"The American Songster" Dom Flemons photos

Credit: Tim Duffy

Click each for high res

Tim Duffy bio

Tim Duffy’s career has been driven by the musical traditions of the American South. His championing of these traditions starts with the people who make the music. For decades now, he has provided for musicians’ basic needs, guided their careers, and documented their lives in stunning photographs.

            After living for a time in the Old Town section of Mombasa, Kenya, Tim returned to the States and completed an M.A. in Folklore at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He formed relationships with several traditional musicians and began searching for a legendary bluesman they told him about named Guitar Gabriel. In Winston-Salem, North Carolina Tim not only found Gabe, but also a community of impoverished musicians who, despite their material lack, were rich in the traditions of the African American South. Tim set about doing what he could to, first, take care of their basic needs and, then, to get them gigs and document their music. The Music Maker Relief Foundation was born. In the 22 years since its founding, Tim—along with his wife and Managing Director, Denise, and their dedicated team—have assisted and partnered with over 300 artists, issued over 150 CDs, and reached over a million people with live performance in over 40 states and 17 countries around the globe. Tim has been recognized by the ABC Evening News as “Person of the Week,” and has been featured in stories by Time, NPR, CBS, PBS and several local media outlets.

            Given the nature of Music Maker’s mission, Tim gained in-depth experience with booking, promotion, artist development, and other managerial aspects of the music industry. Drawing on this expertise, he established Music Maker’s Next Generation program, and brought the Carolina Chocolate Drops to the public’s attention. These young African American musicians reinvigorated a range of traditional music styles, wowed audiences in the States and abroad, and won a Grammy in 2011. Members of the group remain close Music Maker associates. Tim continues his management work with Next Generation artists like Lakota John and Spencer Branch.

            Photography has been at the heart of Tim Duffy’s Music Maker journey. Tim took pictures initially for documentary purposes, but soon realized that some of these images told rich, visually and emotionally intricate stories. The great depth of Tim’s photographic vision became clear when he turned to the photographic methods of the 19^th century, including the platinum palladium process dating back to the 1870s. His wet plate portraits transport viewers into the space of the living past that he has worked so hard to preserve. These images have been on display at the Atrium Gallery of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the Morris Museum in Augusta, GA, and several galleries in North Carolina, New York, and Kentucky. Some of his plates have become part of the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Museum of African American Culture and the New Orleans Museum of Art.

About Music Maker Relief Foundation & MMRF Timeline

Music Maker Relief Foundation, Inc. is a tax exempt, public charity under IRS code 501(c)3. Music Maker aims to keep our Southern culture vital by directly supporting senior (over 55) American roots musicians in need, expanding their professional careers, and providing with basic life needs so they can focus on their art. Music Maker also assists Next Generation (under 55) artists in the development of their professional careers. Since the organization’s founding in 1994, Music Maker has assisted hundreds of musicians who represent the traditions of Blues, Gospel, Old-Time String Band, Jazz and more. Music Maker’s programs ensure the talents of these cultural treasures are accessible so that our rich musical heritage can be shared with the world and preserved for future generations.

Living Blues Magazine writes, "North Carolina's Music Maker label has been digging up obscure and blissfully eccentric blues and traditional music characters for most of their 17-year existence."

1991 – Tim Duffy invited to archive his field recordings and photographs at the Southern Folklife Collection.

1994 – Music Maker Founded in Winston-Salem, NC.

1994 – Our first donation! 2 pallets of Ensure purchased for elderly artists.

1994 - Guitar Gabriel and Willa Mae Buckner perform at Carnegie Hall.

1995 - Eric Clapton meets Tim Duffy at Cello Studios; the two record The MS Blues.

1997 - Tim Duffy Awarded Lifetime Achievement Award by National Guitars.

1998 – Winston-Salem Blues Revival, a 42-city tour, launches Music Maker around the country with blues legend Taj Mahal.

2001 – Music Maker relocates to Hillsborough, NC.

2002 – Music Maker releases the book Portraits and Songs of the Roots of America.

2004 – Tim Duffy named person of the week on ABC News with Peter Jennings.

2005 – DixieFrog Release The Last and Lost Blues Survivors sells 20,000 copies in France.

