Clem Burke, versatile, hard-driving drummer for Blondie, dies at 70
He can be heard tumbling forth with a rapid disco beat in the intro to "Call Me" (1980), only to switch to a tropical lilt on the reggae-inflected "The Tide Is High" (1980).
Like other post-punk bands that slid into the New Wave movement — the Cars, Devo — Blondie was known as much for its image as for its substance. The band's album covers and press photos often featured Harry, with her angular face and wispy blonde hair, framed by her four male bandmates, usually in black suits and skinny ties.
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
Punk-pop band Blondie, in 1977. From left: bassist Gary Valentine, Mr. Burke, singer Deborah Harry, guitarist Chris Stein, and keyboardist Jimmy Destri.
Anonymous
Advertisement
Mr. Burke stood out with his boyish cheeks and vertiginous mop of hair. But he and the band were about more than their sharp looks: In one survey, Rolling Stone ranked him the 61st greatest drummer of all time.
'The American roots of rock 'n' roll — Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochrane — that was the foundation of what I loved from an early age,' Mr. Burke told Mixdown magazine last year. 'It just spiraled from there.'
Advertisement
He played on all 11 of Blondie's studio albums, six recorded between 1976 and 1982 and the rest after the band restarted in 1997.
The son of a professional drummer, Mr. Burke was already well known around the various music scenes of Lower Manhattan when, in 1974, he answered a want ad in The Village Voice placed by two musicians, Harry and guitarist Chris Stein, looking for a drummer for their new band, Blondie.
Mr. Burke showed up for an interview wearing the shirt component of a sailor suit, a tribute to a look once sported by his idol, Keith Moon of the Who. The three bonded over their shared admiration for acts such as David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and the Velvet Underground. They soon added Gary Valentine on bass and Jimmy Destri on keyboards.
Within a year, the band was playing regularly at storied East Village venues Max's Kansas City and CBGB, a musical archipelago where other bands in the punk, post-punk, and New Wave movements found a home.
Blondie embraced all three genres, while breaking into the mainstream with radio- and dance-floor-friendly tracks like "Heart of Glass" (1979) and "Rapture" (1980), both of which reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts.
Thanks in part to Mr. Burke's infectious beats, the songs managed to embody a genre, and range beyond it, as well: 'Heart of Glass' is both pop and disco, while 'Rapture' borrowed heavily from a new style, hip-hop, that was taking shape in the Bronx.
"Our records were always all over the place," he told The Sarasota Herald-Tribune in 2004. "I always admired bands that didn't stick to one particular style."
Clement Anthony Bozewski was born Nov. 24, 1954, in Bayonne, N.J. His father, Clement J. Bozewski, played in clubs around northern New Jersey, and his mother, Antoinette (Terracciano) Bozewski, managed the home.
Advertisement
Clem learned to drum from his father and played in school bands growing up. By his late teenage years he was crossing the Hudson River into New York, where he performed in a variety of rock bands before meeting Harry and Stein.
He styled himself as something of a throwback to the rock-star drummers of the 1960s, including Ringo Starr, John Bonham of Led Zeppelin and Moon, who were known as much for their charisma onstage as for their virtuosity behind their kits.
Moon was his north star. Mr. Burke was just going onstage in 1978 when he learned that Moon had died, at 32; when the set was done, he kicked his drums into the crowd, shouting, 'That's for Keith Moon — the greatest drummer in the world!'
After a marathon run of six albums in just over six years, Blondie went on hiatus in 1982.
Over the next 15 years, Mr. Burke became an A-list session drummer, working with Bowie, Eurythmics, Bob Dylan, and Pete Townshend.
He played on classic songs including 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll,' by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and in 1987 he played two shows with the Ramones. Like the rest of the band, he chose a stage name: Elvis Ramone.
Mr. Burke also formed or joined a long series of bands, including Chequered Past, the International Swingers, and the Plimsouls.
Information on survivors was not immediately available.
After Blondie reunited, the band released its seventh album, 'No Exit,' in 1999. This time the band was more heavily identified with Harry and Stein, and Valentine and Destri left after a few years, but Mr. Burke stayed on through the most recent album, 'Pollinator' (2017).
Advertisement
"Everybody around me seemed to think that becoming 'a rock star' was unobtainable, but I never felt that way," he told Modern Drummer magazine in 1985. "I felt that this was how I was going to be able to escape my working-class existence. I was on a quest to find the perfect lead singer. I always say that when I met Debbie, I sort of found my Mick Jagger."
