Clem Burke, multifaceted drummer of iconic rock group Blondie, has died

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Clem Burke, multifaceted drummer of iconic rock group Blondie, has died

2025-04-08 12:10 Last Updated At：12:30

Clem Burke, whose versatile drumming propelled the iconic rock group Blondie during its decades performing everything from new-wave punk to disco-infused tunes, has died. He was 70.

The band said in a statement on its website Monday that he died from cancer but no additional details were provided.

“Clem was not just a drummer; he was the heartbeat of Blondie,” the band said in a statement. “His talent, energy, and passion for music were unmatched, and his contributions to our sound and success are immeasurable.”

The self-proclaimed “rock & roll survivalist” started playing the drums when he was 14 in his school orchestra but was kicked out for playing too loud, according to Blondie’s website. In the 1970’s, he answered a band's ad in the Village Voice seeking a “freak energy” rock drummer, kicking off his decades-long career with lead singer Debbie Harry and the rest of his Blondie bandmates.

The band recorded its first album in 1976 and by the following year was touring with such icons as Iggy Pop and David Bowie. It became known as the most commercially successful band to emerge from a fertile New York rock scene that also produced Talking Heads and the Ramones.

In 2006 Burke and the other original members of Blondie were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame after selling more than 42 million records, according to Blondie's website.

During the late 1970s and early ’80s, the band had eight Top 40 hits, including four No. 1s: “Heart of Glass,” “Call Me,” “The Tide Is High” and “Rapture,” which is regarded as the first No. 1 hit to feature rap. There’s also a five-track 1975 album demo that includes “Platinum Blonde,” a sort of band mission statement. But Burke’s mark was especially solidified with his rapid, powerful drumming at the start of “Dreaming” in 1979.

In 2022, after unearthing a New Wave treasure trove of reel-to-reel tapes, cassettes and records, the band created the box set “Blondie: Against the Odds, 1974-1982,” with 124 tracks and 36 previously unissued recordings, demos, outtakes and remixed versions of Blondie’s initial six studio albums.

Burke reflected on the discovery in an Associated Press article: “We never would have thought that we would still be here today. Looking back at our archives, it’s pretty amazing.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame described Burke in a post Monday on the social platform X as “a versatile and distinctive drummer who played exactly what each song required – and, when called for, let loose with blistering punk rock energy.”

NBA playoff guide: Who plays when, how to watch, what the odds are

2025-04-21 21:10 Last Updated At：21:21

Stephen Curry made a wild shot. Oklahoma City made a lot of shots.

Day 2 of the NBA playoffs had four games, all of them decided by double digits. The Thunder routed Memphis by 51 points, the fifth-biggest margin in NBA postseason history to take Game 1 of that series.

Cleveland beat Miami 121-100, Boston beat Orlando 103-86 and Golden State downed Houston 95-85. The Warriors led by as many as 23 in that game, with Curry's viral 3-pointer midway through the third quarter pushing the margin to 64-41.

And now come a pair of Game 2s on Monday, with New York trying to take a 2-0 lead over Detroit and Denver seeking a 2-0 lead over the Los Angeles Clippers.

All times Eastern

7:30 p.m. — Detroit at New York (TNT/truTV)

10 p.m. — L.A. Clippers at Denver (TNT/truTV)

All times Eastern

7 p.m. — Milwaukee at Indiana (NBA TV)

7:30 p.m. — Memphis at Oklahoma City (TNT/truTV)

10 p.m. — Minnesota at L.A. Lakers (TNT/truTV)

All times Eastern

7 p.m. — Orlando at Boston (TNT/truTV)

7:30 p.m. — Miami at Cleveland (NBA TV)

9:30 p.m. — Golden State at Houston (TNT/truTV)

Oklahoma City (+165) is favored to win the NBA title, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, followed closely by Boston (+200). After that, it's Cleveland (+600), Golden State (+1400), the Los Angeles Lakers (+1600), Denver (+2500), New York (+2800), then Minnesota and the Los Angeles Clippers (both +3500).

From there, it's some real long shots: Indiana (+6600), Houston (+8000), Milwaukee (+12500), Detroit (+50000), Miami (+75000), and then Memphis and Orlando (both +100000).

Golden State, the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, is favored (-375) to win its series against No. 2 seed Houston. The Warriors entered that matchup favored, and Sunday's win moved those odds even more.

Monday — Draft lottery tiebreaker is held at 3 p.m. Eastern.

April 26 — NBA early entry deadline.

May 3 — Earliest possible start date for Round 2 of the playoffs. Series could also start on May 4, May 5 or May 6.

—Preview of Monday's games: Pistons-Knicks, Clippers-Nuggets.

— The NBA finalists for seven awards are released.

— The playoffs could be wide-open. Again.

— A look inside the numbers of this season, headed into the playoffs.

— Cleveland's Kenny Atkinson wins NBCA coach of the year award.

— Teams that took a double-digit lead in Game 1s over the weekend went 7-1. The Clippers blew a 15-point lead to Denver; every other team that led by 10 or more went on to win.

— The five teams that were favored by six or more points (Oklahoma City, Boston, Cleveland, New York and Indiana), according to BetMGM Sportsbook, went 5-0 over the weekend. The three favorites of less than six points (the Lakers, Denver and Houston) went 0-3.

— Golden State coach Steve Kerr is now the seventh coach with 100 playoff wins. He's tied with Larry Brown on the all-time list, behind Phil Jackson (229), Pat Riley (171), Gregg Popovich (170), Doc Rivers (113) and Erik Spoelstra (110).

— Stephen Curry also joined the 100 club; he played in his 100th playoff win on Sunday for the Warriors, while Draymond Green tied Klay Thompson for most games played (158) and most games won (108) in Warriors playoff history. That doesn't count play-in games, which are not officially recognized in NBA all-time statistics.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba