Duke Special facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Duke Special
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Duke Special performing in 2007
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Peter Wilson |
| Born | 4 January 1971 Lisburn, Northern Ireland |
| Genres | Alternative rock, baroque pop, chamber pop, folk, soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels | Medieval Haircut, Hag, Izumi, V2, Universal Ireland, Reel to Reel, Adventures in Gramophone |
Duke Special, whose real name is Peter Wilson, is a singer and songwriter from Ireland. He was born on January 4, 1971, and lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He plays the piano and sings with a warm, unique voice. He used to be known for his long dreadlocks, eyeliner, and a special style of clothing. Now, he often performs without makeup and aims to be more like his true self.
His live shows are like a play, inspired by old-fashioned theater styles called Vaudeville and music hall. He sometimes uses old 78rpm records on a gramophone or sound effects from a transistor radio. His main bandmate is Chip Bailey, who plays drums and cymbals, but also uses unusual instruments like cheese graters, egg whisks, a Stumpf fiddle, and a Shruti box. Other musicians sometimes join him, playing guitar, trumpet, accordion, clarinet, saxophone, bass guitar, mandolin, and more.
Duke Special has released many albums, including Adventures in Gramophone (2005), Songs from the Deep Forest (2006), I Never Thought This Day Would Come (2008), Oh Pioneer (2012), and Look Out Machines! (2015). His albums Adventures in Gramophone and Songs from the Deep Forest were both nominated for the Choice Music Prize, a big award in Ireland.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Start
Growing Up in Northern Ireland
Peter Wilson was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. He grew up in different towns like Coleraine, Downpatrick, and Holywood with his parents and three sisters. His grandmother, Mary Groves, taught his mother and her siblings to play the piano. This family tradition of playing the piano was then passed on to Peter's sisters and eventually to him. He went to Down High School and later Sullivan Upper School.
Learning to Perform
After school, Peter spent a short time working on an arts project in England. He then came back home and started playing piano for Brian Houston, a songwriter from Belfast. Brian Houston was inspired by famous musicians like Bob Dylan and Van Morrison. Peter learned a lot from Brian, including how to perform and connect with an audience. He played in a few different bands with other Belfast musicians before starting his solo career.
Peter Wilson lives in Belfast and has three children.
Duke Special's Solo Career
Starting as Duke Special
In 2002, Peter Wilson decided to go solo and chose the stage name Duke Special. He began performing live and quickly gained many fans. He released three short music collections called EPs. The first two, Lucky Me and My Villain Heart, were later combined into his first album, Adventures in Gramophone, released in 2005. This album was nominated for the Choice Music Prize in 2006.
Releasing More Music
In 2006, Duke Special signed with a record company called V2 Records. He then released his second album, Songs from the Deep Forest. He appeared on a popular TV show called Later... with Jools Holland in November 2006, alongside famous artists like Amy Winehouse and John Legend. This album was also nominated for the Choice Music Prize in 2007.
In 2007, Duke Special was nominated for three Meteor Music Awards, which are important music awards in Ireland. He performed a special concert with the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast, called "Orchestral Manoevres." He also played at big music festivals like Glastonbury and supported the band Crowded House on their tour, including a show at the famous Royal Albert Hall in London.
New Albums and Projects
Duke Special's third album, I Never Thought This Day Would Come, came out in Ireland in October 2008. In August 2008, he appeared on the BBC Northern Ireland children's TV show Sesame Tree with his band. He even wrote the theme music for the show! Later in 2008, he won the Meteor Music Award for Best Irish Male Artist.
In 2009, he performed at the Oxegen music festival. From September to December 2009, he was on stage at the Royal National Theatre in London. He wrote music for a play called Mother Courage and Her Children. In January 2010, he started a special project where fans could help fund his new triple CD album, The Stage, A Book & The Silver Screen.
On September 11, 2010, Duke Special played at the Last Night of the Proms for the BBC at Hillsborough Castle. In January 2011, he made a documentary about the life and songs of Belfast singer Ruby Murray. He also released an album called Duke Special Sings the Songs of Ruby Murray. In March 2011, he performed songs inspired by famous photographs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. These songs were later released as the album Under the Dark Cloth in November 2011.
In July 2012, Duke Special released Oh Pioneer on his own record label. This album did very well on iTunes, reaching high spots on the music charts in Ireland and the UK. He also performed at Camp Bestival and even tried being a DJ playing old 78rpm records.
In 2013, he worked with the famous Irish music group Clannad on their album Nádúr. He also performed with them on TV shows. In December 2013, he finished a year-long series of concerts in Belfast with a special 'Victorian Christmas' show.
In July 2017, he announced a new album called Hallow, which was based on the poems of Michael Longley. Songs from this album were featured on a tour in Ireland that October.
On November 3, 2023, Duke Special released his album Blood for Ghosts. This album has 10 songs based on old songs he found in a music archive in Monaco.
Music Albums and EPs
Early Work
- Bathroom Floor as Booley (1999)
- Garçon Pamplemousse as Benzine Headset (2001)
Studio Albums
- Adventures in Gramophone (2005)
- Songs from the Deep Forest (2006)
- I Never Thought This Day Would Come (2008)
- Mother Courage and Her Children (2010)
- The Silent World of Hector Mann (2010)
- Under the Dark Cloth (2011)
- Oh Pioneer (2012)
- Look Out Machines! (2015)
- Hallow (2017)
- A Note Let Go (with Ulaid) (2017)
- Blood for Ghosts (2023)
Compilation Albums
- Little Revolutions (2009)
- Little Revolutions Two (2011)
EPs (Extended Plays)
- Lucky Me (2002)
- My Villain Heart (2004)
- Your Vandal (2005)
- Huckleberry Finn (2009)
- Duke Special Sings the Songs of Ruby Murray (2011)
Live Albums
- Orchestral Manoeuvres in Belfast (2008)
Singles (Individual Songs)
- Freewheel (2005)
- Portrait (2006)
- Last Night I Nearly Died (But I Woke Up Just in Time) (2006)
- Wake Up Scarlett (2006)
- Freewheel (2007)
- Last Night I Nearly Died (But I Woke Up Just in Time) (2007)
- Our Love Goes Deeper Than This (2007) (featuring Neil Hannon and Romeo Stodart)
- No Cover Up (2007)
- Sweet Sweet Kisses (2008)
- Condition (2012)
- 1969 (2013)
- Nail On The Head (2015)
Other Music Contributions
- One (2000) – sang "Peace Has Broken Out" with Moya Brennan
- Acoustic 07 (2007) – sang "This Could Be My Last Day"
- Ceol '09 – sang "Tochailt Uaighe go Róluath" (an Irish version of "Digging an Early Grave")
- Wrote music for the play Mother Courage and her Children (2009) at the Royal National Theatre
- Wrote music for the BBC TV show Sesame Tree (2008–2011)
