Chris Stein’s daughter Akira passed away a few months ago. The Blondie guitarist recently revealed the cause of her death to be an overdose in a Facebook post and paid her tribute. He wrote:
“We lost our daughter and sister Akira at the end of May to an overdose. I’ve been posting as usual because it distracts from the heartbreak.”
With more detail, Stein added:
“There are a lot of you I care for that didn’t know, and even though it’s not like me to post personal events publicly, Akira was important to many. She was wonderful and a bright place in the world. She had been struggling for a few years, and addiction took her.”
He went on to mention his family’s current state:
“Barbara, Vali, and I are moving ahead, but there’s a huge piece missing from our lives. Just remember her and be kind to each other and you young people; please avoid this trap.”
At the end of his post, the guitarist shared the E.E. Cummings poem ‘I Carry Your Heart With Me’ in Akira’s memory.
Chris Stein hasn’t performed for Blondie’s tours over the last year. He also didn’t join them during the Pyramid Stage show at Glastonbury 2023, and Glenn Matlock stepped in his place.
The guitarist announced his absence in 2022 through a tweet. He explained the reason by writing:
“I’m sad and frustrated to report that I’m not going out with the next bunch of Blondie touring. I’ve been dealing with a dumbass condition called Atrial Fibrillation or AFib which is irregular heartbeats, and combined with the meds I take for it; I’m too fatigued to deal.”
You can read Stein’s post about his daughter here.
