Debbie Harry, born on this day in 1945, has been a bigger influence on women and women artists than on music even. If, on the top of my head, I had to name a person who embodies “I am good enough“, guess who comes to mind first?
You just don’t see her taking advice of how she should be, talk, walk, dress, think, or do. And yes, she had a cool image and she was pretty, even stunning, but she was in charge of it.
Despite the long career, there were no scandals, no boring stories about a transformation (“there I was, and now look at me today, being all that!”), no damsel in distress act, nothing to appease the audience — and yet, she made it. That is a good signal to women that we can do it — not by following, not by listening to unsupportive, changeable opinions, but by being ourselves.
Thanks to Debbie Harry for paving the way. Happy birthday.
1 July 2016
Nanda Jurela 