From the Welsh Valleys to the charts: Duffy

It seems the charts are invaded almost weekly by any number of new

, young pop stars and starlets, each one introducing something fresh and exciting to the mix. However, in today's music culture, where both legal and illegal downloads have meant that an artist has to work considerably harder to stay in the game for any duration, not many new musicians last the test of time. One name that has stuck around for a while now though, is Duffy. Originally born Aimee Ann Duffy, the young Welsh singer has been making waves long before her Platinum-selling debut Rockferry hit the shelves.

With Welsh as her mother tongue, Duffy was introduced to the soul music she is most famous for through, surprisingly, Whoopi Goldberg's character in the hit movie Sister Act. Taking early inspiration from wherever she could get it in rural Wales, she was soon filling notebooks with potential lyrics and song ideas; despite being kicked out the school choir for singing too loudly.

After she finished her GCSEs, Duffy joined and sang in many local bands and built up quite a following on the jazz club circuit. However it was actually a Welsh televised talent show that got the teenage singer her big break, coming in second on Wawffactor. Despite the attention this got her though, Duffy has since called that period of her life the unhappiest. The show did give the singer a foothold on the Welsh charts with her first single and, in 2004, Rough Trade Records introduced the singer to ex-Suede guitarist Bernard Butler, who agreed to co-write and produce her debut album Rockferry.

Largely covering tracks by her favourite artists, like Al Green and Burt Bacharach, the album charted straight in at number one and became the best selling album in the UK in 2008. With an estimated 6.5 million album sales, the record went Platinum many times over and made Duffy the first Welsh female in 25 years to gain the number one spot on the UK singles chart.

Lead single Mercy' was the driving force behind the album's incredible success, with Duffy winning a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal, three Brit Awards and a MOJO award for Song of The Year, for Mercy. With critics and fans alike eager to see how she would top Rockferry, Duffy went back into the studio in 2010 to record her follow-up album. Despite parting company with her old Rough Trade management team, A&M Universal soon announced Duffy Endlessly was finished in New York and is scheduled for release in November 2010.

From the Welsh Valleys to the charts: Duffy

By: Paul Buchanan

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