Clem Burke, multifaceted drummer of iconic rock group Blondie, has died
[April 08, 2025]
By HALLIE GOLDEN
Clem Burke, whose versatile drumming propelled the iconic rock group
Blondie during its decades performing everything from new-wave punk to
disco-infused tunes, has died. He was 70.
The band said in a statement on its website Monday that he died from
cancer but no additional details were provided.
“Clem was not just a drummer; he was the heartbeat of Blondie,” the band
said in a statement. “His talent, energy, and passion for music were
unmatched, and his contributions to our sound and success are
immeasurable.”
The self-proclaimed “rock & roll survivalist” started playing the drums
when he was 14 in his school orchestra but was kicked out for playing
too loud, according to Blondie’s website. In the 1970’s, he answered a
band's ad in the Village Voice seeking a “freak energy” rock drummer,
kicking off his decades-long career with lead singer Debbie Harry and
the rest of his Blondie bandmates.
The band recorded its first album in 1976 and by the following year was
touring with such icons as Iggy Pop and David Bowie. It became known as
the most commercially successful band to emerge from a fertile New York
rock scene that also produced Talking Heads and the Ramones.
In 2006 Burke and the other original members of Blondie were inducted
into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame after selling more than 42 million
records, according to Blondie's website.
[to top of second column]
|
Clem Burke, from left, Debbie Harry and Rob Roth attend a screening
of "Blondie: Vivir En La Habana" during the 20th Tribeca Festival in
New York on June 16, 2021. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP,
File)
 During the late 1970s and early
’80s, the band had eight Top 40 hits, including four No. 1s: “Heart
of Glass,” “Call Me,” “The Tide Is High” and “Rapture,” which is
regarded as the first No. 1 hit to feature rap. There’s also a
five-track 1975 album demo that includes “Platinum Blonde,” a sort
of band mission statement. But Burke’s mark was especially
solidified with his rapid, powerful drumming at the start of
“Dreaming” in 1979.
In 2022, after unearthing a New Wave treasure trove of reel-to-reel
tapes, cassettes and records, the band created the box set “Blondie:
Against the Odds, 1974-1982,” with 124 tracks and 36 previously
unissued recordings, demos, outtakes and remixed versions of
Blondie’s initial six studio albums.
Burke reflected on the discovery in an Associated Press article: “We
never would have thought that we would still be here today. Looking
back at our archives, it’s pretty amazing.”
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame described Burke in a post Monday on the
social platform X as “a versatile and distinctive drummer who played
exactly what each song required – and, when called for, let loose
with blistering punk rock energy.”
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
