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2006 Jacksonville Cultural Council Arts Awards “Educator of the Year” and African American Literary and Media Lifetime Achievement “Phoenix” Award winner Deborah McDuffie boasts an impressive career combining talents in production, performance, composing, arranging, marketing and teaching. Credited with being the first female composer/producer in the advertising industry, Ms. McDuffie is a multi award-winning pioneer, a “behind the scenes” legend, so to speak.
She has composed/produced/performed with Janet Jackson, Gladys Knight, Al Green, Grover Washington, Jr, Patti Labelle, Luther Vandross, Michael Bolton, Roberta Flack, Will Smith, Ashford & Simpson, Wynton Marsalis, James Ingram, Jennifer Holiday, Temptations, Saturday Night Live…and more.
In his nationally televised BET Biography, the late LUTHER VANDROSS credits McDuffie with developing his legendary “woo”.
Ms. McDuffie is currently Chair of the Fine Arts Department/Choral Director at Paxon School for Advanced Studies and Executive Director of Arts4Jax, Inc. a community performing arts foundation in Jacksonville, Florida. She is Artistic Director for the extremely popular contemporary youth ensemble, JACKSONVILLE MASS CHOIR and its younger component, BOYS AND GIRLS CHOIR. Her current album projects: “HELLO BABY”, a collection of original songs for infants and toddlers, teen vocal group FULL CIRCLE'S “Something Old, Something New” a CD of classic and neo R&B songs that includes a song co-written by McDuffie and PATTI LABELLE and a never before released classic penned by MICHAEL BOLTON. TANIA YEGELWEL'S debut singer/songwriter CD “From the Heart” which includes the moving tribute to holocaust victims “Six Pointed Star” and STEVEN AMBURGEY'S debut pop/country CD release “All About Love”. San Franciscan spoken word poetess CASSANDRA will be next on McDuffie's list as well as Musical Director responsibilities for 2 local musical plays.
McDuffie’s production of AL GREEN'S “You’ve Got a Friend” a duet with Billy Preston, appears on “THE BEST OF AL GREEN” compilation CD. “Georgy Porgy,” a track she co-produced and vocal-arranged featuring Luther Vandross is featured on the CD compilation “LOVE, LUTHER”.
MY SPACE ACCOUNTS - www.myspace.com/fullcirclesings www.myspace.com/taniashanamusic www.myspace.com/jacksonvillemasschoir
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