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Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Clem Burke, Drummer of Blondie, Dies at 70

BBG News

Legendary drummer, Clem Burke, who powered the renowned rock band Blondie through their multi-decade journey playing a variety of styles ranging from new-wave punk to danceable disco tracks, has passed away at the age of 70.

On their website, the band announced on Monday that he had passed away due to cancer, though no further specifics about his demise were disclosed.

Clem wasn’t simply a drummer; he embodied the rhythm of Blondie, according to the band’s declaration. His skill, enthusiasm, and love for music surpassed all expectations, and the impact of his work on our sound and achievements cannot be quantified.

14-year-old, who referred to himself as a “rock & roll survivalist,” honed his drumming skills in his school orchestra but was expelled for playing too enthusiastically, as stated on Blondie’s website. In the 70’s, he responded to an advertisement in the Village Voice placed by a band searching for a “freak energy” rock drummer. This marked the beginning of his lengthy career with lead singer Debbie Harry and the rest of the Blondie band members.

In 1976, the band released their debut album, followed by touring alongside music legends like Iggy Pop and David Bowie the following year. They quickly gained fame as the commercially successful band to come from a thriving New York rock scene that also gave rise to acts such as Talking Heads and the Ramones.

Back in 2006, Burke and the founding members of Blondie received recognition at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This was due to their impressive record sales exceeding 42 million units, as stated on Blondie’s official site.

In the late ’70s and early ’80s, this band had eight Top 40 hits, four of which were No. 1 hits: “Heart of Glass,” “Call Me,” “The Tide Is High,” and “Rapture.” The latter is known as the first rap song to reach No. 1. Additionally, there’s a five-track demo from 1975 that includes “Platinum Blonde,” a kind of band manifesto. However, it was Burke’s powerful drumming at the beginning of “Dreaming” in 1979 that truly solidified his impact within the band.

In the year 2022, they discovered a hidden collection of reel-to-reel tapes, cassettes, and vinyl records belonging to the band, which led them to compile the box set titled “Blondie: Against the Odds, 1974-1982.” This impressive collection contains 124 tracks, along with 36 recordings that had never been released before – demos, outtakes, and remixed versions of their first six studio albums.

In a piece for the Associated Press, Burke mused over the finding, expressing surprise that they’re still around today. Glancing through their old records, he found it quite astonishing.

On Monday, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame referred to Burke on their social media platform X as a “versatile and unique drummer who perfectly matched each song’s demands – and at times, unleashed explosive punk rock intensity when needed.

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2025-04-08 10:06

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