My Dad: William Duffy

Growing up in Wythenshawe, Manchester, England, William Duffy (my father) had an obsession with rock music and an unshakeable desire to become a rock musician. His mom was very into Hollywood movies, and so from a young age they provided a great escape from his “humdrum life in Britain”, and from this stemmed his interest and fascination with the US. The bands he liked always toured in America, and often wrote books detailing their experiences there; in reading them, he found he had an increasing desire to see all the places he’d heard about in their satires, and wanted to make some of his own. In the early ‘80s, he formed The Cult and was signed to a record label; soon enough, they had made enough money to go for a vacation in New York City!! The UK got/gets lots of American channels, so he felt like he kind of “knew it from his English living room”, but encountering all the sights, sounds, and smells of a city he’d only seen on TV first hand was an incredible experience, although the heat and humidity was a bit of a shock!! He returned to America not soon after as he toured the states with his band, and began taking a liking to the Los Angeles/West Coast area. The climate, food, and sense of “wide open spaces” drew him in, let alone the imagery of freedom which was “intoxicating to a young man used to the cold, damp negativity of northern England.” His band became increasingly popular in the US, and he was granted excellent working visas so he could live in America for years at a time. Something changed in him, however, when at a TV store in Cheshire, he learned of the events of 9/11. He felt that he wanted to settle down in America (partly because I was about to be born, too) and somehow “help” with their struggles. Also, the world felt like a dangerous place afterwards, so he was motivated to secure his living status in America, and applied for and was granted a green card. Five years later, as over the years he’d “grown to love and respect America”, he was happy to finally become a citizen in November of 2011.  He feels fortunate to have gained citizenship to a great country through hard work, but never turned his back on the UK and his heritage. He chose to make America his home and his very happy with his decision so far! His band is still active and based in California, where he currently lives.