During Blondie’s first West Coast tour in 1978, Joan Jett, then a young, aspiring musician, became friends with Debbie Harry and Chris Stein. Jett felt a sense of mentorship from Harry and Stein, as she could ask them questions about their experiences in the music industry. Both Harry and Jett were determined to prove themselves as musicians, with Jett stating she wanted to “rock” and Harry setting out to prove she was as good as anyone.
“I was just a seventeen, eighteen year-old girl who wanted to rock and didn’t think much deeper than that, and I think she just got a kick out of that,” Jett said. “I really felt to a degree a mentor vibe from them, because I could ask them questions about things that they had experience with and I hadn’t.”
“I looked up to Debbie,” Jett continued, “because she was expressing herself in a way that was different than what I was doing, but I really respected her a lot because you could tell a lot of thought went into her writing and the way she presented herself.”
Over the years, they’ve supported each other in various ways. Joan Jett has covered Blondie songs, and Debbie Harry has praised Jett’s contributions to music. In interviews, both have spoken about their admiration for each other, with Harry recognizing Jett’s rebellious spirit and Jett appreciating Harry’s pioneering work in blending punk and pop.
They’ve appeared together at events, benefit concerts, and tributes, reinforcing their bond as two legendary women who reshaped rock music. Here’s a collection of 24 candid photographs of Debbie Harry hanging out with Joan Jett in the late 1970s:
