Nanci Griffith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nanci Griffith
|
|
|---|---|
Griffith receiving award in 2010
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Nanci Caroline Griffith |
| Born | July 6, 1953 Seguin, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | August 13, 2021 (aged 68) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Country, country folk, Americana, neotraditional country |
| Instruments | Vocals, acoustic guitar |
| Years active | 1977–2021 |
| Labels | B.F. Deal, Featherbed, Philo, MCA, Elektra, Rounder, New Door |
Nanci Caroline Griffith (born July 6, 1953 – died August 13, 2021) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She was known for her unique blend of country and folk music. Nanci appeared many times on the PBS music program Austin City Limits. In 1994, she won a Grammy Award for her album Other Voices, Other Rooms.
Nanci Griffith often toured with other famous artists. These included Buddy Holly's band, the Crickets, and singers like John Prine and Judy Collins. She also recorded songs with many artists. Some of these were Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, and Darius Rucker. Nanci had her own backing band called the Blue Moon Orchestra.
Contents
Early Life and Music Career
Nanci Griffith was born in Seguin, Texas. Her family moved to Austin soon after she was born. Her mother was a real estate agent and an amateur actress. Her father was a graphic artist and sang in a barbershop quartet.
Nanci started her music journey at age 12. She sang in a local coffeehouse. When she was 14, she had her first professional show. Her first album, There’s a Light Beyond These Woods, came out in 1978. Her father designed the album cover.
Her music style mixed different types of sounds. She combined country, folk, and a style she called "folkabilly." This was a mix of folk and rockabilly music.
Grammy Award Success
Nanci won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1994. This was for her 1993 album, Other Voices, Other Rooms. On this album, Nanci sang songs by artists who had inspired her.
One of her most famous songs is "From a Distance." It was written by Julie Gold. Other artists also had big hits with songs Nanci wrote. For example, Kathy Mattea had a top country hit with Nanci's "Love at the Five and Dime." Suzy Bogguss also had a hit with "Outbound Plane," which Nanci co-wrote.
In 1994, Nanci worked with Jimmy Webb on a song for an AIDS benefit album. Nanci also faced health challenges. She survived breast cancer in 1996 and thyroid cancer in 1998.
.jpg)
Nanci Griffith had a period where she found it hard to write new songs. This lasted from 2004 until 2009. Then she released her album The Loving Kind. This album had nine new songs she wrote or co-wrote.
In 2012, Nanci released her album Intersection. She co-produced it with her bandmates, Pete and Maura Kennedy. They set up a recording studio in her home in Nashville.
Awards and Recognition
Nanci Griffith received many awards for her music.
- In 1994, she won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.
- She was added to the Austin Music Hall of Fame in 1995.
- The World Folk Music Association gave her the Kate Wolf Memorial Award in 1995.
- In 2008, she received the Lifetime Americana Trailblazer Award. This award honors artists who have made a big impact on Americana music.
- In 2010, BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards gave her a Lifetime Achievement Award.
- In February 2022, Nanci was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Association's Hall of Fame.
The Blue Moon Orchestra
Nanci Griffith called her backing band the Blue Moon Orchestra. She chose this name from her album Once In A Very Blue Moon. This album's title song even reached number 85 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1986.
Blue Moon Orchestra Members
- Final members
- Nanci Griffith – lead vocals, guitar
- Pat McInerney – drums, percussion
- Maura Kennedy – vocals, guitar
- Pete Kennedy – guitar, vocals
- Previous members
- James Hooker – piano, keyboards, vocals
- Byrd Burton – guitar
- Frank Christian – guitar
- Philip Donnelly – guitar
- Danny Flowers – guitar
- Clive Gregson – guitar, vocals
- Thomm Jutz – guitar, vocals
- Doug Lancio – electric guitar
- Lee Satterfield – vocals, rhythm guitar, mandolin
- Denny Bixby – bass, harmony vocals
- Ron De La Vega – bass, cello
- Le Ann Etheridge – vocals, bass guitar, rhythm guitar
- Pete Gordon – bass
- Pete Gorisch – bass, cello
- Danny Milliner – bass
- J. T. Thomas – bass, vocals
- Fran Breen – drums
- Liam Genockey – drums
- Steve Smith – drums
- Guest backing vocalists
- Emmylou Harris
- Iris DeMent
- Lyle Lovett
- Denice Franke
Personal Life
Nanci Griffith's high school boyfriend, John, passed away in a motorcycle accident. This sad event later inspired many of her songs. She was married to singer-songwriter Eric Taylor from 1976 to 1982. In the early 1990s, she was engaged to singer-songwriter Tom Kimmel.
Death and Legacy
Nanci Griffith passed away in Nashville on August 13, 2021. She was 68 years old. Her management company stated that she died of natural causes.
Her music continues to be celebrated. On September 22, 2023, a tribute album was released. It was called More than a Whisper: Celebrating the Music of Nanci Griffith. This album featured other artists covering Nanci's songs. Some of these artists included Sarah Jarosz, John Prine, Emmylou Harris, and Lyle Lovett.
A book about Nanci Griffith's songwriting is also planned. It is titled Love at the Five and Dime: The Songwriting Legacy of Nanci Griffith. It will include interviews with many musicians and people who worked with her.
See also
In Spanish: Nanci Griffith para niños
- Music of Austin
