Nanci Griffith

Nanci Griffith was a Texas singer-songwriter who called her mix of folk and country "folkabilly". Her own songs became hits for other singers, and her album Other Voices, Other Rooms won a Grammy.

Career

Griffith grew up in Rollingwood, near Austin, and released her debut album, There's a Light Beyond These Woods, in 1978. Once in a Very Blue Moon (1984) was recorded in Nashville, and she began appearing on the television show Austin City Limits. Her first MCA album, Lone Star State of Mind (1987), included her recording of Julie Gold's "From a Distance".

Kathy Mattea had hits with Griffith's songs "Love at the Five and Dime" and "Goin' Gone", and Suzy Bogguss with "Outbound Plane". Other Voices, Other Rooms (1993) won the 1994 Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2010, and died in Nashville in 2021.

Songs to know

• "Love at the Five and Dime"
• "Goin' Gone"
• "Outbound Plane"
• "From a Distance", written by Julie Gold
• "It's a Hard Life Wherever You Go" and "Trouble in the Fields"

Selected albums

More songwriters: John Prine · Tom Paxton · Emmylou Harris