Nanci Griffith (born Nanci Caroline Griffith in Seguin, TX, on 6 July 1953;… Read Full Bio ↴Nanci Griffith (born Nanci Caroline Griffith in Seguin, TX, on 6 July 1953; died 13 August 2021) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter who was raised in Austin, TX, and later resided in Nashville, TN. Her career spanned a variety of musical genres, predominantly country and folk, and what she terms "folkabilly." She won a 1994 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album for Other Voices, Other Rooms, an album of Griffith covering the songs of artists who influenced her.
She is best-remembered for From a Distance, by Julie Gold, although the version that achieved greater commercial success was not Griffith's but Bette Midler's (From a Distance). Similarly, other artists have occasionally achieved greater success with Griffith's songs than did Griffith herself: for example, Kathy Mattea, who had a country music top five hit with a 1986 cover (Love at the Five and Dime) of Love at the Five and Dime.
ADDITIONALLY
In 1994, Griffith teamed up with Jimmy Webb to contribute the song "If These Old Walls Could Speak" to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Country produced by the Red Hot Organization. Griffith is a survivor of breast cancer which was diagnosed in 1996, and thyroid cancer in 1998.[2]
Singer-songwriter Christine Lavin remembers the first time she saw Griffith perform:
I was struck by how perfect everything was about her singing, her playing, her talking. I realized from the get-go that this was someone who was a complete professional. Obviously she had worked a long time to get to be that good.
During her career, Griffith toured with many artists, including Buddy Holly's band, The Crickets; John Prine; Iris DeMent; Suzy Bogguss; and Judy Collins. Griffith has recorded duets with many artists, among them Emmylou Harris, Mary Black, John Prine, Don McLean, Jimmy Buffett, Dolores Keane, Willie Nelson, Adam Duritz (singer of Counting Crows), The Chieftains, and Darius Rucker (lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish). She also contributed background vocals on many other recordings.
Griffith suffered from severe 'writers block' for a number of years after 2004, lasting until the 2009 release of her The Loving Kind album, which contained nine selections that she had written and composed either entirely by herself or as collaborations.
After several months of limited touring in 2011, Griffith's bandmates The Kennedys (Pete & Maura Kennedy) packed up their professional Manhattan recording studio and relocated it to Nashville, where they installed it in Griffith's home. There, Griffith and her backing team, including Pete & Maura Kennedy and Pat McInerney, co-produced her album, Intersections over the course of the summer. The album includes several new original songs and was released in April 2012.
In addition to her own songs, Griffith is well known for her versions of other people's material, usually by contemporary singer-songwriters.
Awards
Griffith won the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album for Other Voices, Other Rooms. In 2008, the Americana Music Association awarded her its Americana Trailblazer Award; Lyle Lovett, who contributed backing vocals to some of "The Blue Moon Orchestra's" recordings,[which?] had won it before her.
Band (The Blue Moon Orchestra)
Griffith refers to her backing band as "The Blue Moon Orchestra." This reference is believed to have been drawn from both the title of one of her earliest albums, Once in a Very Blue Moon, and its title selection, which reached #85 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1986.
She is best-remembered for From a Distance, by Julie Gold, although the version that achieved greater commercial success was not Griffith's but Bette Midler's (From a Distance). Similarly, other artists have occasionally achieved greater success with Griffith's songs than did Griffith herself: for example, Kathy Mattea, who had a country music top five hit with a 1986 cover (Love at the Five and Dime) of Love at the Five and Dime.
ADDITIONALLY
In 1994, Griffith teamed up with Jimmy Webb to contribute the song "If These Old Walls Could Speak" to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Country produced by the Red Hot Organization. Griffith is a survivor of breast cancer which was diagnosed in 1996, and thyroid cancer in 1998.[2]
Singer-songwriter Christine Lavin remembers the first time she saw Griffith perform:
I was struck by how perfect everything was about her singing, her playing, her talking. I realized from the get-go that this was someone who was a complete professional. Obviously she had worked a long time to get to be that good.
During her career, Griffith toured with many artists, including Buddy Holly's band, The Crickets; John Prine; Iris DeMent; Suzy Bogguss; and Judy Collins. Griffith has recorded duets with many artists, among them Emmylou Harris, Mary Black, John Prine, Don McLean, Jimmy Buffett, Dolores Keane, Willie Nelson, Adam Duritz (singer of Counting Crows), The Chieftains, and Darius Rucker (lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish). She also contributed background vocals on many other recordings.
