Duffy - The Loss of a Living Star

Why did she leave the spotlight? The heartbreaking truth behind Grammy award winning Welsh singer Duffy.

Duffy’s debut album Rockferry (2008) was the first CD I was ever bought, at the age of 11. I loved it that much, I went on to perform a rendition of ‘Mercy’ in a talent competition the same year. I think you always have certain artists you just instantaneously click with and connect to, Duffy has always been one of those for me. She really is a prodigy, her second album Endlessly (2010) was supposedly written in three weeks… three weeks for an entire album?! Although Endlessly didn’t hit off as much as her debut studio album, it still made the cut for the top 10 in the UK, Denmark, Finland, Greece, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland. Endlessly has also been certified gold in four European countries including in the UK. Not to mention the huge success of her debut - Duffy was doing fairly well for herself to say the least.

Now for those that haven’t heard recent news about Duffy, she’s been through a lot. By a lot, I mean - she’s been raped, drugged, kidnapped, stalked and threatened to be killed - to the point she has had to go completely off-grid and move house five times due to her attacker finding her and continuing to place threats. She even reached a point where she was researching into changing her name and starting a new life elsewhere as someone else. Police are now involved, however there doesn’t seem to be much of an update on the case. Duffy had come out of hiding a few months ago and created a website whereby she felt the need to share her experiences after ten years of silence and isolation to help others understand and appreciate why she seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth without a word. 

Duffy often gets related to Amy Winehouse in her sound, because she has that distinctive soulful twang. Think how big Amy made it, and if Duffy had kept going, how big would she have made it? Her debut album Rockferry (2008) had four huge singles on it, 'Rockferry', 'Mercy', 'Warwick Avenue', and 'Rain on Your Parade' - the album was a humongous success. In fact, the album was that much of a success it went on to be the best-selling album of 2008 in the UK. We had another British female superstar in the line up, who was soon snatched away from the industry and from herself.

On 5th April 2020, Duffy created a website for her story to be read and shared on duffywords.com where she opens up about her endured trauma, “For me, in these hours, I recall the words of Maya Angelou who once said “there is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you”, and I share mine with you today.” There’s no sugar coating it, it is a hard story to read, so if you’re not in the best head space - I wouldn’t recommend it. 

Anyone that’s been through trauma, especially the extent of trauma that Duffy endured will know it’s hard to speak out about it, and often you think you’ve done something to deserve it, or that your life will be at risk. In her article she states, “And as I grieved what 'I must have done to invite this into my life', I read something that said, “in the end, it’s never between them and you, it’s always between them and God”. That helped me a lot in the absence of justice.”

The fact that this person has not only ruined her career but literally ruined Duffy’s entire livelihood, living in fear of the next day and what could (potentially) happen. Her thoughts are now swarmed with severe anxiety and paranoia and her escape (music) she no longer relies on. Duffy announced she won’t be releasing any music soon and she just came out of hiding to announce her story, and explain why she’s been gone for so long. 

It’s scary how celebrities can drop off the radar and no one thinks anything of it. Her friends and family didn’t even know. There’s a lot of unanswered questions regarding the drugging and kidnap, but they aren’t what is important. What’s important is that Duffy is now safe, accepting help, going through recovery and hopefully putting herself back together again - piece by piece. Making music seems to be incredibly off the cards for the near future for Duffy, however she hasn’t written it off completely. 

A whim of joy rushed over me when I watched the Kray twins film ‘Legend’(2015) featuring Tom Hardy and heard Duffy’s wonderful distinctive voice. I knew it was her. I googled the cast, and you betcha - it was Duffy. This installed some hope in me that maybe she’s just had a mere hiatus in her career, possibly had a child? And that she’s coming back - soon. But, that wasn’t the case. Silence again, until she announced the news of her incredibly devastating story. 

What right does that person have to completely destroy another person, especially someone who has so much ahead of them and such a great future. Who would have loved to see Amy and Duffy duet together? I would have. Who would’ve loved to see her live, supporting or headlining? She could’ve been rolling in money, reveling in adoration, but instead she resides in complete seclusion and isolation as she aims to hide from those that hurt and tortured her. Duffy was trafficked, drugged, and physically, sexually, and mentally abused by an unknown perpetrator - if this can happen to someone as big as Duffy without anyone batting an eyelid? How many other people have experienced this sort of thing and kept it to themselves, suffering in silence?

She wasn’t cancelled, she didn’t get in any conflict with her record label, she was selling thousands of records, breaking through into mainstream pop and then just like that.. Poof! She vanished. No one questions it. No journalists. Nothing. It’s like she was just a one hit wonder that failed to make it. That couldn’t be further from the truth. 

We lost someone who’s still alive, even right now. That’s the worst way to lose someone, it’s like having a relative with dementia in a way, they’re here but they’re not. Duffy is such a talent and such an amazing, beautiful woman and it truly breaks my heart to know she’s experienced what she has and she feels as though she can’t ever bounce back to her old self, and live her past life before the attack. 

