Duffy

Duffy (born Aimee Anne Duffy, 23.6.1984)

Duffy is a Welsh singer-songwriter, who rose to fame with the release of her debut album, Rockferry. She is the first Welsh female to have a UK number one single in the last 25 years.

Duffy: Childhood

Duffy was born and raised in Nefyn, North Wales. She has a twin sister, Katy and one older sister, Kelly. When she was 10, Duffy's parents divorced and she moved to Pembrokeshire, where she lived with her sisters and her mother.

When she was younger, Duffy was asked to leave her school choir, as her voice was 'too distinctive.' Aged 15, however, she began singing in local bands and in 2002 embarked on a musical project in Switzerland with Soren Mounir.

Duffy: Musical Career

Duffy's professional singing career began to escalate when she sang on two tracks for Mint Royale's See You in the Morning album. She later met Owen Powell (of Catatonia) and Richard Parfitt (of 60ft Dolls), who introduced her to Jeanette Lee, the music manager and former member of Public Image Ltd.

Lee encouraged Duffy to relocate to London and introduced her to former Suede guitarist, Bernard Butler. Butler gave Duffy a number of old soul artists to listen to on her iPod and together, they concocted a new 'retro' sound for the singer.

In 2007, Duffy signed a contract with A&M Records. After signing the deal, she was often cited as being 'the next Amy Winehouse'. On New Year's Eve, 2007, Duffy appeared on Jools Holland's Hootenanny, a live music TV show. Her performance saw here singing with legendary soul singer Eddie Floyd.

Duffy's debut album, Rockferry, featured production by Bernard Butler on four of the songs. The biggest hits from the album were 'Mercy', 'Warwick Avenue' and 'Stepping Stone'. 'Mercy' has featured in Sex and the City: The Movie as well as Gray's Anatomy and ER. The song also won her the 'Song of the Year' gong at the 2008 MOJO awards. In September 2008, Duffy appeared on Saturday Night Live and The Late Show with David Letterman.