Duffy - Biography
Duffy’s sudden rise to fame in 2008 is a testament to her tenacious will. Still in her early twenties, the singer has already been dealt a fair share of rejection and has more than once nearly given up on her dream of a singing career. On paper, her trials and tribulations in music read like that of someone twice her age. This is not your everyday corporation-constructed mouthpiece sent to capitalize on the Motown revival trend spearheaded by Amy Winehouse. For all intents and purposes, she is the real thing. All of the songs on Duffy’s debut album, Rockferry (2008 Polydor), were either written or co-written by her. The lyrics are the product of her constant scribbling in a notebook, something she’s been doing since she could hold a crayon. While her album has not been as well-reviewed as Winehouse’s Back to Black (2006 Island) or Lily Allen’s Alright, Still (2006 – Regal/Parlophone), Duffy has a highly accomplished debut on her hands. She and producer Bernard Butler have captured her chosen retro sound perfectly.
Along with twin sister Katy Ann, Amy Ann Duffy was born on June 23, 1984 in Bangor, Gwynedd in North Wales and raised in nearby Nefyn, a small town on the coast of the Llyn Peninsula. At age six, she knew she wanted nothing more than to sing professionally, but kept this desire secret. She began writing her own lyrics around this time, carrying a notebook with her and filling it with song sketches. She took to absorbing the collection of classic LPs owned by her parents, instilling in herself a respect for music that perhaps isn’t found in some of her contemporaries. When her vocal talents were in their early developmental stages, they were not recognized as talents, necessarily; she was kicked out of a school choir on the grounds that her voice was too big and did not fit in with the rest. At the age of 10, Amy Ann moved with her mother and two sisters to a village near Fishguard in South Wales, following the divorce of her parents.
She began fronting local groups and played in Welsh clubs throughout her teens. At one point during those years she toured Europe, but it was a struggle that found Duffy (she jettisoned her first two names at the age of 19) barely scraping by. When she finally returned home, she was broke and exhausted. While studying at Chester University, she was encouraged by one of her teachers to continue pursuing a music career. Duffy took the advice, dropping out of college and getting a job as a waitress. She began singing at a blues bar in Chester, where she had developed something of a fan base. In 2004, Rough Trade owner Jeannette Lee caught wind of the talented 20-year-old and offered to become her agent. She took Duffy under her wing and introducing her to Bernard Butler, whom she saw as a potential collaborator. Butler had an impressive musical resume and was once hailed as the greatest guitarist of his generation during his time in beloved Brit-pop band, Suede. The guitarist quickly learned of Duffy’s lack of musical knowledge and responded by filling her iPod with tracks by Scott Walker, Bettye Swan, Al Green, and even more recent acts like Beyonce. Duffy would listen to these songs during the five-hour trip from her Wales home to Butler’s house in London.
Together, Duffy and Butler churned out a number of album-worthy songs including “Rockferry” (2007 A&M/Polydor), which became a single. The song introduced UK audiences to Duffy’s husky, Dusty Springfield-esque voice. When the singer first sang it in front of her new partner, Butler liked it but encouraged her to bring the melody up a fifth. Shy about her voice, she resisted but eventually gave in, resulting in one of the most captivating songs on the subsequent LP. The Butler-produced Rockferry (2008 Polydor) arrived on US shores on May 13, 2008 to mostly enthusiastic reviews. American audiences were dealt a nice dose of the rising star with the ubiquitous single “Mercy.” The success of the single pushed Duffy’s debut all the way to number four on the Billboard 200. The single shot to number one in the UK, making Duffy the first Welsh female singer to reach the top spot on the charts in 25 years. Subsequent singles “Warwick Avenue” and “Stepping Stone” also fared well, helping Rockferry to become 2008’s biggest-selling album in the UK.
Like Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen, Duffy has become an easy target for the tabloids. It didn’t take long for the British press to unearth some shocking details regarding her stepfather and his alcoholic ex-wife who allegedly paid to have him killed (the plan was foiled when her chosen co-conspirator went to the police). Duffy knew that these details would surface were she ever to become famous and when they did, she reacted calmly. The argument can be made that Duffy is the classiest of her neo-soul contemporaries. It’s hard to picture the drug-free Duffy singing a song about rehab or drunkenly insulting Elton John on television. However, the warts-and-all approach to a public persona taken by both Allen and Winehouse has almost endeared them to the press. Duffy, on the other hand, is an enigmatic, cute girl with a devilish smile that, given her openness, doesn’t even seem to be hiding anything devilish.
Public persona aside, Duffy’s music is flourishing on its own. At the 2009 Brit Awards, she won for Best British Female, Best British Breakthrough Act, and Best Album, beating both Coldplay and Radiohead. Also that year, Duffy took home a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album. In 2010 she released her second LP entitled Endlessly.