This article originally appeared in
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
WWE monitoring US-Iran situation with two Saudi Arabia shows set for next weekend
The United States' recent bombings of Iran are leaving WWE's Night of Champions event in some question. The company is scheduled to have Friday and Saturday events in Saudi Arabia, with SmackDown and the Night of Champions premium live event on back-to-back days in Riyadh. WWE officials are closely evaluating upcoming events following the recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, according to Fightful Select. Advertisement Randy Orton in action against Sami Zayn during SmackDown at Van Andel Arena on June 20, 2025 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. WWE via Getty Images While neither event has been officially postponed or relocated, a WWE insider told Fightful that the situation is being 'monitored accordingly.' The overall concern stems largely from an official warning broadcast on Iranian state television saying 'every American citizen or military personnel in the Middle East is now on Tehran's target' following the strikes. Advertisement A senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader added that any American in the region would be considered a target. Construction is underway in the Kingdom Arena, where production is proceeding 'full steam ahead,' a source told Fightful, anticipating no cancellation due to the significant investment and upcoming Royal Rumble taping also set for Saudi Arabia in January. Talent, as of now, is set to fly mid‑week by charter from the U.S. to Riyadh, with only around 10 names confirmed to travel so far, Fightful notes. John Cena speaks to CM Punk during SmackDown at Van Andel Arena on June 20, 2025 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. WWE via Getty Images Advertisement As of now, only ten wrestlers are slated to compete on Night of Champions. Night of Champions is slated to be main evented by John Cena's Undisputed WWE championship defense against CM Punk. Also on the card, Jacob Fatu will defend his United States title match against Solo Sikoa, Dominik Mysterio will defend his Intercontinental championship against AJ Styles, and the King and Queen of the Ring finals are also set to take place. Randy Orton will take on RAW's winner, either Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso, in the King of the Ring final at and Asuka will face Monday's winner, between Jade Cargill and Roxanne Perez to decide who is Queen of the Ring Advertisement The winner earn world championship matches at SummerSlam at MetLife Stadium on Aug 2-3. Though decisions have yet to be made public, WWE anticipates assurances on protection and contingency options, Fightful reported WWE signed a 10-year deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2018, worth around $50 million per show and $100 million annually, according to Wrestlenomics. WWE did not immediatly return The Post's request for comment.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Men reveal shocking reasons why they dish out big bucks on OnlyFans
Talk about a costly conversation. Attention-starved men are forking over mega bucks on their favourite OnlyFans models — not for naughty content, but for … wait for it … conversation. A new report from Supercreator, a management platform, revealed that 78% of chats between creators and their top spenders are about everything other than doing the deed. The hottest topics covered: Pets, work, childhood memories, TV shows and hobbies. Sophie Rain, dubbed the 'MVP of OnlyFans,' offered one such example, saying her top fan, Charley, a married American man, has paid more than $6 million over two years, yet rarely requests nude pics. 'We talk every single day, without fail,' Rain, who has 7 million Instagram followers (@sophieraiin), told NeedtoKnow, per the New York Post. 'Charley, who is married and lives in the US, will send voice notes wondering how my day is going, and he loves getting to know me on a personal level. I am more of an emotional support system for him.' She added: 'People often think that high-paying clients want kinky stuff. But funnily enough, he prefers to see me fully clothed and doing everyday tasks.' The top seven topics men chat about with OnlyFans models, according to the report, were their hometown and upbringing, work, hobbies, pets, the model's latest holidays or social posts, TV shows and fitness and workouts. Yuval, CEO of Supercreator, offered his insights. 'Contrary to popular belief, our data shows that top spenders on OnlyFans aren't just looking for explicit content, they're seeking emotional connection,' he told the outlet. 'Nudity is easy to find online, but meaningful, consistent attention from the creator of your dreams? That's what drives loyalty and revenue.' The so-called 'girlfriend experience' is massive business, with top adult models earning up to $300,000 a month, according to Supercreator. OnlyFans star's fiancé 'proud' after she hits goal of having sex with 1,000 men Brazilian futsal player claims she was cut from team over explicit OnlyFans content
Elle
10 hours ago
- Elle
Kate Upton and Husband Justin Verlander Welcome Baby Boy
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Model and actress Kate Upton and baseball pitcher Justin Verlander reportedly welcomed their second child together, per a report published on Thursday, June 19, by TMZ. The baby is a boy, named Bellamy Brooks Verlander. The pair already share a six-year-old daughter, Genevieve. Here's everything to know about the couple and their growing family. Justin Verlander was born and raised in Manakin Sabot, Virginia. His parents, Richard and Kathy Verlander, got him and his younger brother, Ben Verlander, into sports early. Verlander played Little League at Tuckahoe Little League in Richmond, Virginia, then attended the The Richmond Baseball Academy. For college, he went to Old Dominion University (ODU) and played college baseball for their team, the Monarchs. His professional baseball career began after he became the second overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft, signing with the Detroit Tigers. Now 42-years-old, Verlander is the oldest active player in the Majors and the 'most senior active athlete in any of the four major American sports,' per Elias. He's won three Cy Young Awards, nine All-Star selections, and two World Series rings and currently plays for the San Francisco Giants. Verlander is also very active in charity work, starting the Wins For Warriors Foundation in 2016 for veterans of the United States Military. The foundation also raised money in 2017 to help Houston recover from Hurricane Harvey. Verlander was honored with the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award in 2013. The pair started dating in 2014. In 2016, Verlander told Forbes magazine he and Upton have a 'normal relationship.' 'Kate's there a lot for me,' he said. 'And we're just normal people. You know, a normal relationship—believe it or not.' He proposed soon after, which she confirmed on the red carpet at the 2016 Met Gala, wearing her engagement ring. 'I'm really excited, he asked me right before season started so we've been keeping it on the down low for quite a while,' she told E! News at the time. 'So I'm excited to finally be able to share it with the world!' The pair tied the knot in November 2017 in Tuscany, Italy. Upton first announced she was expecting with an Instagram post in 2018, writing, '#PregnantinMiami,' and tagging her husband. Genevieve, sometimes called Vivi, was born that November. In an interview with The Houston Chronicle, Verlander said Vivi is 'really starting to get into it' when Verlander is playing on TV, sharing how she saw him playing at the clubhouse. 'She just stopped, looking at the screen, and said, 'Daddy, that's you!'' he explained. Upton told Extra in early 2019 that she was not considering having another baby anytime soon, because she had just started 'sleeping through the night' again. But bay number two arrived on June 19, 2025. In 2019, Verlander told People about how fatherhood changed how he plays ball. 'I would like to be able to play long enough that my daughter can see me and remember me playing baseball when she grows older,' he explained. 'Maybe if anything, it's going to push me to stay in shape and stay healthy, and be a good pitcher as long as I possibly can. I want her to be able to remember me on the field.'
