A life unparalleled for Debbie as star marks 80th birthday

Queen of punk's still got it after decades in the music spotlight

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Since the dawn of rock and roll it's fair to say there have been few female stars more iconic and influential than Deborah Harry.

Today, as the blonde bombshell of punk turns 80, we reflect on Debbie's journey from struggling waitress to global icon, and explore how she became one of music's most enduring and influential figures.

Born Angela Tremble in Miami in 1945 and adopted by a New Jersey family, Debbie Harry's path to stardom was anything but conventional.

Before stepping into the spotlight, she worked a string of odd jobs, from secretary to Playboy Bunny. In the late 1960s, she dipped her toes in the music industry as a backing vocalist for the folk-rock group The Wind in the Willows.