Keyboardist Martin Duffy has died aged 55.
The sad news was confirmed on Twitter by Tim Burgess, Duffy’s one-time bandmate in The Charlatans, who wrote: “Another tragic loss of a beautiful soul.”
Growing up in Birmingham, Duffy joined indie band Felt aged just 16 years old, when Felt frontman Lawrence put out calls for band members simply saying ‘Do You Want To Be A Rock ‘N’ Roll Star?’ Lawrence says he’d put up just two posters when this guy came up to him and said, ‘I know this keyboard player. He’s 16. He’s just left school.” The band were later signed to the legendary Creation Records.
Duffy then went on to play keyboards on Primal Scream’s first two albums, and joined the band permanently after Felt disbanded at the end of 1989.
Duffy was part of Primal Scream for three decades, going from part-time to full-time member and also guesting on frontman Bobby Gillespie‘s 2020 album with Savages‘ Jehnny Beth, ‘Utopian Ashes’.
Duffy also played with The Charlatans following the death of founding member Rob Collins, appearing with the group at Knebworth supporting Oasis in 1996 and contributing keyboard parts to the band’s fifth album Tellin’ Stories.
In 2004 he was a member of “rock supergroup” The Chavs with Tim Burgess of the Charlatans and Carl Barat of The Libertines.
Duffy also contributed to recordings by Heidi Berry, Beth Orton, Paul Weller and the Chemical Brothers, and released his own solo album in 2014; Assorted Promenades.
Our love and thoughts go out to his family, friends and fans at this time xx
THE SONGBIRD 