My Duran Duran Testimonial for DDAD 2020

 My Duran Duran testimonial for DDAD 2020

By Kirk Harrington

Dedicated to Andy Golub / Durandy

I haven’t really sat down to write my feelings for Duran Duran, because they are many.  I will try my best to put what I can here today for Duran Duran Appreciation Day 2020.

I grew up in a difficult home.  My mother has a mental illness and my father spent most of his time dedicated to her well being.  While it was good of him to do so…and take care of my mom…many times I felt on the sidelines and alone.

I sought escape in a lot of things.  The praise of teachers, good friends, books, games, toys.  One of the things that that provided me a lot of hope…and something to look forward to was Duran Duran.

I remember listening to the song ‘Reflex’ from the 7 and the Ragged Tiger album.  This was the song that made me a lifelong Duranie.  To me the song and the band was about finding something better in life…not just in trusting good luck to take me where happiness is.  “I’ll cross that bridge when I find it…another day to make my stand…ooo woh.”  At that time I was the lonely child, ‘waiting by the park’ and it was up to me to find the ‘treasure in the dark’. 

The other song that later in life meant something deep for me was ‘Ordinary World’.  To me this song has represented my lifelong struggle to find an ordinary world.  I have also experienced a lot of loss in my life and have suffered some trauma because of it.  Many times, I have found myself feeling the line in the song which says… “What has happened to it all?...Crazy, some'd say…Where is the life that I recognize?...Gone away”.  And in those times when I’ve felt most alone…and there doesn’t seem to be a friend there…I found myself saying…“But I won't cry for yesterday…There's an ordinary world…Somehow I have to find.”  And somehow I found it and continue to find it.  Yes, it takes extra effort for me…given what I’ve gone through…but somehow that hope and light has made itself known and guided me to where I need to be.

There are other songs that are meaningful to me…several actually...but these two really stand out.  I was not lucky growing up to be able to attend their concerts.  My first concert was not until All You Need is Now, in Cleveland....much later in life.  What I do remember though is anxiously purchasing each of their albums on cassette and while listening to each song hanging onto every note and word sung.  I enjoyed watching them on MTV and I used to imagine that I was in an adventure novel with them...cruising the ocean on a yacht...travelling in a nice car to a stylish party...transported to a dance floor surrounded by beautiful women...stopping evil with James Bond.  Somehow their music has always reached inside me and inspired me in ways no other music has.

So much so that there came a time in my life when I felt the desire…the need to give back to the band in some way.  They had enriched my life so much up to that point and I wanted to do something to show them how much they have meant to me.

I started an effort to promote the band to the Rock Hall of Fame (Duran Duran to the Rock Hall or DDTTRH) at that time.  This effort did pretty well at raising awareness to the band.  I believe thanks to this effort and some prior to me and others after, the discussion around the band and the Rock Hall has increased dramatically…culminating to various mock polls for the band and also Duran Duran being at the Rock Hall to induct Roxy Music in 2019.  We did a lot of good work (and I say ‘we’ because many amazing Duranies helped me with this) at DDTTRH…we interviewed bands and artists, made press, created gads of unique content, donated to the conservation of Snow Leopards (when The Man Who Stole a Leopard was released), got Nile Rogers to sign our petition (which has the most signatures of any Rock Hall petition ever done) and created a good rapport with Duranies worldwide.

There came a time though when the sole focus on the band and the Rock Hall became less meaningful and too inhibitive.  I personally wanted to do more, but felt restricted by what we were.  For those close to the effort, you will also know that I made personal missteps that soured things for some people.  There was a time where I felt we needed a phoenix moment.  

That’s when Christian Helwig and I (Christian is a founding member) decided to create Duran Duran Worldwide.  This would be an effort not chained to the limited focus on the Rock Hall.  It would be an inclusive group that would invite Duranies from all over to join…to provide them unique content…and instead of promoting Duran Duran to one accolade, it would instead raise awareness to how the band has been a driving influence to music and popular media.  Further, it would seek to highlight people’s experiences and how the band inspires them in their art and work.  Anything to do with the Rock Hall became a minor project at that point.  We still have a petition that is open that people can sign, but we no longer actively support that project.  At that time too, we had a skeleton staff and given the challenges I had that I learned from, decided to add someone to specifically help with PR matters.  That’s why Tracey Elena is part of us!  She has been an amazing addition and I was happy the day when I offered to make her a main partner with us.

And so it brings us to today.  Duran Duran Worldwide in many ways is an effort that is a do-over and reset.  We’ve had a few great interviews and have made some fun content.  We have learned from our missteps and mistakes and have built on our successes and positivity as well.  And I couldn’t be prouder of the team I’ve had the honor to serve with.  All of us have a similar focus…none of us do what we do because we want something from the band or want attention or want to be rewarded.  We do what we do because of our love for the band and our desire to give back.  That’s it.

I have been especially enriched by the Duranies I have met from all over the world.  I love many of you and have felt honored to be welcomed into the community…and continue to be blessed by my association with you.  I know now that I am not alone…because there are ‘friends of mine’ I can turn to…that understand me specifically and my love for the band and accept me as I am.  There are not many people that I reserve such tender feelings for…but for you…my fellow Duranies…I feel especially moved to share them.

 

With love,

Kirk Harrington