2006 – Music Maker Blues Revue begins tours through Europe yearly.

2006 – Music Maker Blues Revue invited to Byron Bay Blues Festival yearly.

2007 – Toot Blues Documentary released.

2008 – Music Maker buys a permanent residence for the organization in Downtown Hillsborough.

2012 – Music Maker awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to present a music series in Chapel Hill, NC.

2012 – Music Maker and supporters help purchase a new home for artist Precious Bryant.

2012 – Partner Artist Ironing Board Sam plays to over capacity crowd at New Orleans Jazz Fest.

2014 – Music Maker celebrates 20^th Anniversary with a launch of a new book and museum exhibit, We Are the Music Makers.

How 5 Gallons of Kerosene Saved a Blues Legend

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (February 8, 2013) — Tim Duffy, Founder of Music Maker Relief Foundation, an organization dedicated to assisting elderly Roots musicians and preserving American Traditional music, frequently thinks of his early days helping artists in Winston-Salem, NC, especially as winter is in full effect.

In 1995 a severe ice storm left many Winston-Salem residents without power as temperatures plunged. "The first day after the storm Music Maker partner artist Willa Mae Buckner, who lived in an old drafty house, was struggling to keep herself and her two giant pythons alive with blankets. The news reported that there might be outages for some days yet, and I knew we had to do something for our artists."

Tim and a friend headed to the closest hardware store and purchased several artists kerosene heaters and gallons of kerosene. Tim says, "I needed my friend John to help – driving was very hazardous, so with John along one of us could push the car when we got stuck."

"When we arrived at Music Maker artist Mr. Q's after some difficulty navigating the icy roads, we found he had been trying to drag an old wood stove into the house, and was happy to see we had brought him a safe source of heat. Willa Mae was also happy to see us, though she was more concerned about keeping her pet snakes warm."

That night the temperature dropped severely and power was still not restored to the artists Tim was working with at the time. He went to check on Willa Mae the next afternoon. "I noticed an ambulance parked in front of her neighbor's house, and Willa Mae was noticeably shaken. She told me the woman next door also had not heat and had frozen to death."

"The realization that the simple gift of a heater and kerosene might have saved Willa Mae's life gave me the inspiration to formally create Music Maker's Sustenance Program, to help artists in need, who often have nowhere else to turn."

This Holiday Season, nearly 20 years after the organization’s beginning, Music Maker is hoping to raise $25,000 in support of their Emergency Relief Fund, a part of the Sustenance Program that steps in when artists have a sudden need, such as during a natural disaster. With Music Maker’s assistance, artists can get back on their feet and continue sharing their musical talents with the world.

To find out more about Music Maker Relief Foundation, please visit www.musicmaker.org.

###

About Music Maker Relief Foundation:

Music Maker Relief Foundation, Inc. is a tax exempt, public charity under IRS code 501(c)3. Music Maker aims to keep our Southern culture vital by directly supporting senior (over 55) American roots musicians in need, expanding their professional careers, and providing with basic life needs so they can focus on their art. Music Maker also assists Next Generation (under 55) artists in the development of their professional careers. Since the organization’s founding in 1994, Music Maker has assisted hundreds of musicians who represent the traditions of Blues, Gospel, Old-Time String Band, Jazz and more. Music Maker’s programs ensure the talents of these cultural treasures are accessible so that our rich musical heritage can be shared with the world and preserved for future generations.

Living Blues Magazine writes, "North Carolina's Music Maker label has been digging up obscure and blissfully eccentric blues and traditional music characters for most of their 17-year existence."

Willa Mae Buckner was born on June 15th, 1922 in Augusta, Georgia. In her days as a touring performer, she was known as "The Wild Enchantress," "Princess Ejo," "The Snake Lady," and "The World’s Only Black Gypsy." During her decades-long stage career she performed as a blues singer, burlesque stripper, contortionist and fire swallower. Willa Mae was among the first recipients of aid from Music Maker Relief Foundation. We were able to provide her with funds to purchase medicine, heating oil, and placed her in a nursing home when she broke her hip. We transported her to numerous gigs including a performance at Carnegie Hall, where she received a standing ovation. We provided comfort in her final days and most sadly arranged her funeral.