Becky Dukes papers
Collection
0139-SCPA
Becky Dukes (b. 1934 - d. 2023) was an award-winning American composer and singer. She composed more than a hundred pieces of music, both for piano and with lyrics. Her collection consists of press materials, compact discs, and photocopied scores.
The collection is open for research use. Materials from this collection must be used in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library's Irving and Margery Morgan Lowens Special Collections Room during SCPA’s operating hours. Please contact the curator for an appointment or if you have questions related to digital access of the materials.
Copyright was not transferred to the University of Maryland with the gift of any copyrighted materials. All rights remain with the creators and rights holders. The University of Maryland Libraries is granted permission for the use in scholarly research by the Libraries’ patrons under fair use in Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act.
To inquire about duplication of materials for research or for publication, please contact SCPA’s curator.
0.50 Linear Feet
Becky Dukes was born November 21, 1934 in Durham, North Carolina. She earned a BA from Duke University where she studied with Todd Duncan. Until 1982, her performances were mostly in classical and religious settings, but Dukes evolved into a pop and easy listening songwriter later in her life. She performed with ensembles such as the Prince George's Philharmonic and United States Navy Band, and performed in a variety of clubs and hotels. Her albums include Alive (1992), Rainbow (1994),Borrow the Sun (1995), and Almost Country (1999).
Dukes received the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) award for Pop Writing, as well as awards from the Midatlantic Song Contest, the American Women Composers' Song Contest, and Billboard (for "For the Children of the World"). Dukes was a longtime resident of Hyattsville, Maryland and died there on November 19, 2023.
This collection is arranged into three series:
Gift of Becky Dukes in April 2012, with an accrual in May 2012.
Part of the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library