Whatever Happened to Duffy?
Table of Contents
Who is / was Duffy? 1
Where is she? 1
To Explain 1
February 2020 2
Other relevant dates – 2
Who is / was Duffy?
For readers, who have never heard of Duffy – a background:
A welsh singer /songwriter (full name Aimee Anne Duffy) who, at the age of 35, exploded into the UK music charts – apparently – out of nowhere – with a smash hit debut album, called Rock Ferry.
Released in 2008, it went to number one in the album charts of twelve countries and Platinum seven times in four weeks.
A single from the album – ‘Mercy’ was released in early 2008 and went to No1 in the UK within three weeks, on downloads alone and eventually had five weeks at the top with sales in 20008 of over £500,000.
Chart topper in eight other countries and received BRIT and Mojo awards and a number of other nominations.
Note the Male dancers – Northern Soul at it’s best a la Wigan Casino.
Where is she?
First, I should say that she is with us – somewhere.
To Explain
The origin of this post, was a browser pop-up – ‘news items we know you will be interested in’ – which all end up in a cul de sac of ads / promotions’ – but one was about Duffy – who I was aware had been invisible for many months- so I had a look.
Just a press extract – from the Sun – so not a great start.
Duffy opening up on social media to her followers / fans. – going through recovery and counselling following her recent kidnap and assaults!!
I had to have a look at that one.
Led me into a morass of extraordinary claims, allegations, supposition, dodgy ‘facts’ and obvious misinformation and big gaps– and like a lot of those searches it gets wider and weirder the further you go.
I have attempted to establish a timetable for what could be called established facts
February 2020
Duffy opens up on Instagram to her 176,000 fans, explaining why she has been keeping low for some time.
She claims that she had been drugged in a restaurant and kidnapped – locked in a room and raped – no reference I can find to the location
He threatened to kill her – one of few references to the assailant – one other implies that she knew him – but no trace of any identification –
At some point – she is taken abroad – two flights -outward and back whilst drugged.
Locked in a hotel room and abused – for ‘some time ’ or ‘four days’.
No reference at all, then or since, as to how she escaped or was released.
Other relevant dates –
Second album “Endlessly’, released
UK 26/11/2010 A&M. Records
USA 7/12/2010 Polydor
Not well received and a lot of critical reviews.
Made 72 on US Billboard charts
Single – nothing
2012 – Duffy takes an extended break – now 37.
other reports – that she moved to Nashville, Tennessee and was singing in bars.
Duffy Instagram message reports that she has moved house five times.in the last three years – for her safety.
2013
Parts company with’ or ‘is sacked’ by Rough Trade Records.
Summing Up
My notes to the jury: after a final online dredge to update and try to fill the gaps:
How could she be drugged in a restaurant and taken out without staff or customers being aware or suspicious?
How could she have been checked into an aircraft twice and make two flights to and from a foreign country without staff and fellow passengers being suspicious?
She said in a later message – “I can’t remember getting off the plane”. So could not identify the country or the hotel.
Why was she taken to another country – just to be locked in a hotel room – and wouldn’t staff be suspicious?
No Police have ever been informed or involved
She said – later – “I didn’t feel safe to go to the police. I could not risk being mishandled or it being all over the news”
Remember the Instagram to 176,000 followers?
She even added, in a late blog, that the assailant was blackmailing her – no evidence of what for – and added that – “He had not been convicted yet’!
Surprise. Surprise!
So, no UK or USA police were ever involved – the fact that she would have known the restaurant and had admitted in an Instagram that she knew the assailant – was never tested or investigated or testimony enforced.
i.e. no independent agency has ever investigated or questioned her version.
I don’t believe it can be gnored that this whole episode followed, soon after the obvious failure of the second album and the subsequent stresses with the recording companies.
The Verdict ???
She made it all up.
I don’t have the expertise to say why.
You are entitled to disagree, of course.
From your Instigative Journalist
B of the Bang
P.S.
The title of her first album – ‘Rock Ferry’ originated from the place where her grandmother lived.
A place I knew well -as it is a suburb of Birkenhead, on Merseyside, where I was born and raised.
I had an aunty and uncle who lived there – my dad’s elder sister – Flo – and her husband – Alex – whom we visited regularly, particularly when my dad’s mum – Annie – lived there. Just a ten minute bus ride.
They and three kids – my cousins – eventually emigrated to Australia.
They settled and obviously did well, because they paid for my dad to visit, a couple of years later.
He had never flown in his life – didn’t even drive.
Just in case – my sister and i got together to drive him down to Heathrow – park up and get him through check-in.
He got there in one piece and, apparently had a good time – Australia being a bit of a boosy place!
two weeks and a bit later – we are waiting in Heathrow to pick him up.
Stood outside the exit from Customs Control – we can see him coming from some distance – mainly because he had a bush rangers hat on with corks on string all around the rim – wearing a a Sydney Harbour Bridge T shirt and with a stuffed Koala under his arm.
He gets through and the first thing he says is – ‘do you know what the Customs man just said to me?’ – ‘no, what?’ – ‘He said – where have you been?’ !
I got my brains from my mum but my sense of humour from my dad.