor at NYC's Carnegie Hill Institute
It's been a long strange trip for founding member and hit songwriter Jimmy Destri of seminal mega-pop group Blondie. Destri, originator of the band's unique punk-pop synth sound and writer/lyricist of half of the band's catalog -- including three of the band's seven #1 hits, "Atomic", "Picture This" and the group's meteoric 1999 comeback song "Maria" -- and a 25 year drug addict, is now clean, sober and using his talents to cure other addicts.
Destri, last seen publicly at Blondie's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2006 and coming off an especially deadly 5 year, thousand dollar-a-day cocaine run, says he was "below rock-bottom; I was the walking dead, thinking there was truly no way out."
"I had been to three costly, prominent rehab facilities, various in-treatment programs and had spent hundred of thousand dollars, but nothing could reach me."
It wasn't until he went to went to his last program, a decidedly un-glamorous hole in the wall in the icy north that he was able to start putting the pieces together.
"For the first time ever, I was given an alternative way to get sober that didn't include having to submit to a "Higher Power" and it just hit me like a kick in the teeth. Once clean I knew that I wanted to dedicate myself to helping others in the same boat; the dead enders who've tried everything else."
For the past several years, Destri has focused exclusively on getting his Credential Alcohol and Drug Counselor certificate (C.A.S.A.C.), an intensive psychodynamic accredited course leading to a medical professional license, and working full time at New York City's Carnegie Hill Institute, a renowned drug and alcohol treatment facility run by psychiatrist Harvey Karcus and in business for over 30 years.
According to Dr. Karcus, "Jimmy is one of the best counselors we've ever had and has a true gift for caring and teaching others."
"At first we thought he'd have ego problems given his past success and fame, so we gave him the 6 am shift to test him out; to see if he was serious about working here. Jimmy showed up everyday at 5:30 am. He moved up really fast and now runs the most popular groups. Not surprisingly his group for musicians struggling to get back to writing and playing sober is S.R.O."
When asked if Destri missed touring and playing with Blondie, he insists that he is finding his new career path extremely fulfilling. "Besides, we have several patients that I know and played with from the old days", he says.
"In a strange way, I still feel connected and hear about what's going on in that world all the time. Plus, I still write music and there is some talk about doing another Blondie album. I hope it comes to pass but in between you'll find me back, counseling, at Carnegie Hill."
back to work yesterday, we ARE in fact beginning work on a new recording, more later...
so yesterday i was perusing the stuff out there (here) in cyber land, i just wrote 'Obama' into google to see what popped up and lo i was confronted by just insane racist rants given credibility i suppose by appearing as they do in 'forbes' and to the 'mail on line'... see i didnt realize at first that i was dealing with the 'daily mail' and that these two strange reports; one entitled "Obama the divider" and the other "say goodbye to the United States" (really) were the product of British not American crazy racists... ah! the light dawns, i guess the overt racism of various British peers of the realm is less understated and just plain out there than there counterparts over here... i guess you in the UK are used to this stuff, that is the more direct comments made by lunatics in the media, here its usually been unstated the way the opposition in the campaign used the word 'terrorist' as racial code... the 'say goodbye' piece was penned by one Peter Hitchens... he reports that the United States is now on its way to becoming the 'third world' nation that the UK already is, though he doesnt spell it out we must presume that his vision of the UK as third world is the result of the 'fuzzie wuzzies' and 'coloreds' who have come to his shores... he does go on to report anecdotally about his being in Washington DC on election day and that while he noted a few whites celebrating "among the Mexicans, Salvadorans and the other Third World nationalities, there was something like ecstasy." of course again we are to presume that this is a terrible thing... you get the idea... so i was real fucking pissed off for a day or so then wow! i am feeling defensive about the US government!
whats gonna happen next? a really interesting week
the final weeks that lead up to the election were steeped in a weird tension that was new for me in relation to the world of politics... i dont recall previously being so deeply involved with the outcome of any political event... i have mentioned watching the last election night four years ago from a hotel room in Lima Peru and feeling disgusted with the results but this time along with many others i was really caught up in the whole thing; daily looking at the polls on 'realclearpolitics.com' while engaging in endless discussions etc etc
so i was very relieved by what went down... many things that i hadnt thought of came to the surface not the least of which was that should 'our side' not prevail there might be a lot more therapy needed than for those on the 'other side'
happily this wasn't the case
we dont have a TV mostly cause of the kids and i absorbed all my election media from the internet... lots of time looking at clips on YouTube... after a while it hit me that every time someone posted some awful comment, raving about niggers and terrorists that this was being viewed by the whole world... this is part of the image of the US in the eyes of the world... all the stupid racism and negativity; and then the very people who are putting this stuff out there are the ones who are saying "why do they hate us!??"
