Jim Duff

Smoky Mountains Songwriters Festival, Jim Duff, Songwriter, SMSWF, Gatlinburg TNDuff, whose ancestry dates back to the 10th Scottish king of Alba or Scotland, grew up in Waynesburg, KY. He’s played shows in areas such as Charlotte, NC, Los Angeles, CA, Las Vegas, NV and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Nowadays, his home is in Kentucky. He first picked up a guitar at age 12 and was instantly hooked. He taught himself the guitar as well as the piano, mandolin and drums over the years.

 

His style reflects many of the artists in his record collection. There are greats such as Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson lined up alongside Eric Clapton, LynyrdSkynyrd and Guy Clark. He deftly combines traditional Country ballads with flashes of Southern Rock and Blues that come together to create a sound that is both familiar yet refreshingly new.

 

“I like to create music that is simple,” he explains. “I love story-songs that paint clear pictures with the imagery of words. I guess that’s why traditional Country is probably my favorite genre.”

 

Duff has performed hundreds of shows across the country including a number of performances in Puerto Rico as well. His largest performance to date was at a political rally in Kentucky where he performed in front of 20,000 people.