When, on December 11th at 10.30 a.m. EST, John Duffey died of a heart attack at a hospital near his home, an incandescent light in the world of Bluegrass Music flickered out. That light has illuminated innumerable stages - among them the White House and Carnegie Hall - and had brought exhilaration and joy to countless Bluegrass fans.

The importance of John Duffey in the survival and development of Bluegrass Music cannot be overstated. It was he, along with Washington-based bands The Country Gentlemen and Seldom Scene, that - in his own words - “Took the music out of the woods and into the town”.

With colleagues like New York ‘Citybilly’ Ralph Rinzler he helped in the urbanisation of Bluegrass music during the folk revivalist days of the fifties and sixties. But it was in the seventies, after the success of the Beatles had liberalised musical tastes, that John and the band Seldom Scene proved most vital. Country music was, by then, characterised by the Nashville Sound; the steam had gone out of the folk music revival and Bluegrass music was in danger of stagnation.

In an interview with him on his only visit to the UK in 1995 I enquired about his thinking in those days. He answered: “We did think in our minds that one of the things the music needed as a boost, was it needed some new material. Because it got to be bands were coming along and they just kept wearing out the same old workhorses, you know... and that was one of the active things we pursued was to bring new material in the field”.

Seldom Scene under John’s characteristic dominance gave Bluegrass music exactly what it needed at that crucial time in it’s development and in doing so ensured its survival. They chose material with relevance to urban

audiences and provided a clear direction for other musicians. They had helped convert Bluegrass, born of the Old Time and Country music which appealed to farm folk and blue collar workers, into a universally accepted music form.

On a personal note: In my brief meeting with John in the UK, I found him stimulating, witty and a great joy to be with. And in all my thirty years plus in the music, the highest spot in my Bluegrass career was when I got to sing lead, on stage in Blackburn, with Seldom Scene. To have the voice of John Duffey - the best tenor in the business - soaring above mine is a thrill that will remain with me for life.

As a matter of interest, John was the first person to coin the phrase ‘High lonesome’ - words now firmly associated with the father of Bluegrass music, Bill Monroe. When I pointed it out to him he was surprised - I don’t think he was aware of what a giant in Bluegrass music he really was. Well, we Bluegrassers knew - and whether it’s as Duffey the musical innovator, Duffey the great song writer, Duffey the astute business man, Duffey the hair raising tenor singer or Duffey of the dynamic stage presence, we will never forget him.

With the loss of its creator Bill Monroe, veteran banjo picker Don Stover and now the ebullient John Duffey, 1996 has been an expensive year for Bluegrass music. These are all heroes who, by their example, have provided inspiration to us all. It makes me proud to be a member of the Bluegrass music fraternity - and provides the optimistic feeling of knowing that our activity in its performance and promotion is really worthwhile.

Tom Travis, Rowarth.

...and from the Internet; Sent by Ted Silverman...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Wednesday, Dec. 11, 1996

John Duffey of bluegrass group Seldom Scene dies. By 'Gumby'

John Duffey, whose ‘high-lonesome tenor’ and sparkling mandolin playing helped propel the Seldom Scene bluegrass group to stardom, has died, a member of the group said Wednesday. He was 62.

“Duffey died Tuesday in Arlington, Va., without regaining consciousness after suffering an apparent heart attack at his home”, said Dudley Connell, current lead singer with the group. Connell described Duffey as "one of the half-dozen most important players ever in this industry. He helped redefine how people looked at bluegrass, made it acceptable to the urban masses by his choice of material and style of performance.”

Duffey, a native of Washington, formed Seldom Scene in 1971 after about a decade of playing with Charlie Waller and the Country Gentlemen, another Washington-based bluegrass group that gained fame in the 1960s.

A musical instrument repairman who always complained about the travel that comes with the music business, Duffey put together Seldom Scene with four other Washington musicians who had demanding day jobs: physician John Starling, mathematician Ben Eldridge, graphic artist Mike Auldridge, and National Geographic map-maker, Tom Gray.

The group planned to play occasionally, which was why they chose the name Seldom Scene. But a regular Thursday night gig with standing-room only crowds at a club in Bethesda, Md., led to demands for recording and road appearances. Next came weekly appearances at an Alexandria, Va., club, the Birchmere, where the band played for 22 years.

Duffey, along with Waller and other original Country Gentlemen, was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Hall of Fame in September this year. Gumby

Updated 23rd Jan 1999