Duke Special

Duke Special (real name Peter Wilson) is an alternative rock musician based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Wilson, a vocalist and pianist, variously plays unaccompanied, accompanied by percussionist Chip Bailey (also known as Temperance Society), or backed by a full band, and his act often incorporates 78s played on an old-fashioned gramophone, or sound effects from a transistor radio. He sings in a distinct Belfast accent. He is married to an artist and has three sons.

He has supported artists like Van Morrison and Snow Patrol, and in 2006 toured Ireland with the Beautiful South and Europe with the Divine Comedy. In December 2006 he supported Snow Patrol at the Odyssey Arena, playing to 10,000 people. He has recently embarked on a UK-wide tour including his first sell-out gig in the Ulster Hall, in a triumphant Belfast homecoming.

He was nominated for three 2007 Meteor Music Awards, for best Irish male, best newcomer, and best album for Songs from the Deep Forest. The album has also been nominated for the 2007 Choice Music Prize (Adventures in Gramophone was nominated the previous year, losing out to 13 Songs by Julie Feeney).

Discography

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