Obey Shepard Fairey 'Clem Burke' Print Release Details

Artist: Obey Shepard Fairey
Title: Clem Burke
Medium: Deckled Letterpress Print
Size: 12 x 16 Inches
Edition: 500
Prices: $90

*available at 1pm EST on Thursday October 9th, 2025

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Clement Anthony Burke known universally as Clem Burke was the kinetic engine behind Blondie and one of the most versatile drummers to emerge from the 1970s New York scene. Born November 24, 1954, in Bayonne, New Jersey, he grew up across the river from Manhattan, bashing paradiddles in St. Andrew’s Drum & Bugle Corps before falling for Chuck Berry and Keith Moon. Answering a Village Voice ad in 1975, he joined Debbie Harry and Chris Stein’s fledgling band, bringing Moon-style showmanship stick twirls, kit leaping finales and the precision to surf any genre Blondie threw at him: punk, disco, reggae or hip-hop. His thunderous groove powers four U.S. No. 1s, including “Heart of Glass” and the first rap-topped chart hit, “Rapture”.

When Blondie split in 1982 Burke became rock’s ultimate utility drummer, recording and touring with Eurythmics, Iggy Pop, Bob Dylan, Joan Jett and even two gigs as “Elvis Ramone” with the Ramones. He co-founded the Clem Burke Drumming Project in 2008, proving through sports-science tests that a drummer’s heart rate can match a Premier League footballer’s, research that earned him an honorary doctorate from the University of Gloucestershire. Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Blondie in 2006, he continued to tour and record until a private cancer battle ended his run on April 6, 2025. Debbie Harry’s tribute called him “the heartbeat of Blondie,” a title that, for generations of fans, will keep time long after the sticks have fallen silent.