Chris Stein Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Blondie’s Chris Stein has said that it’s “doubtful” he will play with the band again due to ongoing health issues.Stein has been absent from tours with Blondie over the last year, including a slot on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2023. During the set, and the whole tour, Blondie were joined by former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock on bass.In April 2022, Stein explained his absence to fans, saying: “I’m sad and frustrated to report that I’m not going out with the next bunch of Blondie touring.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic The Library of Congress has released its annual list of 25 audio recordings earmarked for celebration and preservation as part of the National Recording Registry, and the musical artists selected for inclusion run the historical gamut from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” to “Ready to Die.” Benny Goodman, Gene Autry and Perry Como are among the mid-20th-century icons making the list, which extends to ’70s and ’80s releases by ABBA, the Cars, Doug E. Fresh and Blondie, and is rounded out on the latter end by such artists as Green Day, the Chicks and the Notorious B.I.G.

R.E.M., Steely Dan, Timbaland, and songwriters Dean Pitchford (“Footloose”) and Hillary Lindsey (“Jesus Take The Wheel”) are this year’s inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the organization announced today.

Steely Dan, Blondie, Public Enemy, R.E.M, Timbaland and the man who wrote bubblegum classics “Build Me Up Buttercup” and “Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)” are among the nominees for the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Public Enemy, R.E.M, George Clinton, Steely Dan, Bryan Adams, Tracy Chapman, Timbaland are among the nominees for the 2024 class of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The full list of nominees appears below.

Blondie’s Chris Stein has announced details of a new memoir called Under A Rock.In a new post on Instagram about the book, Stein unveiled details of the book this week (November 16), writing: “OK here we go. I’ve been working on this memoir for two years and it’ll show up allegedly in 2024.“I mean, I like it… I wrote the whole fcking [sic] thing myself.

Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry has spoken out on the death of her bandmate Chris Stein‘s daughter Akira.Stein announced the news of his daughter’s death in a Facebook post last week, revealing that Akira died from a drug overdose in May.“We lost our daughter and sister Akira at the end of May to an overdose. I’ve been posting as usual because it distracts from the heartbreak,” Stein told fans.Harry took to her Instagram account to post a photo of her with Stein and his family, including Akira, with the caption: “Dear fans and friends, I had an awakening at the end of Blondie’s recent tour which came from all of you on my birthday.

Blondie guitarist Chris Stein has paid tribute to his daughter Akira, who passed away earlier this year.Stein announced the news in a Facebook post, revealing that Akira passed away from a drug overdose in May.“We lost our daughter and sister Akira at the end of May to an overdose. I’ve been posting as usual because it distracts from the heartbreak,” Stein told fans.“There are a lot of you I care for that didn’t know and even though it’s not like me to post personal events publically Akira was important to many.

The UK’s Ivors Academy yesterday presented its Ivor Novello Awards, celebrating the best in songs and songwriting from the last year. Wet Leg’s Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers were declared Songwriters Of The Year, while Raye, 070 Shake and Mike Sabath took the prize for Best Contemporary Song for ‘Escapism’.There were also the customary awards for career-long achievements, with the members of James being presented an Icon Award; Kamille being celebrated for her Outstanding Song Collection; Debbie Harry and Chris Stein getting a Special International Award; and Sting being granted an Academy Fellowship.“On behalf of The Ivors Academy of songwriters and composers I wholeheartedly congratulate all of our winners”, says Academy Chair Tom Gray.

Thania Garcia Wet Leg’s Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers took home the Ivor Novello award in the coveted songwriter of the year category at the 2023 ceremony on Thursday in London’s Grosvenor House. The event honored 30 music-makers across 14 categories in recognition of songwriting and screen composition. Wet Leg’s self-titled debut album was one of the most-talked-about releases of the last year and earned the indie rockers their first Brit awards and a pair of Grammys. The Ivor judges described Teasdale and Chambers’ writing, citing singles “Wet Dream” and “Chaise Lounge,” as “fresh, unapologetic and direct, with surprising melodies that demand attention.”

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent YouTube Originals will launch on Nov. 18 “Behind the Beats,” a novel animated pop music anthology series produced by France’s TeamTO and 22D Music Group in partnership with France Télévisions, the French public broadcaster.  Episodes 1-4 of the novel history of pop will also debut on the YouTube Kids app, YouTube Originals Kids & Family announced on Wednesday. YouTube and TeamTO have shared first-look images from the series in exclusivity with Variety.  The deal sees YouTube launching the series worldwide but with a one-year holdback in the French language, where France Télévisions has first-window exclusivity. 

