Blondie’s Clem Burke Obituary-Death News; Legendary Drummer, Passes Away At 70 After Cancer Battle – Memorialzone Blondie’s Clem Burke
Clem Burke, the drummer whose backbeats powered Blondie to huge chart success across several decades, has died aged 70.
Burke’s bandmates Debbie Harry and Chris Stein said he had died after “a private battle with cancer”, in a tribute posted to Instagram.
They added: “Clem was not just a drummer; he was the heartbeat of Blondie. His talent, energy and passion for music were unmatched, and his contributions to our sound and success are immeasurable … His vibrant spirit, infectious enthusiasm and rock solid work ethic touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.”
Burke was one of only three band members, alongside Harry and Stein, to play on every one of Blondie’s 11 studio albums. Together the group defined the American new wave sound of the 1970s and 1980s, scoring six UK No 1 hits and four in the US, including Heart of Glass and The Tide Is High.
Alongside his work with Blondie, Burke played in supergroups such as the International Swingers, Slinky Vagabond and Magic Christian, and guested with artists as varied as Ramones, Eurythmics, Bob Dylan and Nancy Sinatra.
Born and raised in Bayonne, New Jersey, Burke tinkered with local covers groups and a drum corps before moving to New York, auditioning for Blondie in 1975 to replace the band’s original drummer, Billy O’Connor.
“My quest was to find my David Bowie, my Jim Morrison or my Mick Jagger to front a band,” he said in 2022. “I was emphatic about that. I needed to work with people that I felt had that sort of charisma and creativity.”
He had previously auditioned for Patti Smith, for the band that would end up recording her debut album Horses. “She asked me who my favourite drummer was … I said John Bonham, and I think that might’ve been the wrong answer,” he remembered.
Blondie released their debut single, X-Offender, in 1976 but success took a little time to arrive, with Stein and Harry later crediting Burke as the motivating force in the band, convincing Harry not to quit. “He really wanted to get out of New Jersey,” she said.
Their first chart success came overseas, in Australia then the UK, with songs such as Denis and Hanging on the Telephone, but the group swept to global fame in 1979, including in their native US, with Heart of Glass.
It was powered by a drum machine but Burke was sanguine about this development: “It was threatening, I suppose, at first, but I’ve never really found myself in the situation where a drum machine was going to take over,” he later said.
Words fall short of expressing our grief for your loss, as we mourn with family and friends for this great loss. We are truly sorry to hear of the loss of this promising being. Please accept our condolences, and may our prayers help comfort you. Please accept our heartfelt condolences.
Feel free to drop condolence messages and prayers for the family and friends of the deceased, as it will go a very long way at this difficult time of theirs