in relation to the election there were more emotional moments for me than i can count... i will always remember watching the Chicago speech while sitting on the floor with Barbara in front of the computer... the kids were both aware of what was going on to varying degrees; Vali is just three so she only got a bit of it but Akira really understood at least that we were hoping that this Obama guy was going to be the next president... and a great deal of my seeing things though the kids eyes made for even more heavy emotions; while discussing all of the ramifications of the win Akira asked "what are slaves?" after hearing us use the word, how then does one explain this to a little kid who barely knows what a 'war' is?
really for the first time in years i feel like its not fifty fifty in the balance of the dark and light sides any more... for so long now so many of us have been living in this anti-government mode that its become second nature... those of us that were teenagers in the sixties had a taste of what was possible, what could be; all that togetherness, it was such a brief thing... i always wonder where it went, what happened to make that huge positive outpouring turn negative... now overnight there's a return, this is a lot what it felt like back then... this is the first that is a real counter to 9-11, an exorcism of that event maybe
so thanks to all of you who helped make this happen...i know that i am going to keep up my interest in what happens with Obama and the new government, maybe things are gonna lighten up now, it would be really nice for all of us...
dont forget terrorism doesnt work on people who aren't afraid
"Fall Out Boy have admitted they were 'honoured' to work with Elvis Costello and Debbie Harry on their new album. The emo rockers roped in the legendary singers along with Lil Wayne, Panic At The Disco's Brendon Urie and Gym Class Heroes singer Travis McCoy for their fifth record Folie a Deux. Singer Patrick Stump said: 'To say I'm influenced by Elvis Costello is a gross understatement. To have him on this record was just a real honour.' He went on: 'Debbie Harry's song came together very naturally. She's amazing and she just added so much authority to the song.'"
all of the members of the band have discussed the upcoming election at length and all of us feel to one degree or another that Obama should be the next president... as a result and because a lot of us are following the election closely we decided to put it right out there... thus far i have gotten one mean spirited e-mail about the endorsement on the front of the site... i read most of it but when i got to the part about Obama's campaign being so filled with hate and negativity i just hit delete... i cant remember much else of it... so feel free to write whatever but i wont read anything too cranky... in the past i have gotten messages that were more about my shutting up about politics and stick to guitar playing etc... but we are in this time of immediacy and when i was younger i would have wanted to know what people i was a fan of were thinking about all sorts of stuff... beyond that you can imagine what i think about people telling me not to speak my mind anyway
again i wish the election was over... today i was pleased and a bit surprised to see Newt Gingrich, George Will and others speaking positively of Obama and his chances... the topic was Colin Powell's endorsement of which Gingrich is quoted: "What that just did in one sound bite... is it eliminated the experience argument"
so speaking of Powell and what he said i was very moved by his speech of this morning so i am gonna put it here... whatever we crazy left wing fanatics (sic) think of Powell you just got to give it to him...
A new book, titled "DEFinition: The Art and Design of Hip-Hop" by Cey Adams with Bill Adler, contains some rare Charlie Ahearn stills of Deborah Harry and Blondie making the "Rapture" video in 1981. (Check out a review of the book at Mic to Mic, or buy the book here .) The significance of the "Rapture" video is discussed in the chapter on hip-hop video and film.
"Ciara, Deborah Harry and Colbie Caillat will be honored at Billboard's third annual Women in Music breakfast, to be held Oct. 24 at New York's St. Regis Hotel. Ciara will receive the Woman of the Year award, which recognizes success as a recording artist and leadership in embracing the changing music business. Harry will be honored with the Icon award, given to a woman whose art and career have blazed trails for successive generations. Caillat, who broke through last year with her debut album, 'CoCo,' will receive the Rising Star award, acknowledging early success and greatest potential among artists who have released two or fewer albums."
this time its up to all of you young people to make this happen... all the baby boomers, the people of my generation couldnt do it... its all of you who have only just now registered to vote who are gonna make a huge difference this time, BUT that means not just registering but getting OUT AND VOTING no matter what happens on election day...
i have been feeling the tension waiting for the election... finally seeing the media addressing all the ugliness of the other sides campaign, that got passed over the last time... i recall Kerry having a lot of the same dumb accusations tossed at him; that he was a foreigner (French, remember?) that he was an elitist, unprepared etc etc
TERRORISM DOESNT WORK ON PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT AFRAID!!!
