Welsh soul singer Duffy isn’t sure she’s ready for stardom. Stardom is ready for her, though. Duffy, who was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live last week, was just nominated for three MTV Europe Music Awards, tying Coldplay for the most nominations.
It’s happened pretty fast for the 24-year old, and she’s afraid the pressure will lead to a breakdown.
The Mercy star, who grew up in a tiny town in Wales, admits she finds it hard to be under constant media scrutiny, and didn’t expect having a successful career in the music industry would bring so many woes into her life – claiming she feels as if she has “sold her soul”.
She says, “As a girl I thought I was superhuman… but I’m borderline on a breakdown.
“The scary thing is that this feels like the beginning. It would be easy to become a recluse… I have sold my soul.”
And she admits the hardest part is dealing with flocks of fans in everyday situations.
She adds, “It can be scary when there are 15 lads on one side of a pub and a gang of girls on the other who all want a photo.
“I’m never calm anymore. There’s a lot to it I didn’t think of. It’s not the physical stuff – it’s mental.”
[From Yahoo! UK News]
Those are pretty scary thoughts from someone so obviously poised to be in the spotlight for a long time. She’s got an amazing talent and deserves success, but sometimes, as Amy Winehouse has so sadly shown, sometimes success is more than even the most talented artist can handle.
Duffy’s album Rockferry debuted at #1 on the UK charts and #4 in the US and has spurred the hits “Mercy,” “Stepping Stone,” and “Warwick Avenue.” Her MTV Europe Music Award nominations are for Best New Act, Best Album and Addictive Track for “Mercy.”
Her voice and sound have been compared to Dusty Springfield, and along with Adele and Gabriella Cilmi, she’s been called one of “The New Amys.” The genre is the same, but they’re all very different, there’s no new Amy Winehouse, but Duffy, Adele and Gabriella are definitely worth a listen if you like Amy.
Duffy is shown outside the Late Show on 9/4/08. Credit: RAM/Fame Pictures. She is also shown outside Fashion Rocks on 9/5/08. Credit: PNP/WENN
I love her music — she’s an incredibly talented woman.
I don’t doubt that somebody’s first brush with fame is overwhelming, but I do think there are worse things in life than knowing that a bunch of people in a pub want to take your photo! Okay, okay, I know she’s just using that scenario as a general example…
I love all these girls, all really gorgeous, distinctive voices, great personalities and attitude.
Not surprising that it’s the ones with the real talent, who’re in it for the music, not the fame, who find all the attention most difficult to cope with. Hope Duffy finds a way to deal with it because the music industry has never needed her (and Adele’s and Gabriella’s) kind of talent so desperately.
I just love this girl. She is the real deal. We took my 13-year-old daughter to see Duffy in Boston this summer. She was amazing- what a great voice live! She reminds me a lot of Lulu, in voice and style. She sang a couple of numbers with no music and her voice is so pure.
We arrived at the concert venue early and Duffy was just getting off her tour bus as we were walking up. We asked if we could get a photo of her with my daughter and she said, “Of course!” Then she looked at my daughter and said, “Oh my, you’re gorgeous!” My daughter will never forget that.
This woman is amazing. I happened to catch her singing on SNL and she hypnotized me. I loved her body, her face, the way she moved and felt the music, just amazing. I also love her style.
I can not stand her voice! I saw her on SNL & had to change the channel.
She seems very classy though & I hope she finds a hapy balence between fame & a personal life
I agree totally with the opinion that the industry is in dire need of decent talent. Especially those who love music and aren’t just looking for fame. I don’t have Duffy’s album, but she looks nicely put together but still natural and possibly the most down to earth of that new crop of singers. I hope it goes well for her and the industry nurtures them (I’m not naive enough to assume it’ll happen).
But speaking of wonderful voices and nurturing talent, geronimo, are you old enough to remember the mezzo-soprano Bernadette Greevy? Apparently she died last Friday and was buried yesterday.
I remember her as always being beautifully turned out and extremely articulate. They played some clips of her singing last night and I had completely forgotten what a glorious caramel-like voice she had. And you wouldn’t see her with her hoo-hah falling out of random nightclubs! 😉
Honey, these are the only problems most of us wish we had to worry about.
On the upside, I LOVE her outfit in these photos. The red patent leather flats are so stylish. Love it.
or she could make her millions and then disappear like Sade. Although she will periodically pop up, she is basically retired and just her songs remain.
she’s only 24?!? I thought she was at least 35.
Never heard of her until we saw her on SNL. Nice voice…. I could not get over how MUCH she looked like a young Dolly Parton especially during the close ups.
i’m not wild about her voice, too chipmunky. she is no where near the grrreatness that was Dusty! How can that even be a comparison. She’s just another white girl trying to sound black and capitolizing off of Amy’s success.
🙁
I agree with Ann Marie. She looks like Dolly Parton in her youth.
I like her high notes, but sometimes she does sound a little chipmunk-like in her normal range.
I really don’t like her voice. She’s tolerable on a produced record, but she’s obnoxious live.
Again we ask- who?
she reminds me of amy winehouse….she has the same stealo….
Dusty? She wishes. People keep comparing her to Springfield, but a much closer voice match is Lulu. Not a voice sound I like, but I’m quite happy as long as she stays on pop stations and I don’t have to listen to her. She seems like a nice enough girl.
Okay if you actually LISTEN to the music she is trying to bite… you would know this chick can’t sing. I hate her offtone voice. How dare ppl compare her to Adele (who actually CAN sing and showcase it without screaming)! All this chick does is scream off key… SHE SUCKS but look who her targeted audience is. No wonder she has “stardom” lol!
why do people have to approach a celebrity and “get” something from them (photos or autographs)? sickos!
Haha Irene, I don’t understand that mindset either, at least not with conventional celebs. If I saw someone like Parasite, Shiatney, or any of these singers that I don’t even know, I would be like, “Meh”. They don’t HAVE anything I want, and I cannot imagine what anyone COULD want from them. Now, on the other hand, if I saw Ron Paul or Ross Perot on the street, I’d probably have a meltdown. But all I’d want from them is maybe a picture with them, or to tell them how much I admire them. That’s it. Maybe that’s what people want from celebs? I don’t know.
As for Duffy….all I have to say is “WHO?” Who IS this person? Do they play her music here in the US on the radio? LOL, not that I would know, I haven’t listened to terrestrial radio in like, 4 years, and from what I can tell when I flip past Mtv or whatever, I’m not missing much. I have a feeling that this chick is probably not my type of music, that is, if she really IS anything like Wino. I absolutely HATE Wino’s music. And I’ve heard of Dusty Springfield, but I’ve never heard anything by her. Thanks, but I’ll just stick to death metal, rock, and classic rock. I’ve had it with all these boring, unlikable singers….
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