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Founding Blondie drummer Clem Burke died on Sunday (April 6) at age 70. The group announced the passing of their longtime bandmate on Monday morning (April 7), writing, “it is with profound sadness that we relay the news of the passing of our beloved friend and bandmate Clem Burke following a private battle with cancer.”

The statement continued: “Clem was not just a drummer; he was the heartbeat of Blondie. His talent, energy, and passion for music was 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.”

Burke (born Clement Anthony Bozewski in Bayonne, N.J. on Nov. 24, 1954) joined punk/new wave pioneers Blondie in 1975, not long after the group was formed by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein.

Burke performed on all of Blondie’s albums, from their 1976 self-titled debut, to their breakthrough 1978 LP Parallel Lines (which featured their Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Heart of Glass”), 1979’s Eat to the Beat and 1980’s Autoamerican. He was behind the kit during a pivotal, world-changing time in mid-1970s New York when Blondie, along with The Ramones, Patti Smith, Talking Heads and Television, were regularly playing in such legendary bars as CBGB and Max’s Kansas City, setting the stage for the punk revolution in America, and across the world.

Following their string of hit albums, the band announced their split in late 1982 before getting the original members back together for a brief 1997 tour and then a world jaunt the next year and a new album, No Exit, in 1999. The group’s eighth studio album, The Curse of Blondie, dropped in 2003, followed by more touring and 2014’s Ghosts of Download album and their final known recorded set with Burke, 2017’s Pollinator LP.

With an exuberant, high-energy style influenced by the Who’s Keith Moon and Beatles’ Ringo Starr — he played left-handed on a right-handed kit just like Ringo — Burke told Tidal in 2022 that he never thought of his day job as work. “Especially when I do things with my friends and my little side projects that I have with various bands,” he said. “With drumming, you kind of have to keep doing it. You don’t really wanna lose your chops. You wanna be prepared to play when you have to play. So it works both ways. I help people out by playing with them, and they help me to keep my abilities together.”

He also noted in that interview that the thing that initially attracted him to Stein and Harry was that he was on a quest to find his David Bowie, Jim Morrison or Mick Jagger. “I was emphatic about that. I needed to work with people that I felt had that sort of charisma and creativity,” he said. “Debbie was amazing. You could sense that immediately. And I’m not talking about just her beauty. I’m just talking about her whole essence as a human being, as a person. I would put her on the same level as Bowie, as far as the things that she comes up with creatively.”

After Blondie’s split in 1982, Burke stayed very busy performing and recording with a wide variety of bands, including the Romantics, Pete Townshend, Iggy Pop, Plimsouls, Bob Dylan, the Eurythmics, Joan Jett, Wanda Jackson, Dramarama, Nancy Sinatra and Johnny Thunders. He even briefly filled in for a couple of gigs in 1987 for his pals in the Ramones under the stage name Elvis Ramone. During his eight-year (1980-1988) run with the Eurythmics, Burke performed on three albums with the group, including on their 1986 Grammy winning single “Missionary Man.”

He also teamed up in 1983 with another ’80s punk icon, former (and again) Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones, to form the group Chequered Past with vocalist Michael Des Barres and bassist Tony Sales and former Blondie bassist Nigel Harrison. In keeping with his indefatigable work ethic and affection for fellow punk-era players, Burke formed another all-star group in 2011, the International Swingers, which featured another Sex Pistols refugee, bassist Glen Matlock, as well as Generation X guitarist James Stevenson and Supernaut singer Gary Twinn.

Burke is featured on all of the Blondie’s No. 1 hits, which also included “Call Me,” “The Tide Is High” and “Rapture,” providing whatever the songs needed, from funky disco-leaning rhythms to reggae, funk and pop beats. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 alongside bandmates Harry, Stein, founding keyboardist Jimmy Destri and bassist Gary Valentine and guitarist Frank Infante.

In their tribute to their lost friend, Blondie honored Burke’s many side gigs, writing, “Clem’s influence extended far beyond Blondie. A self proclaimed ‘Rock & Roll survivalist,’ he played and collaborated with numerous iconic artists, including Eurythmics, Ramones, Bob Dylan, Bob Geldof, Iggy Pop, Joan Jett, Chequered Past, The Fleshtones, The Romantics, Dramarama, The Adult Net, The Split Squad, The International Swingers, L.A.M.F., Empty Hearts, Slinky Vagabond, and even the Go-Go’s. His influence and contributions have spanned decades and genres, leaving an indelible mark on every project he was a part of.”

The message ended with condolences for Burke’s family, friends and fans across the world. “His legacy will live on through the tremendous amount of music he created and the countless lives he touched,” Blondie said.

See Blondie’s post here and check out some of the classic tunes Burke played on below.