Duff MacDonald was born on the prairies of Saskatchewan in a small sleepy farming community called Watson. The crossroads of the CP and CN railways, the home of the Original Santa Claus Day and the digs of NHL player Ross Lonsberry.

Duff grew up alongside the towering grain elevators of his hometown and the roar of the trains past his bedroom window. He also grew up in the heart of country and folk music.

And at an early age Duff showed interest in music and stage. He competed at age 7 in the Saskatchewan Search For The Stars. But his real passion was uncovered when he picked up a guitar at age 15. Inspired by his elder sister, he began to sing and play music that was unique for a small boy from a small town on the prairies.

He started to listen to Leadbelly, Odetta, Sweet Honey in The Rock, John Denver, Hank Williams Sr., Eddie Rabbit, Emmylou Harris and many others with a strong gospel and roots background. At age 16 he started to write his own music. He sang in the church choirs, he sang in choral groups, he sang at weddings, funerals and baby showers. Pretty much anywhere they would have him, he sang. He was a part of a small group called Just Friends in High school and they sang pop and toured the province also singing gospel and performing at churches across the countryside. He also briefly studied with Jester Hairston (Composer/Songwriter of Amen, Amen).

While all of this was happening Duff again auditioned for the Saskatchewan Talent Search and a group called Saskatchewan Express. A tour group and training ground for young talented home grown talent. Duff went on the win the talent search in 1984 and 1985 and subsequently toured the province with this troupe all through his final years of high school.

Unexpectedly, as Duff was about to graduate high school, he auditioned for the head of the music department at Dickinson State College in North Dakota. Duff was accepted, full scholarship in hand and found himself south of the border studying a more classical side to music. Opera.

A year went by, and auditions then came up for the World’s Fair, EXPO 86, in Vancouver and the province of Saskatchewan was hunting for Ambassador’s to host and represent Saskatchewan at their pavilion. They would also serve as singers and actors within the pavilion’s daily theatre show and in the interactive AV public tour through the pavilion. Mr. MacDonald then found himself in the company of some of Saskatchewan’s, and Canada’s, finest talent, singin’ and dancin his praises for his home province to thousands from all over the world who visited EXPO 86.

Following his success in Vancouver, Duff relocated to beautiful Vancouver and found a community of songwriters he could identify with while still persuing acting, stage and film and television. He began to write again and played small coffee houses.

One rainy day in Apil, a friend took him to an audition for a show called Les Miserables  Not knowing what this show was, Duff got up and sang what he knew. Pop with a gospel tinge to it. With his operatic training showing through now, the casting of show soon noticed this and he was on the next plane to Toronto and into costume fittings within the year. Les Miserables proved to be a huge turning point for Duff, fresh from the prairies. Duff then relocated to Toronto for his run of Les Miserables. The show ran a full year in Toronto and toured Canada for the first time ever with a short run in Alaska! The show ended and he ended up back in Vancouver. Even though Duff was offered another year with Les Miserables, he once again persisted with his music and delved into songwriting instead. He hooked up with fellow writers and musicians and was introduced to the music of Sarah McLaughlin and numerous others. He went on to garner a few awards while there, from the Nashville Music City Song Festival Contest and was asked to sing on a Saskatchewan project called WHEATHEART, an African Relief album with some of Saskatchewan’s finest singers and writers.

A fellow actor and singer named Susan Skemp, inspired Duff to collaborate and write a small comedy show called YA GOT ME, the story of their lives and how they were brought together through music. PRINCESS CRUISES was casting in town and were invited to see the show. Within weeks Duff and Susan found themselves in Los Angeles rehearsing and mounting three shows for the line. They were now working with the likes of Peter Matz (Barbra Streisand’s arranger), Bob Mackie and a whole team of musical legends. This proved to be an experience that would later resonate through Duff’s whole career.