Nanci Griffith, a singer who straddled the genres of folk, folk rock, and country western music, died on August 13, 2021. She was 68 years old. No cause of death was given, but Griffith battled breast cancer and thyroid cancer in the 1990s; perhaps one of them returned.
I own about a dozen Nanci Griffith CDs and have enjoyed them all. I’m featuring Flyer from 1994 because the title song includes the lines:
He was a flyer for the Air Force
On a plane from San Antonio
I was traveling to London
He was going off to Buffalo
There are plenty of other songs to like on Flyer. I’m fond of “Don’t Forget About Me” with Mark Knopfler’s guitar work. “Fragile” is very pretty with a choir that includes Emmylou Harris, another favorite of mine.
I’ll miss Nanci Griffith, knowing her crystal clear voice and her wonderful songs only exist on disc now. Anyone who dies at 68 is leaving us too soon. GRADE: A
Tracklist:
| 1 | The Flyer | 4:23 | |
| 2 | Nobody’s Angel Harmony Vocals – Adam Duritz | 4:15 | |
| 3 | Say It Isn’t So | 3:19 | |
| 4 | Southbound Train | 4:32 | |
| 5 | These Days In An Open Book | 3:33 | |
| 6 | Time Of Inconvenience | 3:49 | |
| 7 | Don’t Forget About Me Electric Guitar – Mark Knopfler Vocals [Supporting] – Pat McLaughlin | 2:59 | |
| 8 | Always Will | 2:42 | |
| 9 | Going Back To Georgia | 4:16 | |
| 10 | Talk To Me While I’m Listening Harmony Vocals – Adam Duritz | 4:13 | |
| 11 | Fragile Choir – Emmylou Harris, Holly Tashian, Lee Satterfield, Pam Rose | 3:26 | |
| 12 | On Grafton Street | 4:03 | |
| 13 | Anything You Need But Me | 3:07 | |
| 14 | Goodnight To A Mother’s Dream | 4:03 | |
| 15 | This Heart | 3:25 |
I hadn’t heard of her passing. I had a few albums of hers back in the 90’s but lost track of her over the years. Especially fond of her album Storms.
Steve, I think Nanci Griffith did her best work in the 1990s. STORMS is exceptional!
It’s darkened my day, since I learned of it this morning. Her legatees note that she wanted her cause of death held back for a week, for some reason, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve guessed right, George.
Roseanne Cash recommended this recording to anyone who wanted to hear her…
“Sometime in the 90’s, Nanci Griffith, Mary Chapin Carpenter & I did a songwriter-in-the-round show at the Bottom Line in NYC. Nanci played ‘Trouble in the Fields’. It was–is–stunning. Here she is, singing it with the great Maura O’Connell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l87JpWkbI0
Todd, thanks for the link to that impressive performance!
I went through a big Nanci Griffith phase with her earlier albums in the late eighties and had a chance to see her in concert at the time when she played in a small club just down the street. During a break in the show I went to the bar for a drink and ended up passing each other. We both shyly smiled at each other without saying a word.
When the show continued she talked about her newer recordings and that she was getting flak from the purists for crossing over into pop (which she said she had always listened to and loved, so it was hardly a sell out.) When the alr-country craze took off in the later nineties she seemed to be unfairly overlooked in favor of younger, marginally more “rootsy” artists like Iris Dement. So sad to hear of her passing.
Byron, thanks for sharing that story of “almost” meeting Nanci Griffith. I haven’t been that close to a star since the 1960s when Eric Clapton walked past me in a bar where CREAM was performing. He was on his way to the Men’s Room.
I was listening almost exclusively to jazz and classical music – radio and CD, during the time frame you give, so I guess it’s no surprise I’ve never heard of her.
Rick, Nanci Griffith’s career seemed to plagued by Bad Timing. She went “pop” when there was a folk music resurgence. She went more folky when pop music became more popular. Griffith certainly had the talent to be a bigger star.