Clem Burke ✝

Clement Burke (born Clement Anthony Bozewski; November 24, 1954) is an American musician who is best known as the drummer for the band Blondie from 1975, shortly after the band formed, throughout the band's entire career. He also played drums for the Ramones for a brief time in 1987, and performed under the name Elvis Ramone. Burke's early experiences behind the drum kit began in the late 1960s and early 1970s as one of the founding members of Bayonne's premier cover bands, Total Environment and Sweet Willie Jam Band. Burke also gained percussion knowledge from his stint as a drummer in the famed Saint Andrew Bridgmen Drum and Bugle Corps in Bayonne. Recruited by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein when Blondie was first forming in 1974, Burke joined Blondie in early 1975. He was a key figure in keeping the group together after Stein and Harry considered disbanding, following the departure of original bassist Fred Smith to Television and he recruited his friend Gary Valentine to play bass. Burke's style of playing was influenced by Hal Blaine, Keith Moon, Ringo Starr, and Earl Palmer. During the 1980s and 1990s, when Blondie was disbanded, Burke played drums for the Romantics (for whom Burke was the regular drummer between 1990 and 2004), Pete Townshend, Bob Dylan, Eurythmics, Dramarama, the Fleshtones, Iggy Pop, and Joan Jett, amongst others. He went on to record with the line-up of Chequered Past in 1983 with Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones, former Blondie bandmate Nigel Harrison, musician Tony Sales and singer/actor Michael Des Barres.