On June 18th she posted a track on her Instagram (her only post) called ‘River in the Sky’ which she says is “For Better Days to Come” and that appears to be the last music we will hear from Duffy for the foreseeable future. It seems as though Duffy has found comfort in the world’s current situation and despite what she’s been through, she can sympathise with the rest of the world and the struggles they’re going through due to what’s going on at the moment. Duffy has seemed to have found solace in opening up about her trauma, and says at the end of the article - “I can now leave this decade behind. Where the past belongs. Hopefully no more “what happened to Duffy" questions, now you know… and I am free.”

Duffy, wherever you are - you are so loved and you will forever be missed. I await upon your return, but I know that isn’t inevitable. I hope you are keeping well and despite it all, keeping your head above the clouds. One day at a time. X

Duffy - the loss of a living star

Ian Brown - 'F.E.A.R' Released On This Day 2001

‘F.E.A.R.’ is the first single from Ian Brown's third solo album, Music of the Spheres. Released on 17th Sept. 2001 - 19 years ago today. The track placed No.13 on the UK Singles Chart and was both a commercial and critical success.

For those who don’t already know, Ian Brown is the ex-frontman of the legendary Mancunian alt-rock band The Stone Roses. After their breakup in 1996, Ian went solo and released his first album Unfinished Monkey Business in 1998. For his third studio album, Music of the Spheres, Brown sought outside production help for the first time. He also toured the US for the first time as a solo artist in support of the album.

The main track off Music of the Spheres is ‘F.E.A.R’. Having been used to the DIY techniques of the 80s and 90s, things had changed by 2001. Brown clocked on to the change allowing him to simply roll with it, he hired songwriter and producer Dave McCracken to help collaborate with him on the album instead of doing it all by himself like his previous work. However, besides getting some help on the music front, F.E.A.R also became Brown’s directorial debut.  It featured footage of the singer slowly riding a bicycle through the busy streets of Soho and Chinatown in London, which was then reversed to give the impression of being ridden backwards. The route followed was from Berwick Street to Gerrard Street.

F.E.A.R was such a success because it displayed Brown’s capabilities and talents as a songwriter - proving his intricate genius. The song would also go on to spell F.E.A.R in every stanza. For example, “[F]or [E]veryman [A] [R]eligion” / “ [F]or [E]verything [A] [R]eason” - the whole song continues in this manner, and each verse forms the acrostic "F.E.A.R."

“Fantastic expectations, amazing revelations. Finding everything and realizing, for everything a reason.”

In an interview with Clash Magazine, Brown indicated that a main influence for ‘F.E.A.R.’ was The Autobiography of Malcolm X, which preached the study of etymology, so that one could have control over people through the use of language."I just found it a better way to amuse myself in a hotel room than watching the porn channel," Brown recalls.  Brown then proceeded to create hundreds of mnemonics from the word "fear".

The lyrical genius that is Ian Brown never ceases to amaze me - he just makes you think on that extra level, every time. Although he’s had some great solo tunes such as, ‘My Star’ (1998), ‘Dolphins Were Monkeys’(1999) and ‘Stellify’ (2009) - F.E.A.R is definitely his best (solo track) so far. Happy anniversary to F.E.A.R - 19 years old today! What a record.

The Pioneer of Reggae and Toots & the Maytals Frontman Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert Dies Aged 77

Jamaican reggae pioneer Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert has died at the age of 77. The legendary musician fronted the reggae and ska band Toots & the Maytals from the early 1960s. The Toots & the Maytals announced that frontman, Hibbert "passed away peacefully" in Kingston, Jamaica surrounded by his family, on Friday 11th Sept. His death comes just weeks after the release of Got to Be Tough, the band's first full-length album in more than a decade. 

Hibbert is credited with popularising reggae music and even naming the genre - his 1968 single ‘Do the Reggay’ is the first song to use the term and he labelled the genre for the next generation. At the time, the word reggae didn't exist. The music, which was an evolution of ska and rocksteady, had been called blue-beat or boogie-beat until Hibbert intervened.

"The music was there and no-one didn't know what to call it," he told 6 Music.

"And in Jamaica we had a slang - if we're not looking so good, if we're looking raggedy, we'd call it 'streggae'. That's where I took it from.”

Not only did he coin the term Reggae and go on to influence thousands of artists across the world, his talent wasn’t just in his songwriting and musicianship - it was in his voice too - he was an incredible vocalist - so much so he’s made his mark in the Rolling Stones list for top 100 singers of all time hitting number 71 - putting him above other talented singers like Stevie Nicks, BB King, Morrissey and Dolly Parton. 

Breaking through into the global mainstream was helped by some great international acts covering his songs such as Monkey Man (1969) which has been covered by the late Amy Winehouse and ska group, The Specials. However ‘Pressure Drop’(1973) was arguably the song that ultimately made them a worldwide success, and helped to launch the band’s career outside of Jamaica. ‘Pressure Drop’ featured on the soundtrack to the 1972 film ‘The Harder They Come’, which went on to introduce reggae to the rest of the world. This song has been covered often by a variety of artists, most notoriously, The Specials, The Clash and Keith Richards.

