Blondie drummer Clem Burke has died at age 70.
The band issued a statement saying that Burke died from cancer. It reads, "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. Beyond his musicianship, Clem was a source of inspiration both on and off the stage. His vibrant spirit, infectious enthusiasm and rock solid work ethic touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.
"We extend our deepest condolences to Clem’s family, friends and fans around the world. His legacy will live on through the tremendous amount of music he created and the countless lives he touched. As we navigate this profound loss, we ask for privacy during this difficult time. Godspeed, Dr. Burke."
- Clem Burke was born Clement Bozewski on November 24th, 1954 in Bayonne, New Jersey.
- Burke learned his trade behind the drum kit by playing in various Jersey cover bands and Bayonne's Saint Andrew Bridgmen Drum and Bugle Corps in his teens.
- Debbie Harry and Chris Stein recruited Burke when they were first starting Blondie and he finally joined the band in early 1975. He also brought in bassist Gary Valentine when the original bassist, Fred Smith, left to join Television.
- Burke played on every studio album released during Blondie's original run from 1976 to 1982. He joined Harry and Stein in reforming the band in the late 90s and played an all of their studio albums from 1999 to 2017.
- During Blondie's hiatus Burke found himself as an in demand drummer. He played on albums by Pete Townshend, Iggy Pop, Joan Jett and Bob Dylan.
- Burke also joined various bands during this time. He was a member of Eurythmics for their 1986 album and tour for Revenge. He was a member of The Romantics from 1990 to 2004. And he joined fellow New Jersey natives Dramarama from 1991 to 1994.
- Burke was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 all with the rest of Blondie. He also did a couple of fill ins for other Rock Hall acts -- in 1987 he did two shows for the Ramones under the name Elvis Ramone. And in 2021 he did a fill in for The Go-Go's when their drummer Gina Schock was recovering from surgery.
- In 2011 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Gloucestershire in England.
- In 2013 he formed The Empty Hearts with Cars' guitarist Elliot Easton, Romantics' singer and guitarist Wally Palmar, and bassist Andy Babiuk from The Chesterfield Kings. They released two albums -- 2014's The Empty Hearts and 2020's The Second Album.
A number of musicians have paid tribute to Burke.
Here's the original post about it from official Blondie Instagram page.
Here's posts about it from official SM pages of The Romantics, Stevie Van Zandt, Joan Jett, and Ronnie Wood.