A new punk museum is set to open in Las Vegas. Which is a bit depressing, isn’t it? Even if it is a project led by NOFX frontman Mike ‘Fat Mike’ Burkett.Originally conceived as a retail unit that would display various artefacts that Burkett has collected over the years, the venture has since ballooned into the 12,000 square foot Punk Rock Museum, which will officially open its doors in the new year. Among the items on show will be Debbie Harry’s Vultures t-shirt – once described as “a sacred relic” by Blondie guitarist Chris Stein – and Devo’s energy dome helmets.But there will be plenty more besides those.

assassination of John Lennon … I think Chris Stein [of Blondie] put it best: ‘The ’80s murdered what was left of the ’60s.’”When an editor suggested she excavate her old photos from the decade for a possible project, Goldsmith grudgingly started going through her negatives. But as she pored over her trove of images, she realized that the 1980s were actually pretty rad.“I really saw what a creative time it was,” the Detroit native said.

Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock is to appear on Blondie’s upcoming new album, having stepped in to tour with the band earlier this year after Leigh Foxx suffered a back injury. As Foxx – who has been a member of the band since 1997 – continues to recuperate, Matlock has taken over bass duties in the studio too.Unlike the band’s last album – 2017’s ‘Pollinator’, which saw Blondie collaborating with artists including Sia, Charli XCX, Dave Sitek and Johnny Marr – Matlock will seemingly be the only guest this time around.Guitarist Chris Stein tells Classic Pop: “Glen has just been great.

Sex Pistols’ Glen Matlock is to appear on Blondie‘s new album.The bassist previously stepped in for Leigh Foxx on Blondie’s April 2022 UK and US tour after Foxx suffered a back injury. Now, the musician has been announced to play bass on the band’s follow-up to 2017’s ‘Pollinator’ while Foxx recuperates.Speaking to Classic Pop magazine, guitarist Chris Stein said: “Glen has just been great.

Blondie, Mac DeMarco and Tori Amos are among the artists set to take part in the first ever Band Shirt Day next month.The new fundraising event will hold its first edition on September 16, bringing artists together to donate proceeds from their merchandise sales to charities of their choice.Other artists taking part include King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, with charities chosen including Children of Ukraine, MusiCares and Planned Parenthood.A statement on the event’s website reads: “Band Shirt Day is a global fundraising initiative, where artists come together for a single day to sell merchandise on their official sales channels and donate proceeds to charitable organisations of their choice.”For a full list of participating artists and their charities, head here.A post shared by Band Shirt Day (@bandshirtday)Elsewhere, Blondie recently released a rediscovered home recording of a song called ‘Mr Sightseer’.

Blondie have released a rediscovered home recording of a song called ‘Mr Sightseer’ – listen below.The unearthed home recording from 1978 had previously never made it out of the band’s bedroom but has now been newly mastered by Michael Graves for the band’s first ever authorised and in-depth box set archive, ‘Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982’.‘Mr Sightseer’ serves as the B-side to the box set’s other recently rediscovered rarity, Blondie’s cover of The Doors’ ‘Moonlight Drive’.A press release states: “At the time of recording in 1978, the addition of the TEAC TCA-43 four track reel-to-reel to [guitarist] Chris Stein and [singer] Debbie Harry’s home allowed the duo to chase every idea to its logistical or inconsequential conclusion.”Now reflecting on it, Harry joked in statement: “The lyric is not good at all. The song’s not too bad.

Blondie have shared a previously unheard demo version of ‘Go Through It’, formerly known as ‘I Love You Honey, Give Me A Beer’.The demo, which features on the band’s upcoming box set ‘Against the Odds: 1974 – 1982‘, hears frontperson Debbie Harry singing different lyrics to the version (‘Go Through It’) that was released on the band’s fifth album ‘Autoamerican’ (1980).‘Go Through It’ also features mariachi horns, unlike the demo, and as Rolling Stone notes, ‘I Love You Honey…’ was possibly written to be included on the soundtrack for the 1980 movie Roadie.‘Blondie: Against the Odds: 1974 – 1982’ arrives on August 26 via UMC and The Numero Group (pre-order here), and boasts 124 tracks – 36 of which were previously unreleased – alongside remasters of original analog tapes that were cut to vinyl at London’s famous Abbey Road Studios.The Super Deluxe Collectors’ Edition contains Blondie’s first six albums – ‘Blondie’ (1976), ‘Plastic Letters’ (1977), ‘Parallel Lines’ (1978), ‘Eat To The Beat’ (1979), ‘Autoamerican’ (1980) and ‘The Hunter’ (1982) – as well as bonus tracks including a previously unheard recording of ‘Moonlight Drive’. You can listen to that track below.The release includes extensive liner notes by Erin Osmon; track-by-track commentary from frontwoman Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Clem Burke, Jimmy Destri, Nigel Harrison, Frank Infante and Gary Valentine; essays by producers Mike Chapman, Richard Gottehrer and Ken Shipley; a 120-page illustrated discography; and hundreds of period photographs.For nearly two decades the bulk of Blondie’s audio and visual archive sat inside guitarist Stein’s barn outside Woodstock, New York.

