The Ritz Theatre and Museum will be celebrating Museum Day by showcasing the Duval - Moments in Time Exhibit by artist David Williams. Williams has spent three decades documenting Jacksonville’s African-American positive history, culture, and achievers. For two free admission tickets please click here!
The Ritz will also have a special presentation by
Deborah J. McDuffie, a woman pioneer in the music and entertainment industry on Museum Day starting at 11 a.m.
About Deborah J. McDuffie: 2016 Onyx Magazine “Woman on the Move”, 2014 Black Employee Network Music Pioneer recipient, 2006 Jacksonville Cultural Council Arts Awards “Educator of the Year” and 2007 African American Literary and Media Lifetime Achievement “Phoenix” Award winner Deborah McDuffie has an impressive forty year career combining talents in production, performance, composing, arranging, marketing, advertising, special promotions, lecturing and teaching.
McDuffie is widely considered the first female composer/producer in the advertising industry, she is a multi-award-winning pioneer, a “behind the scenes” legend, so to speak. She was nominated for Grammy’s “Educator of the Year” Award in 2014.
She has composed, produced and worked with Patti Austin, Wynton Marsalis, Janet Jackson, Will Smith, Gladys Knight, Al Green, Grover Washington, Jr., Jose Feliciano, Patti Labelle, Luther Vandross, BB King, Michael Bolton, Roberta Flack, Ashford & Simpson, Branford Marsalis, Deneice Williams, James Ingram, Jennifer Holliday, Tito Puente, Gerald Albright, Howard Hewett, Teddy Pendergrass, Temptations, Four Tops, Spinners…And the list goes on and on.
McDuffie has appeared on Saturday Night Live and has performed live at Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall, Apollo Theatre, Village Gate, Copacabana and numerous other notable venues. She is a featured vocalist on the Academy Award winning song of the year “Fame”.
In BET’s “Journeys In Black” biographical documentary, the late Luther Vandross credits her with inspiring his trademark “woo”.
McDuffie has recently returned to the Ritz Theatre as Artistic Director for RITZ VOICES and Executive Producer of “Puttin on the Ritz Amateur Night”.
