Matt Nancy Griffith – One of the Country’s Finest Voices Faded – Dajsavisen

Nancy Griffiths established herself as one of the best new country singers of the ’80s, with her clear, emotional voice. It also had a stronger association with folk song than many contemporary country singers at this time, which meant that it was rarely seen on commercial radio stations targeting the big country market: – I don’t listen to them, so it would be arrogant of me to ask them to they listen to me. As soon as we spoke to her, Nancy Griffith said she introduces herself to many singers who were unable to carry a note in a handbag.

[ Ane Brun bragte livet tilbake til Øyafestivalen ]

Nancy Griffith’s debut album “There a Light Beyond This Woods” was released early in 1978, but although the lead single with her still came to life, it took many years and many albums before people started listening properly. First of all with “One in a Blue Moon” (1984) and “The Last True Believer” (1986). The latter included, among other things, a beautiful copy of Tom Russell’s book “St. Olaf’s Gate “,” a song that she always played at concerts in Oslo. During one of them, in Centrum Scene, she confided to the audience that over the years she had stolen 12 glasses of beer from The Scottish pub, where it is sung in the first syllable.

“Lone Star State of Mind” from 1987 became the first album to be released internationally. “Beautiful melodies, melancholy lyrics and vocal accompaniment complement Griffith’s angelic voice, a voice that sounded like an unlearned Emilio Harris. Beautiful record,” according to my own review in Nay Tucker. “Little Love Affairs” was enthusiastically described in 1989 as “a rare collection of rare songs The songs are so beautiful and realistic at the same time that they live their own lives. to fall in love with. “

Nancy Griffith’s big breakthrough came in 1993 with the album Other Voices, Other Rooms along with some of her favorite songs written by other artists. John Prine’s “The Speed ​​of the Loneliness” in particular has become an audience favourite, and has contributed to Prine himself also garnering a larger audience. She also played Townes van Zandt, Jerry Jeff Walker, Jay Clark, Woody Guthrie, and Bob Dylan himself entered and played the harmonica on his “Boots Of Spanish Leather.”

[ Minneord ved John Prines død ]

Nancy Griffith has released a long list of beautiful recordings, and has given a number of great concerts in Norway over the years. It originally came from the Austin Music Center in Texas. She jokingly called her background “the trash of West Texas,” but eventually walked away in protest against the practice of the death penalty in her home state. “I don’t want to use my tax money to kill people,” she told us after moving to Nashville, Tennessee.

Nancy Griffiths also came to Oslo for a tour against landmines in 2002, where the show stars Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Elvis Costello and Steve Earle were in full view at the Concert Hall. We’ve also seen it several times in Norway with the Full Moon Orchestra, and with tour director Phil Kaufman, the man who once stole the urn with Gram Parsons’ ashes, and made sure it went out to Joshua Tree in California after Parsons’ own wish.

[ Bob Dylan er 80 – en av vår tids største stemmer, en av våre lengste saker ]

Griffith’s last album, “Intersection,” was released in 2012. “As long as anyone remembers Nancy Griffiths from ‘Last Of The True Believers’, ‘Lone Star State Of Mind’ and ‘Little Love Affairs’ and so, there will always be interest in more Of the paintings, she wrote then. “I had a hard life/I wrote it,” revealed directly in the title song of “The Intersection.” It wasn’t as frustrating as it sounds, but when she came to “hell no (I’m not okay)” we were told that the kind voice He could be powerful enough. “The Crossover” ended with a version of Loretta Lynn’s “High on a Mountain.” Her great role model, the first country singer to hear is the one who wrote her own songs and played guitar herself. One of Griffith’s best songs, “Listen to the Radio” spins around.

If you retire safely inside your little corner, you only take up space in the big world. I want to give back as much as I can, said Nancy Griffiths when we spoke to her at the beginning of the new century, with her new involvement in the fight against landmines.

I kept my opinions to myself. But after surviving the attack of cancer, she decided that life is to live. Anyway, she said in the same interview, I don’t want to take the opportunity not to. The life of Nancy Griffith will be remembered for a long time.

The cause of death is unknown, and Nancy Griffith’s management said Friday that they wished no information had been released until a week after her death.