Blondie’s Debbie Harry posted on the band’s official IG page and opened up about their guitarist Chris Stein’s daughter Akira’s recent passing. Debbie began by thanking fans for their birthday wishes, as she turned 78 on July 1:
“Dear fans and friends, I had an awakening at the end of Blondie’s recent tour, which came from all of you on my birthday. All the birthday wishes and generous presents are such a sweet reminder of the loyalty of our Blondie fans, so thank you for that.”
Harry expressed her disbelief towards her health and well-being despite her age:
“It’s hard for me to believe at my age ’cause I’m still playing music for you all and luckily, in spite of a few injuries and surgeries, can still put on a show, and the best part, many of you are still in the audience.”
She then mentioned Akira Stein’s passing due to fentanyl overdose and shared her grief. She also warned her fans about drug addiction:
“The flip side of this positivity is the loss of my goddaughter Akira. She was just turning 20, and we lost her to fentanyl. So my joys and sorrows are all the more extreme. While on stage, sometimes I felt she was there watching, just like when she was a little girl, standing with her sister Vali, their faces made up like mine, and dancing around on the side of the stage.
I will grieve for the rest of my life, along with Barbara Sicuranza and Chris Stein, her mom and dad, and her sister Vali, at our terrible loss. Fentanyl is too dangerous, seductive, and easy to get.”
On July 22, Chris Stein posted on his Facebook about Akira and shared his feelings, also informed about his family’s current situation:
“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.
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.”
You can check Chris Stein’s post and Debbie Harry’s post here.