Dissemination

Professor Mark Duffet, an international reference in the study of fan culture and popular music, has died

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The Centre for Research in Arts and Communication (CIAC) deeply regrets the death of Professor Mark Duffett, a lecturer at the University of Chester (UK) and a reference in studies on fan culture and popular music. Internationally recognised for his research into Elvis Presley, Duffett passed away unexpectedly on 15 February, leaving behind a legacy that influenced researchers, students and academic professionals.

With a career marked by interdisciplinarity, Mark Duffett has published more than a hundred scientific articles and several reference works that have made a significant contribution to studies on popular culture and the media. His most influential books include Understanding Fandom (Bloomsbury, 2013), an in-depth analysis of what it means to be a fan in contemporary society; Elvis: Roots, Image, Comeback, Phenomenon (Equinox, 2020), in which he examines the cultural impact and image-building of Elvis Presley; Popular Music and Automobiles (Bloomsbury Academic, 2020), which explores the relationship between popular music and car culture; and Rethinking Elvis (Oxford University Press, 2024), his most recent work, in which he proposes a new critical approach to the King of Rock’s influence on modern culture.

In addition to his publications, Professor Mark Duffett has participated in international conferences and academic events, establishing himself as a reference in the study of fan culture and popular music. Since 2023, he has collaborated with CIAC’s Film Studies Working Group, having been Keynote speaker at the Centre’s 13th Conference, an event dedicated to the theme ‘Elvis Presley and 20th Century Popular Culture’. In the same year, he took part in the seminar ‘Popular Music in Cinema’, where he discussed the intersections between music and audiovisuals, one of his main fields of research.

His contribution to CIAC also extended to academic production, with his participation in the e-book Elvis Presley and 20th Century Popular Culture, published by the centre in 2024, in which he collaborated with a chapter and an interview. Mark Duffett’s impact went beyond academia, and he is widely recognised as one of the leading experts on fan culture and the analysis of cultural influences on popular music. His legacy remains accessible to researchers and readers through his publications, available on platforms such as the University of Chester, Bloomsbury and Oxford University Press.

CIAC pays tribute to the life and academic legacy of Professor Mark Duffett, whose contribution to popular culture studies will continue to inspire generations of researchers and students.

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