please guys get out and do your thing come election day, get your friends involved... please
"Debbie Harry is still a young punk: Dressed in a loose floral dress and Converse sneakers, she pouts a little while waiting for Santogold to put on an elaborate purple leather jacket and lime-green hot pants, then carefully pack up a suitcaseâs worth of clothes after her photo shoot. But the classic rock icon and the flashy emcee have more in common than meets the eye: Both make power pop out of the hip sounds of their era, both became famous in their early thirties, and both, they discover, are ambivalent about the way New Yorkâs music scene has changed over the years."
what i see little addressing of in the clamor of the election is the issue of anti-intellectualism in the US... a heated topic that is in discussion regularly, here it is on a back burner, back stage area... a lot seems to date to the end of the 19th century and the emergence of communism as part of the worlds political makeup and the association of intellectual ideals with being 'red'....later the whole 'nerd' concept... what needs to be really put forward here? everyone sees it... what perplexes me is that even though the idea of the poet warrior is looked up to when it comes to Samurai films it is not considered a 'real' option for life in America... at its most extreme the persecution of the educated has resulted in the excesses of extreme dictatorships like the Khmer Rouge which murdered those of its subjects who had even a simple education...
anyone interested just look up 'anti-inellectualism' in wikipedia and there you will find long discussions that are outlines of the current 'positions' or 'sides' of the political arena, the same stupid stances of 'conservative' vs. 'liberal' the position of the media; Gore portrayed as a boring 'brain' who 'spoke monotonously about theories and numbers no one could understand', Bill O'Reilly having a hostile attitude towards what he calls the 'ivy league' elite etc. etc. the word 'intellectual' itself being used as an insult... am i alone in feeling this is a crazy state of affairs... America entered the 20th century embracing the ideals of intelligence; Einstein was a popular figure and his work helped end the second world war, send men into space all of that...
is everyone out there really so far gone that they but into all of this... the last few days have seen huge rifts in the economy that are results of the last eight years of government... the same people who picked the current government have picked the people they want to see as the next government, why are we supposed to think that there is going to be a difference
since writing the above the debate and the crash... in the debate we saw Ob address one of the issues i am always on about... the other day for the first time i was actually called by a political poll... 'what did i see as a central issue...' well the image of the US in the eyes of the world of course... as i mentioned probably several times on my blog things... once more every time we travel and talk to just average people i see that almost 100% they are confused about the situation in the US; how could we here have let this guy be our leader, twice no less...
so now with the financial crisis i see that Wm. Gibson one of our favorite writers has proved his vision for America to be even more accurate than i might have imagined; we are looking forward to an immediate future that will in all likelihood be owned and operated by a lot of international interests...
soon enough we will see the neon signs filled with Chinese characters, the cities filled with the new 'foreign' elite who own all that we can no longer maintain...
empires come and go... i recently saw it put forth that the 'swinging London' of the Beatles sixties was in fact the last gasp of the British isles rather than the beginning of anything... America leads the world in instant gratification, the Chinese as just one example have been able to put it off for years in order to create a future for their next generations...
over the last half a year or so maybe more i have seen the word "owned" enter the popular lingo to mean control, influence etc etc... lots of you tube clips titled 'so and so owned by this or that'... so in a way perfect timing here; who is gonna 'own' the US?
finally on a lighter note (maybe) i have seen commentators go on about "things in the US may soon come to resemble conditions the way they were in the seventies"... well you can all imagine how i might feel about that... my new slogan is: "DEPRESSION MEANS HAPPIER ARTISTS"
Debbie Harry has been scheduled to appear at the Public Theater's celebration of the tenth anniversary of Joe's Pub in New York. "Roy Nathanson and friends with special guest Debbie Harry" will appear on Oct. 12 at 2:30 PM. Tickets are free, but you must follow the instructions on Joe's Pub Virtual Line (www.joespub.com) to snag a pair. Requests will be taken until October 5th and you can request tickets to as many shows as you like. On October 6th you can log on and see if your request has been granted. For more information, check www.joespub.com
Debbie Harry, the face of rock/New Wave band, Blondie, is an avid supporter of Rational Animal, an organization whose mission is to increase public awareness about at-risk animals in New York City. She has contributed this fabulous piece of art, donated by Marc Jacobs, for ROCK & RESCUE 2008 auction.
One side blue, the other a fuschia color, the print depicts Debbie Harry and the band name "Blondie." What's more, each side is autographed by Debbie herself!