Griffith suffered from severe 'writers block' for a number of years after 2004, lasting until the 2009 release of her The Loving Kind album, which contained nine selections that she had written and composed either entirely by herself or as collaborations.
After several months of limited touring in 2011, Griffith's bandmates The Kennedys (Pete & Maura Kennedy) packed up their professional Manhattan recording studio and relocated it to Nashville, where they installed it in Griffith's home. There, Griffith and her backing team, including Pete & Maura Kennedy and Pat McInerney, co-produced her album, Intersections over the course of the summer. The album includes several new original songs and was released in April 2012.
In addition to her own songs, Griffith is well known for her versions of other people's material, usually by contemporary singer-songwriters.
Awards
Griffith won the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album for Other Voices, Other Rooms. In 2008, the Americana Music Association awarded her its Americana Trailblazer Award; Lyle Lovett, who contributed backing vocals to some of "The Blue Moon Orchestra's" recordings,[which?] had won it before her.
Band (The Blue Moon Orchestra)
Griffith refers to her backing band as "The Blue Moon Orchestra." This reference is believed to have been drawn from both the title of one of her earliest albums, Once in a Very Blue Moon, and its title selection, which reached #85 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1986.
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The Complete MCA Studio Recordings
Nanci Griffith Lyrics
Anyone Can Be Somebody's Fool You can cuss the daylights out of this pale winter…
Beacon Street Gonna wake up crazy to the cry of the trains…
Brave Companion Of The Road Where are you going there? With your suitcase by the back…
Cold Hearts / Closed Minds My bags are waiting in a cab downstairs I've got a…
Down 'N' Outer I once was a lot like you We share a dream…
Drive-In Movies And Dashboard Lights Sister had a crystal voice She played a Silverstone from Mon…
Fields Of Summer I am fragile in the morning I grow stronger in the…
Ford Econoline She drove west from Salt Lake City to the California…
From A Distance From a distance the world looks blue and green And the…
Heaven I think I'll go to Heaven There I will lay me…
Hometown Streets Everybody packs their goals And sails away for better shore…
I Don't Wanna Talk About Love (Nanci Griffith - James Hooker) I don't wanna talk about …
I Knew Love I knew love When it still meant forever When a feeling sha…
I Wish It Would Rain Oh I wish it would rain and wash my face…
I Would Change My Life You never liked this place where we'd been living all…
If Wishes Were Changes I wish that you loved me The way that I love…
It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go I am a backseat driver from America They drive to the…
It's Just Another Morning Here The telephone is ringin' in the middle of the night And…
It's Too Late You pace the pool and talk about it I read my…
Late Night Grande Hotel I'm working on a morning flight to anywhere but here I'm…
Leaving The Harbor When you are leaving the harbor Do you cry out to…
Let It Shine On Me There's a star in heaven's sky Always shining bright It's ju…
Listen To The Radio I am leaving Mississippi in the evening rain These Delta tow…
Little Love Affairs When I wake in the night and find That I'm dreaming You're…
Lone Star State of Mind Your phone call took my by surprise Gee, it's been a…
Love In A Memory She sleeps alone in the warm nights of Memphis Where the…
Never Mind You say you're heading out to California You've heard the gr…
Nickel Dreams A little girl dreamer Ribbons and long curls Reflections of …
One Blade Shy Of A Sharp Edge You honk the horn on your Mercedes Benz I've rolled up…
Outbound Plane I don't wanna be standing here With this ticket for this…
Radio Fragile We all said you'd never make it Cause you had that…
San Diego Serenade Never saw the morning till I stayed up all night Never…
Sing One For Sister Summer Sunday evening, around the old home place Well, I wou…
So Long Ago My daddy sent me off to Baton Rouge in nineteen sixty-nine H…
Storms (By Eric Taylor) As quiet as a street lamp This is some…
The Power Lines Nobody seems to care about you With your tool case by…
There's A Light Beyond These Woods There's a light beyond these woods, Mary Margaret. Do you t…
Trouble In The Fields Baby I know that we've got trouble in the fields When…
Tumble And Fall Your late night conversation Telephone call and an inspirati…
Wooden Heart Can't you see I love you Please don't break my heart…
You Made This Love A Teardrop What've you got to say for yourself now, baby, now…