Duran Duran’s former manager Craig Duffy ‘dies in car crash with girlfriend’

Duran Duran’s former manager Craig Duffy has died in a car crash alongside his girlfriend, it has been reported. 

Duffy and his partner Sue Parmiter are said to have died on Friday while travelling along the border of Devon and Somerset. 

According to Devon Live, they were involved in a collision on the A39 road around 3:30pm. A third person was injured and taken to hospital. 

Confirming the news and leading tributes, Duran Duran’s former publicist Gerard Franklin told the publication: ‘Craig was without question one of the best tour managers in the music business.

‘He was a gentleman, caring and considerate and the ultimate professional. He was great fun to be around with on tour a real joy. 

‘He was incredibly helpful to all the crew and people working on his tours and was liked by everyone. He was a music fan first and a tour manager second.’ 

Franklin continued: ‘He lived for his music and football being a Chelsea supporter. He was a giant of the music industry. It’s rare to find such characters who are genuine and Craig was the real deal, a real gem.’ 

Duffy was well-connected in the music industry having also worked with Blur, Gorillaz, Lily Allen, U2, Radiohead and Franz Ferdinand, over the years. 

According to the publication, he had been undergoing treatment for throat cancer at the time of his death. 

Paying tribute to the manager, band Right Said Fred tweeted: ‘Extremely shocked and saddened to hear that Craig Duffy and his partner Sue died in a car crash yesterday. 

‘Craig was our tour manager in the 90s, we rarely agreed on anything but we had stayed in touch and remained friends. He was a good guy and an excellent TM. Rest in peace.’ 

The Damned also shared fond memories and wrote in a Facebook post: ‘I first met Craig around 1976 when he was just a kid working for John Curd. 

‘He was and remained enthused with music, always had a smile and an anecdote to share.

‘Over the years he became a very deserved top of the league tour manager who, on and off, we worked with as indeed he seemed to have worked with so many artists from all genres of music in a long and successful career. A huge chunk of history has disappeared with his passing and he will be missed by many.’

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