Jack's Show III, featuring Billy Idol, Blondie, DEVO, the Psychedelic Furs, REO Speedwagon and Twisted Sister will be webcast by Showtime and DirectTV on September 27th starting at 3:30PM. Bookmark the following page and head there on Saturday: Jack's Show III Webcast
Debbie Harry is scheduled to perform at the 3rd Annual "Gimme Shelter Rock & Rescue" benefit show in New York City on October 6th, 2008. The event will be hosted by Adam Horovitz (aka Adrock of the Beastie Boys) and Gina Gershon, and will also feature performances by Lissy Trullie, Jesse Malin, Goonsquad, Bloody Social, Earl Greyhound and Adam Green, with DJ sets by Moby and J.D. Samson (of Le Tigre). The event will include an auction with items from Debbie Harry, Beastie Boys, Black Crowes and more! For more information check the Highline Ballroom site at highlineballroom.com and the Gimme Shelter site at rational-animal.org.
Debbie Harry performed in New York City last night at the Fifth Annual "Fashion Rocks" at Radio City Music Hall. She performed "Call Me" as a duet with Fergie. The show was recorded for TV and will air on CBS on Tuesday, September 9th. Check out some great photos at DayLife.com.
we have returned from the relative safe fantasy of Las Vegas and Burning Man back into the tension, for me anyhow, of the pre election weirdness... i spent the last election, that is i watched the actual event unfold from a hotel room in Lima Peru... Lima is a huge city and a close neighbor of the US... it is all but overcome by poverty; we frequently would see say a seven year old kid holding a two year old to act as a 'prop' for his ability to create a pathetic sympathy for his begging efforts... this atmosphere just underscored the surreal nature of the election results happening miles away in the US
now again we have been traveling all over the world this past summer... how can it be that people here at the same time they are daily preaching the 'global village' theme can be so isolated and uncaring about the opinion and view of America in the rest of the world... granted that a rock band is a decadent extension of the liberal mentality but still we had all sorts of people at our shows, i talked to all sorts of people in Europe as well as Russia and Israel this time and its really amazing but NO ONE in the rest of the world understands why we have George Bush for the president...
so again: i really like Obama, i am excited by the prospect of some actual change in the systems here no matter how slight... but there is something about the guy that is straight and smart, i like the way he speaks, he is certainly not the lesser of evils that the Democrats have presented previously
its gonna be a tense couple of months
very dusssty this year at BM
is this Bill Clinton in disguise at Burning Man center camp?
The wait is over! Deborah Harry's new single "Fit Right In" backed with "Heat Of The Moment (Feat. Mecca Dawn)" is now available in the US and ready for immediate download! Check out www.deborahharry.com or go directly to the single on iTunes US and Amazon US!
National Acts To Perform at Sept. 23 Benefit For Wife of A Fellow Musician
On Sept. 23 at Maxwell's in Hoboken, music lovers will get a glimpse of what the brotherhood of musicians is all about.
Six national acts will donate their time and talent, and Maxwell's the space, to raise money for the Karp family. Marylou Karp, wife of Blind Pig recording artist and singer-songwriter Peter Karp, was diagnosed in June with stage 4 ovarian cancer.
Marylou, 50, is the mother of two children, James and Courtney. Her illness was initially misdiagnosed as a herniated disc, and she is currently undergoing aggressive treatment at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.
Gina Fox, who is organizing the event and will perform, said of her friend's diagnosis, "this is a fight for life. The physical, financial and emotional stresses that go along with this fight are overwhelming, and this benefit is meant to help the Karp family with crippling medical bills."
Ovarian cancer, referred to as a silent killer, is often at stage 3 or 4 before it is properly diagnosed. It is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women, with one out of 100 women succumbing to it.
The show begins at 7 pm, and donations are $20 at the door. All proceeds will be donated to the Karp family. (Anyone who wishes to help but cannot attend the event is asked to visit www.ginafox.com, where a secure PayPal link is in place.)
Performing that evening are:
Nicole Hart & NRG featuring Gil Paris
Charlie Jones & Paul "Hernandez" Unsworth featuring Dave Keyes
Gina Fox
Dave Malachowski & The Woodstock Allstars-Pete Levin & Jill Stevenson
Dennis Gruenling & His Tribute to Little Walter Band
Blondie have booked the Jack Radio Show festival in California with Billy Idol, Devo, The Psychedelic Furs, and REO Speedwagon. Check out the details on the Tour Schedule page.
LEAVING THE 21ST CENTURY
HOWL! FESTIVAL AND THE JACKIE FACTORY PRESENT HOWLUCINATION '08: "LOW LIFE CITY" SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 7 5-7 PM, FREE ADMISSION TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK, NYC mothernyc.com/lowlife howlfestival.com
CELEBRATING 150 YEARS OF BRILLIANT BOWERY PERFORMANCE
On September 7, JACKIE FACTORY producers CHI CHI VALENTI and JOHNNY DYNELL will
present their second annual HOWLUCINATION to crown this year's HOWL! FESTIVAL.
