By Maggie FitzRoy
Pete Duffy discovered his love for music as a young child. That proved to be an unexpected blessing later in life when he slowly began to lose his eyesight due to a progressive hereditary condition that eventually caused him to become blind.
A talented musician who plays electric bass guitar and acoustic guitar, the Palm Valley resident has played in many bands and has performed in duets and as a solo artist for much of his life. In retirement, he says performing is a creative passion that gives him opportunities to connect with people and find fellowship and friendship.
“I’ve also come to realize that music is my therapy,” says Duffy, who lives on a small farm with his wife, Lea, several horses, and two dogs. “It was not easy losing my sight. It can be a challenge.”
But when you play music with other people, scientific studies prove that the feel-good chemicals — serotonin and endorphins — in your body go up, he says. “Looking back on it, music is what got me through.”
Q: What condition caused you to lose your eyesight?
A: It’s called cone-rod dystrophy. It’s a retinal disorder that effects the rods and cones in the eyes, which are the light receptors. It’s a gradual, slow degeneration. I stopped driving in 1996, several years after moving to Jacksonville.
Q: Where did you move from?
A: I moved down here from Baltimore. I grew up in Fairfax, Virginia and then worked in the port of Baltimore for steamship companies. I worked my way up to assistant terminal manager there, then took a job as a terminal manager for a company in Jacksonville in 1991. When I stopped driving, I took a job as a traffic manager for a company in Ponte Vedra, where I lived at the time. It allowed me to ride my bike to work at first, then later I walked.
Q: When did you start playing in bands?
A: The job in Ponte Vedra was 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. so I was able to take up bass again. I’d played bass in high school but as a single dad raising my son and working in the steamship business — which required demanding, erratic hours — I laid off music for twenty years. Then when I was freed up on nights and weekends, I played with a cover band called Vagabond’s Dream, and in a blues band called the Delta Dave Band. We played shrimp festivals and around town and had a standing gig at the Jacksonville Landing.
Q: What other bands did you play with?
A: I was recruited by a band called The Company. It was a seven-piece band that included a three-piece horn section. I was still a novice, and they were all life-long musicians and very talented. I learned a lot playing with them for eight years. We played Chicago, ’60s stuff, Elvis show stuff, a little bit of jazz. They could all read sheet music, but I learned everything by ear, by memory. I’m blessed to have a good memory.
Q: Who did you play with next?
A: I met Kenny Holliday, a Rod Stewart tribute artist living in Sawgrass, and he wanted to do a duo with cover songs. He was a great entertainer, always smiling, and I learned a lot from him, including to always project positive energy and engage with the audience. Kenny would be smiling no matter what might be going wrong with the equipment or the sound. I know that even though I can’t see the crowd, that they are looking at me. Kenny and I played for five years, until he went to play for cruise ships. It was a lot of fun.
Q: What band do you play with now?
A: The Rip Currents. It’s a four-piece instrumental band created and led by local musician Mike Huffman. We play surf music, instrumental classic rock, and classic rock in the tradition of The Ventures. We perform once a month at James Weldon Park in Jacksonville and at festivals and private events. I also play with the Jaywalkers, a classic rock and jam band. I also do pick up gigs, and five years ago bought my first acoustic guitar. Now I am focused on playing that — and singing — Dylan, Neil Young, folk rock. I’ve memorized thousands of songs. Now I’m memorizing lyrics. It’s good for the brain.
