Clem Burke Dead: Blondie Drummer was 70 years old

Clem Burke, a famous blonde drummer, died on Sunday April 6. He was 70 years old.

Blondie’s official account announced on Monday the news of Burke’s death by writing on Monday: “It is with deep sadness that we relay the news of the death of our friend and beloved teammate Clem Burke after a private battle against cancer.

Clem was not only a drummer; He was blonde’s heart rate. His talent, her energy and his passion for music have been unrivaled, and his contributions to our sound and our success are immeasurable. Beyond his musicality, Clem was a source of inspiration on and out of the stage. His dynamic spirit, his contagious enthusiasm and his solid rock work ethics affected all those who had the privilege of knowing him. »»

The declaration was signed “Debbie, Chris and the whole Blondie family”.

Burke played on all Blondie albums, from their eponymous beginnings from 1976 to their breakthrough Parallel lines Album in 1978, featuring their “Heart of Glass” of the map, 1979 Eat and 1980 Self-American. After the group got together in 1997, it appeared on their following albums, 1999 Out of way2003 Blondie’s curse2014 Download ghosts and 2017 Pollinatortheir last LP to date.

Burke’s death surprised a lot, but his close friends admitted that he had been fighting cancer for a few months. In recent years, he and Deborah Harry have been the only original members of Blondie Still Tourring (both played at the cruel festival of last year, which was held in Pasadena), with the guitarist member of the co-founder Chris Stein sidelined by his own health problems.

Burke, a tireless interpreter who turned with other groups when Blondie was inactive, was a founding member of two from her hometown of Bayonne, the most popular coverage groups of New Jersey, Total Environment and Sweet Willie Jam Band, as well as a passage in the famous Saint Andrew Andrew Bridgemen Drum and Bugle Corps. Recruited by Harry and Stein, Burke joined Blondie in early 1975 because he quickly became one of the groups in small groups of the New York Punk explosion in clubs like CBGBS and Kansas City of Max. Burke, who helped the group recruit his friend Gary Valentine on bass, cited his own drum influences like Hal Blaine, Keith Moon, Ringo Star and Earl Palmer in an article from 1998 in UK Rock Magazine Mojo.

By finding his own rock superstar to play, Burke noted in an interview: “I was categorical that I needed to work with people who, in my opinion, had this kind of charisma and creativity. Debbie was incredible. You could feel it immediately. And I was not talking about her beauty. I’m just talking about all its essence as a human being, as a person.

When Blondie took leave to tour and record in the 80s and 90s, Burke regularly played drums for romantics, and also sat with Pete Townshend, Bob Dylan, Eurythmics, Dramarama, The Fleshtones, Iggy Pop and Joan Jett. He joined the post-punk supergroup in 1983 alongside the guitarist of sex pistol Steve Jones, the former Bassist of Blondie Nigel Harrison, Tony Sales and Michael des Barres in 1983, and sat as a drummer for the Ramones (like “Elvis” Ramone) for a pair of Gigs in August 1987 and with the GI-GGO on more than one opportunity.

Burke also recorded and played live with Wanda Jackson, Nancy Sinatra, Kathy Valentine, Dramarama, Slinky Vagabond and International Swingers (with Sex Pistol Glen Matlock, James Stevenson from Generation X and Gary Twinn from Supernaut). In 2014, he formed Garage All-Star Group the Empty Hearts with the Romantics, the main singer of the Romantics, the bass player of Chesterfield Kings, Andy Babiuk, the guitarist of the Elliot Easton cars and the pianist Ian McLagan for a cool label with ED Stasium self-proclaimed on Wolfson of Stevie Van Zandt.

“Clem was a total force of nature,” explains Wolfson. “I even have a video of him who teaches my son Danny how to play drums.”

“Godspeed Dr. Burke”, the group’s announcement of his death ended, a reference to the honorary doctorate he received from the University of Gloucestershire for a battery project he led during eight years by analyzing the physical and psychological effects of battery and endurance required to play the most demanding of all instruments.

In recent years, frustrated over time that Blondie did not tour, Burke has played in a tribute group, Bootleg Blondie, who was not warmly received by his group comrades. Burke told Tidal in 2022: “It is a very interesting experience for me, although somewhat controversial, but I am able to see that Blondie’s heritage is really the songs.”

Burke was inducted with his blondry comrades in rock and roll Hall of Fame in March 2006.

His frequent collaborator, Michael des Barres, simply put it in a text: “Like me, he lived for rock ‘n’ roll”.