Jeff Duff

USA native Duff, also known professionally as Duffo, commands a strong tenor voice that would seem better adapted to operatic repertoire, yet he has built a career cutting rock records instead. Serving as frontman for the expansive ensemble Kush from 1971 to 1977—a group whose sound drew heavily from Chicago and Blood, Sweat And Tears—he drew widespread notice through flamboyant stage behavior and eccentric wardrobe choices. Because the band’s large membership restricted it to sizable halls and cabaret rooms, the logistical burden of keeping the unit intact proved considerable, although the effort still yielded two albums and a pair of Top 40 singles. After Kush disbanded, Duff assembled his own ensemble and took an energetic, stylistically eclectic revue on the road, only to find it misaligned with puzzled, traditionalist crowds. Relocating to the UK in 1978, he continued working under the name Duffo, issuing multiple albums, playing across Europe, and achieving occasional chart entries in Holland and Italy while also cutting sides as Ivor Biggin and Jupiter Jones. His 1988 homecoming to Australia met with lukewarm reception, during which he appeared as a jazz vocalist fronting the experimental Jeff Duff Orchestra. His best-known performance remains the Lou Reed composition “Walk On The Wild Side,” which he has committed to tape no fewer than three times; the Jeff Duff Orchestra album included fresh interpretations of earlier numbers such as “Pilot” and the standout track “Killing This Affair.”