The $1million court case at the heart of Blondie
Quite often, when a band makes the decision to reunite, it’s not the full original line-up and only features some founding members. Despite this being common courtesy in the music business, when Blondie reunited after 15 years away in 1997, two former group members filed a lawsuit worth $1million after they were not invited to partake in the comeback.
While guitarist Frank Infante and bassist Nigel Harrison were in the band when Blondie gained immense popularity, they were not founding members. Although Harrison did play with the band at a handful of reunion dates in 1997, he was kicked out of Blondie soon afterwards, a decision which cost him a lucrative payday. After exiting the group, Harrison teamed up with Infante to take on their former band in a lawsuit, which was ultimately unsuccessful.
In the pair’s defence, the duo were listed as financial partners in the band when Blondie split in 1981. Therefore, they believed they were in the right to sue the band for loss of earnings and prevent them from touring under the banner of Blondie. In a press statement, a representative for the group said they “deny any claim of wrongdoing against Harrison and Infante, and are confident that they are fully entitled to proceed with their current plans, including the use of the name ‘Blondie’.”
After the court case failed, the two former members of the group were forced to reunite with Blondie when the band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Much to their annoyance, they weren’t allowed to perform at the ceremony, and the tension between the current members was palpable for all to feel.
Former member Gary Valentine also partook in the 1997 reunion before leaving the band but didn’t sue Blondie. He wrote of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in The Guardian: “But the award for ‘most awkward moment’ has to go to my old buddies. Word had come down well before the night that the current Blondie crew wouldn’t perform with ex-members, and were reluctant even to share the podium with us. I briefly wondered if nostalgia and the significance of the event would temporarily mend old rifts, and I’d have a chance to play a few old numbers.”
It’s been over 25 years since the Blondie reunion, and the group are still going strong today. While the supporting cast has changed over the years, the core triumvirate of Debbie Harry, Clem Burke, and Chris Stein has remained the same. Those three individuals are Blondie, and as long as they continue to perform together, their spirit can’t be questioned.
Watch the trio tear through a rendition of ‘Heart Of Glass’ at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2006 below.
