Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith |
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Nanci Caroline Griffith, (born July 6, 1953 in Seguin, Texas) is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter from Austin, Texas.
Griffith's career has spanned a variety of musical genres, predominantly country, folk, and what she terms "folkabilly." Griffith won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1994 for her recording, Other Voices, Other Rooms. This album features Griffith covering the songs of artists who are her major influences. Her best-known song is "From a Distance" by Julie Gold, although Bette Midler's version achieved greater commercial success. Similarly, other artists have occasionally achieved greater success with Griffith's songs than Griffith herself. For example, Kathy Mattea had a country music top five hit with a 1986 cover of Griffith's "Love at the Five and Dime," and Suzy Bogguss had one of her largest hits with Griffith's and Tom Russell's "Outbound Plane."
Griffith was married to singer-songwriter Eric Taylor from 1976 to 1982. In the early 1990s, she was engaged to singer-songwriter Tom Kimmel, but the couple parted before marrying. Griffith is a survivor of breast cancer which was diagnosed in 1996, and thyroid cancer in 1998.[1]
Griffith has in recent years toured with various other 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, Willie Nelson, Adam Duritz (Singer of Counting Crows), and Darius Rucker (Singer of Hootie & the Blowfish). She has also contributed background vocals on many other recordings.[2] She is particularly popular in Ireland,[citation needed] and has recorded with The Chieftains.
Band (The Blue Moon Orchestra)
Current members
- Nanci Griffith — lead vocals, guitar
- James Hooker — keyboards, vocals
- Pat McInerney — percussion, vocals
- Thomm Jutz — guitar, vocals
- Alana Rocklin — Bass guitar, vocals
Previous band members
- Clive Gregson — guitar, vocals
- Ron De La Vega — bass, cello
- Pete Kennedy — guitar
- Maura Kennedy — vocals
- Iris DeMent — vocals
- Fran Breen — drums
- Philip Donnelly — guitar
- Le Ann Etheridge — bass guitar, vocals, mandolin
- Lee Satterfield — vocals, guitar, mandolin
- Lyle Lovett — backing vocals
Charts and awards
Album charts
| Date | Album | Country | Chart | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Lone Star State of Mind | US | Billboard Top Country Albums | 23 |
| 1988 | Little Love Affairs | US | Billboard Top Country Albums | 27 |
| 1988 | One Fair Summer Evening | US | Billboard Top Country Albums | 43 |
| Sep 1989 | Storms | UK | UK Album Chart | 38 |
| 1989 | Storms | US | The Billboard 200 | 99 |
| 1989 | Storms | US | Billboard Top Country Albums | 42 |
| Sep 1991 | Late Night Grande Hotel | UK | UK Album Chart | 40 |
| 1991 | Late Night Grande Hotel | US | The Billboard 200 | 185 |
| Mar 1993 | Other Voices, Other Rooms | UK | UK Album Chart | 18 |
| 1993 | Other Voices, Other Rooms | US | The Billboard 200 | 54 |
| Nov 1993 | The Best of Nanci Griffith | UK | UK Album Chart | 27 |
| Oct 1994 | Flyer | UK | UK Album Chart | 20 |
| 1994 | Flyer | US | The Billboard 200 | 48 |
| 1997 | Blue Roses from the Moons | US | The Billboard 200 | 119 |
| 1998 | Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful) | US | The Billboard 200 | 85 |
| 2001 | Clock Without Hands | US | The Billboard 200 | 149 |
| 2001 | Clock Without Hands | US | Billboard Top Internet Albums | 11 |
| 2002 | Winter Marquee | US | Billboard Top Country Albums | 45 |
Singles charts
| Date | Single | Country | Chart | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | "Once In A Very Blue Moon" | US | Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 85 |
| 1987 | "Cold Hearts/Closed Minds" | US | Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 64 |
| 1987 | "Lone Star State of Mind" | US | Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 36 |
| 1987 | " Never Mind" | US | Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 58 |
| 1987 | "Trouble in the Fields" | US | Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 57 |
| 1988 | "Anyone Can Be Somebody's Fool" | US | Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 64 |
| 1988 | "I Knew Love" | US | Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 37 |
Awards
Griffith won the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album for Other Voices, Other Rooms.
Discography
- There's a Light Beyond These Woods B. F. Deal Records (1978); reissued Philo Records/Rounder Records (1986); reissued and remastered Philo/Rounder (2002)
- Poet in My Window Featherbed Records (1982); reissued Philo/Rounder (1986); reissued and remastered Philo/Rounder (2002) (with bonus track — "Can't Love Wrong")
- Once in a Very Blue Moon Philo/Rounder (1984); reissued and remastered Philo/Rounder (2002)
- The Last of the True Believers Philo/Rounder (1986)
- Lone Star State of Mind MCA Records (1987)
- Little Love Affairs MCA (1988)
- One Fair Summer Evening (live) MCA, (1988)
- Storms MCA, (1989)
- Late Night Grande Hotel MCA, (1991)
- Other Voices, Other Rooms Elektra (1993)
- The MCA Years: A Retrospective MCA (1993)
- The Best of Nanci Griffith MCA (1993)
- Flyer Elektra Records (1994)
- Country Gold MCA (1997)
- Blue Roses from the Moons Elektra (1997)
- Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful) Elektra (1998)
- The Dust Bowl Symphony Elektra (1999)
- "Wings To Fly And A Place To Be" An Introduction To Nanci Griffith Universal MCA (2000)
- 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Nanci Griffith MCA Nashville (2001)
- Clock Without Hands Elektra (2001)
- From A Distance: The Very Best Of Nanci Griffith MCA (2002)
- Winter Marquee Rounder (2002)
- The Complete MCA Studio Recordings MCA Nashville (2003)
- Hearts in Mind New Door/Universal (2004) (UK/Ireland), (2005) (USA — with bonus track: "Our Very Own" — featuring Keith Carradine)
- Ruby's Torch Rounder Records (2006)
Videography
- Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration Sony VHS (1993)
- Winter Marquee Rounder/Universal DVD, Widescreen, (2002)
- One Fair Summer Evening...Plus! Universal Music & VI DVD, Fullscreen, (2005)
See also
References
- ^ Biography at nancigriffith.com
- ^ Guest Appearances on Other Artists' Albums