HOWLUCINATION is a new spectacle created by the JACKIE FACTORY each year as an
evening event for HOWL!. The new LOW LIFE CITY follows on the heels of their
first HOWLUCINATION at HOWL! - last year's scandalous LOW LIFE. LOW LIFE CITY
is a two hour theatrical showcasing the East Village - and especially, The
Bowery, in a lavishly costumed production starring dozens of downtown's finest.
A time-travelling, bawdy and witty cavalcade of talent, this show is not
recommended for children!
This year's superb cast is now complete - MCs PAUL ALEXANDER (of "The Ones") and
HATTIE HATHAWAY, Bowery Belle DEBBIE HARRY, icon JOEY ARIAS with master
puppeteer BASIL TWIST, burlesque supernovas DIRTY MARTINI, MISS DELIRIUM TREMENS
and JONNY PORKPIE and NASTY CANASTA of PINCHBOTTOM BURLESQUE, GOON SQUAD
featuring MISS GUY, drag divinity SWEETIE, butoh ensemble VANGELINE THEATER,
WORLD FAMOUS *BOB*, LOGO song star ADAM JOSEPH as The Irish Tenor, slapstick duo
DUELLING BANKHEADS, sister act ACID BETTY and EPIPHANY, sensationalist AMBER
RAY, Bay Area artiste FAUXNIQUE, BLACKLIPS eminence POISON EVE, members of THE
PIXIE HARLOTS, and New Bowery treasures TRINA ROSE, HEATHER LITTEER aka JESSICA
RABBIT DOMINATION and TIGGER!
For pictures from last years edition visit LOW LIFE @ HOWL 2007 on FLICKR HOWLUCINATION '08: LOW LIFE CITY was inspired by the seminal LUC SANTE book "LOW
LIFE: The Lures and Snares of Old New York." It continues a body of work born at
JACKIE 60 a decade ago, with past editions in London, Minneapolis and of course,
last year's HOWL! For the show's producers, East Village residents for over two
decades, this annual show is a Valentine to the neighborhood's past, present and
future stars. Dress Up and join us in the park! Wear NYC demimonde evening
glamour (1860-2010), Gangs of New York, Victorian/Edwardian rags, newsboy caps,
B'hoy for Butch Women, corsets and vintage lingerie, Bowery Belle ringlets,
Opium Den loungewear, Vampyre of Gotham, black parasols, Bowery Twink, velvet,
19th century Clownwear, Top Hats or Bowery Punk.
THE HOWL! FESTIVAL was named in honor of the groundbreaking poem by ALLEN
GINSBERG and began in 2002. HOWL celebrates the East Village and Lower East
Side's role as a preeminent locus of culture, with signature events like the
group reading of HOWL and ART AROUND THE PARK. Centered in Tompkins Square Park,
the festival attracts more than 100,000 visitors bringing to the clubs,
galleries, parks, streets, and theaters of Manhattan's Lower East Side.
Barbara Maier, in association with GOODIE magazine, will present Revolutionary Acts: A Benefit for The Living Theatre Honoring Judith Malina.
Talent set to perform includes Tony-nominated Justin Bond, Debbie Harry, Eisa Davis and Coleman Domingo of Tony-winner Passing Strange, and Nellie McKay, among an impressive list of audacious performers.
Mon., Aug. 25th 7PM
Barbara Maier presents
A BENEFIT FOR THE LIVING THEATRE
Joe's Pub
425 Lafayette St., NYC
Tickets: $50
($30 standing room)
212-967-7555
Table Reservations (two-drink or $12 food min.) 212-539-8778
Producer Maier says, âIn the spirit of Judith Malina and The Living Theatre, Iâve encouraged the performers to contribute provocative works, social and political commentary.â The benefit is meant to provide substantial relief to the iconic The Living Theatre, which is experiencing financial challenges.
i never get to the movies much these days... i was happy to see IRON MAN on the plane home
then the next day saw BAT MAN dark knight etc
i LOVED iron man i thought it put batman to shame, i would like to see Favreau work on the batman franchise... Ledger's Joker brought a small bit of the smartness of Iron Man to Batman, but i know that 'the dark night' though a lot of fun was one of those 'in one ear out the other' films that i wont remember in a few months
thanx again to everyone who was at our shows this summer... i have been listening to the KAMERA cd, they supported us on a bunch of our European gigs; some great songs, do check out KAMERA, i think that they will be around for a while, have a great future