1973 was a staple primitive time in the band’s career, as they bounced back from Hibbert’s arrest and released the album ‘Funky Kingston’ which went on to feature some of their most famous hits, such as title track ‘Funky Kingston’, ‘Louie Louie’, and ‘Pressure Drop’. Also, after his brief stint in prison back in 1967 for a minor marijuana offence, Hibbert went on to write perhaps their most well-known hit - ‘54-46 Was My Number’. The song tells the tale of him getting arrested, and his trouble with the policeman. Frederick Hibbert’s ability to storytell, combined with funk-lined ska beats, positive affirmations, and socially conscious lyrics are what made him such an influential legend and led him to create the punk of Jamaica - the genre that is reggae. 

According to The Guardian, in 2012, he laid out his ethos for reggae for Interview magazine, describing his songs as “a message of consolation; a message of salvation. The youth are going to the school and they have to listen to the words. The parents have to listen to the words. God has to listen to the words. So, we have to make it positive. If you sing nursery rhymes, it is nothing. You just blow up tomorrow, and the record dies at the same time. But if you give positive words, that song lives for ever.” - And that is why the ‘old’ music is the gold music.

Celebrity tributes poured in from the likes of Ziggy Marley, UB40, Blondie, The Who, The Selector, Lee Scratch Perry and many more for this well-loved and highly respected artist.

RIP Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert, may your memory live on! 

RandL 2021 Line Up: Lack of Female Talent or Blatant Sexism?

After Reading and Leeds Festival announced their headliners and some of the acts, there has been uproar on social media about the lack of representation of female artists. This does beg the question.. Is there a lack of female talent, and that no female acts are worthy of being headliners? Absolutely not. To name a few females that would make incredible headliners, who are active in their music making, staying relevant, and selling records are: Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Halsey, Billie Eilish, Florence + the Machine, Paramore, Cardi B, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, and Lana Del Ray, could all easily headline R&L - and bring in large, great crowds. 

I mean the line up isn’t exactly great - full stop. There are so many bands/artists that are more worthy of those headline slots in comparison to those who have been given them. Hear me out...

Post Malone is ok… but let’s face it - his last album Hollywood’s Bleeding (2019) was a bit of a flop. Especially in comparison to his first two albums that gave him the success and fame he has now. Catfish and the Bottlemen... great band - in 2015. Catfish are a great slot on a festival because they’re a classic indie band with a few mainstream hits, but they are in no way deserving of a headline slot at Reading and Leeds - especially not in 2021. Same thing as Mr.Malone, great first two albums which got them their success, however Catfish peaked in 2015/2016… and this is for a festival in 2021…I feel like even Stormzy and Liam Gallagher as headlines don’t see fit. The line up is just so out-dated, clearly just like RandL’s political stance.

Some great new music has been brought out in the last 12 months from female artists, such as Taylor Swift’s new Folklore album, Halsey’s Manic, Dua Lipa’s disco album Future Nostalgia, Lady Gaga’s unapologetic pop album Chromatica and Lana Del Ray’s Norman Fucking Rockwell to name a few. These albums have all been, and still are, absolutely huge. 

It’s as though festivals add female artists to the line up just to cover their own back rather than because they actually think they’d be a good act. They tend to see no competition with female artists fighting for the headline slots over male artists, and it’s not to do with a lack of talent or the headliners being ridiculously more successful and on trend than other acts. It is just blatant sexism still being displayed at one of the biggest festivals in the UK in 2020. 

For anyone that’s got any arguments against this, I suggest you look at this list that’s been collated of all the headliners across the past ten years at Reading and Leeds. Like @CiaraW_Media says, “It’s time to acknowledge the sexism in the industry and the lack of representation for non-male artists.” The more we let this happen, the more it will continue to happen. There’s some fierce female competition out there for headline slots in 2020 and yet they’re being ignored and completely disregarded again for someone that made it big three to four years ago and has been practically living under a rock ever since. 

Regardless of gender - the acts should be selected on what the audience wants, and who is trending right now. This line up would’ve suited 2016, but come on … so much more music has been released since, and so many more hot new artists have emerged. To have no females headlining in 2020, the year everyone’s been fighting for equality really does speak volumes for the festival organisers… Read the room... The only positive thing about the line up so far is Doja Cat. Where’s Cardi B? Meg Thee Stallion? Nicki Minaj? Jorja Smith? Come on! 

People (mainly men) will say, “If you don’t like the line-up, then don’t go!” Again, this is just ignoring the problem which will continue if everyone remains quiet about the lack of non-male representation within the headline slots at festivals, and in the music industry as a whole. You might like all of the headliners but it doesn’t deter from the fact the festival clearly isn’t supporting any of the female artists within the industry - even after all these years, and all of these complaints. There’s so much female talent out there at the moment, yet still we can’t have ONE female headliner? It really is pathetic, and incredibly embarrassing on their behalf. The female talent is out there and readily available, but it's just not being chosen. That is the bottom line.