Nanci Griffith
Nanci Caroline Griffith (July 6, 1953 – August 13, 2021) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter.[1] She appeared many times on the PBS music program Austin City Limits starting in 1985 (season 10). In 1994 she won a Grammy Award for the album Other Voices, Other Rooms.[2]
Nanci Griffith
Nanci Caroline Griffith
July 6, 1953
Seguin, Texas, U.S.
August 13, 2021 (aged 68)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Vocals, acoustic guitar
1977–2021
nancigriffith.com at the Wayback Machine (archived 25 February 2021)
Griffith toured with various other artists, including Buddy Holly's band, the Crickets; John Prine; Iris DeMent; Suzy Bogguss; Judy Collins and The Everly Brothers.[3] Griffith 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, John Stewart; and Darius Rucker. Griffith had a backing band which she referred to as the Blue Moon Orchestra.
Awards[edit]
Griffith won the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album for Other Voices, Other Rooms. She was inducted into Austin Music Hall of Fame in 1995.[17] Griffith was awarded the Kate Wolf Memorial Award by the World Folk Music Association in 1995.[18] In 2008, the Americana Music Association awarded her its Lifetime Americana Trailblazer Award.[19] Lyle Lovett, who contributed backing vocals to her third album, Once in a Very Blue Moon,[20] had won it before her. In 2010, Griffith received a Lifetime Achievement Award at BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.[21]
Griffith was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Association's Hall of Fame in February 2022 at the Paramount Theatre in Austin.[22][23][24]
Griffith referred to her backing band as the Blue Moon Orchestra. With regard to the chosen stage name, she wrote:
The title selection of the Once in a Very Blue Moon album reached number 85 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1986.[25][26] In 1986, Nanci Griffith showcased tracks from her 'Lone Star State Of Mind' album on The Nashville Network TV show, 'New Country'.
Personal life[edit]
Griffith's high school boyfriend, John, died in a motorcycle accident after taking her to the senior prom, and subsequently inspired many of her songs.[5] She was married to singer-songwriter Eric Taylor from 1976 to 1982. In the early 1990s, she was engaged to singer-songwriter Tom Kimmel.[28]
Death[edit]
Griffith died in Nashville on August 13, 2021, at the age of 68. The exact cause of death was not reported[29][10] but her management company attributed it to natural causes.[30]
On September 22, 2023, a tribute album, More than a Whisper: Celebrating the Music of Nanci Griffith, was released by Rounder and Concord Records. The compilation featured covers of Griffith's songs by her friends and fans, including Sarah Jarosz, John Prine, Kelsey Waldon, Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Kathy Mattea, Brandy Clark, Shawn Colvin, Ida Mae, Steve Earle, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Todd Snider, Iris DeMent, Mary Gauthier and The War and Treaty.[31]