Look like Debbie Harry of Blondie? Hawthorne wants to give you a prize

HAWTHORNE — Any Debbie Harry doppelgängers out there?

No, Blondie is not breaking up — no one needs you to step into the shoes of the real punk-rock goddess.

But, one of the feature attractions of the 10th annual Hawthorne Day will be a look-alike contest in honor of Harry, the actress, model and lead singer of Blondie, who grew up in the borough and graduated from Hawthorne High School in 1963.

"We thought that, in honor of the 10th anniversary, we would have a contest for Hawthorne's famous citizen," said Mayor Richard Goldberg.

Hawthorne Day kicks off at noon Saturday at the band shell and municipal pool complex, at the intersection of May Street and Wagaraw Road.

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Free registration for the contest — a first for the borough — will take place at the event's information booth until 4 p.m.; the contest will start at the band shell at 4:30 p.m.

Harry said she has "fond memories of growing up in Hawthorne" and that she was "happy" and "surprised" to hear about the contest.

It is going to be "fun for all the girls," she said through her publicist, Linda Carbone, in an email on Wednesday afternoon. "Thanks for keeping me in your hearts."

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Joseph Ross, chairman of the Hawthorne Day ad hoc committee, said a panel of judges will select three finalists. The contest will not follow a particular format, he said, adding the look-alikes can do whatever they want, within reason, to woo the judges. He said the winner will receive a $100 Visa gift card, runner-up a $75 gift card and second runner-up a $50 gift card.

"It'll be interesting to see who shows up, and how they dress," Ross said. "We're just hoping we get a lot of contestants."

Goldberg said he does not know how the contest will be received.

"I don't know if we're going to get one or 100 dressing up as Debbie Harry because it's kind of a shot in the dark," the mayor said, "but we thought it would be a fun thing to do to celebrate that day."

Ross, a longtime friend of Goldberg's, joked that he tried to persuade the mayor to participate in the contest.

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"I was trying to get the mayor to put on a blonde wig, but he won't do it," Ross said, laughing.

Harry, 73, was a sex symbol during her heyday in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Her stunning looks, complemented by bleached blonde hair and pouty lips, landed her a gig as a Playboy Bunny and, later, on covers of Penthouse and Rolling Stone magazines.

Born Angela Trimble in Miami, she was adopted by owners of a Hawthorne gift shop when she was 3 months old.

Harry formed Blondie with guitarist Chris Stein, who became her love interest, in New York City in 1974.

Blondie, known for hit singles including "Call Me," "Heart of Glass" and "Rapture," gained notoriety for blazing a trail of new wave rock-and-roll that blended elements of disco, pop and reggae. The band broke up in 1982, but it re-formed in 1997.

The band has released 11 studio albums and sold tens of millions of records. It was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland in 2006.

Besides the contest, Hawthorne Day will offer a full slate of activities, including a balloon artist; a dog show; kiddie rides; laser tag; a magic show; a reptile show; a rock-climbing wall; several musical acts; and a performance by Belles & Beaux Square Dance Club, of Elmwood Park and Glen Rock. A fireworks spectacular will cap entertainment at 8 p.m.

Email: devencentis@northjersey.com

Upcoming concerts

Blondie will perform at the following venues in the tri-state region this month:

At The Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, Connecticut, at 8 p.m. on Sept. 28. Tickets cost $125-$250. Doors will open for dinner, an open bar and a silent auction at 5:30 p.m.

At the Sea.Hear.Now Festival in Asbury Park at 5 p.m. on Sept. 29. Tickets cost $119-$389. The festival, headlined by Incubus and Jack Johnson, will begin at 1 p.m.