Blondie have announced their first ever authorised and in depth archive in their history, ‘Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982’.The boxset arrives on August 26 via UMC and The Numero Group (pre-order here) and boasts 124 tracks (36 of which were previously unissued) alongside remasters of original analog tapes that were cut to vinyl at London’s famous Abbey Road Studios.The Super Deluxe Collectors’ Edition contains Blondie’s first six albums – ‘Blondie’ (1976), ‘Plastic Letters’ (1977), ‘Parallel Lines’ (1978), ‘Eat To The Beat’ (1979), ‘Autoamerican’ (1980) and ‘The Hunter’ (1982) – as well as bonus tracks including a previously unheard recording of ‘Moonlight Drive’. You can listen to that track below.Remastered from the original analog tapes, the expansive boxset is available on four formats: Super Deluxe Collectors’ Edition; Deluxe 4LP; Deluxe 8CD, and 3CD editions.The release includes: extensive liner notes by Erin Osmon; track-by-track commentary from frontwoman Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Clem Burke, Jimmy Destri, Nigel Harrison, Frank Infante and Gary Valentine; essays by producers Mike Chapman, Richard Gottehrer and Ken Shipley; a 120-page illustrated discography, and hundreds of period photographs.For nearly two decades the bulk of Blondie’s audio and visual archive sat inside Blondie guitarist Stein’s barn outside Woodstock, New York.

Blondie members Debbie Harry and Chris Stein discussed collaborating with Halsey on the newest episode of The Record Club.

Ahead of Record Store Day 2022, musical icons Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of Blondie will join The Record Club with Bowers & Wilkins to celebrate the release of their limited edition EP Sunday Girl.

Blondie have released a new festive three-track EP featuring ‘Yuletide Throwdown’, a rare track that was co-written with hip-hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy. Check out Cut Chemist’s new remix of the title track below, along with our interview with Blondie’s founding guitarist Chris Stein.Blondie famously gave a shout-out to Fab 5 Freddy (real name Fred Brathwaite) on their 1980 song ‘Rapture’, with frontwoman Debbie Harry commencing its rap section with “Fab 5 Freddy told me everybody’s fly”.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorFast-rising Hipgnosis Songs spent nearly $1.1 billion on 84 song catalogs over the year ended March 31, and raised another $215 million in its recent stock offering on the London Stock Exchange, according to statements released by the company this week.Those catalogs include half of Neil Young’s song catalog, as well as Lindsey Buckingham, Deborah and Chris Stein of Blondie, Chrissie Hynde, Barry Manilow and many more.

Blondie documentary called Blondie: Vivir en la Habana is set to premiere at Sheffield Doc Fest this summer.The film, following Debbie Harry and the New York new wave band, will focus on Blondie’s time in Cuba collaborating with local musicians.Blondie were invited to perform in Havana Cuba as part of a cultural exchange through the Cuban Ministry of Culture.

Blondie singer Debbie Harry has said Donald Trump was “not interested” in her at all when they met, and joked that the US president prefers “big women”.

Blondie‘s Debbie Harry and Chris Stein have sold their future royalties to a fast-growing investment fund.Purchased by the Hipgnosis Songs Fund, this means the company will now earn income from 197 Blondie songs, including ‘Heart Of Glass’ and ‘Rapture’.Harry and Stein received an undisclosed lump sum for their catalogue and said they were “happy to be working with a progressive company,” according to the BBC.The fund was founded by music industry veteran Merck Mercuriadis, who before becoming

Variety Staff Follow Us on TwitterVeteran manager and recording executive Merck Mercuriadis’ Hipgnosis Songs Fund Ltd. is adding 197 songs written by Blondie co-founders Debbie Harry and Chris Stein to its $1 billion-plus portfolio.

They'll hit the road for their in conversation tour in November

Each event on the tour will have "its own surprises with new stories"