Weird isn't it. I remember her stuff in 1987 on video and listening to promotional 45's coming to a station I worked at. For me her purity was what I loved the most. Her music is special and the world is not as bright without her in it.
I have loved Nanci Griffith’s music since I first heard “Last of the True Believers.” in the mid 80s. Every song on that album is great and that was only her second album!! Her voice was pure and powerful and she was a damn good guitar player, as well..As a performer, Nanci was magnetic and generous.I was shocked when I learned that she’d died. It’s so sad. Rest In Love, Nanci.❤️
I followed Nanci Griffith and was a huge fan for 31 years. The first time I heard her sing I was hooked on her voice and her style. We lost another one of our great story tellers and a true poet of our time. RIP Nanci Griffith. You are already missed.
Nanci was a National Treasure. Few Folks really knew of her it seemed, which was a shame...My and my Dad used to ride around Columbia SC in the dead of night delivering newspapers listening to “Other Voices, Other Rooms”. An amazing record, every song is a classic. I liked all of her stuff, I cried when I heard she died...What a lovely sensitive human being...she was a joy...Rest Easy
You might be surprised how well known and loved she was. I’m a Northeasterner who never bought a country record until I heard Nanci. She had a (seemingly) effortless perfection about her guitar playing and singing like a bluegrass version of Joni Mitchell. I never really even thought of her as “country music”- she was purely “Nanci Griffith” to me, unique. All the best artists always transcend their styles. I even saw her at Symphony Hall in Boston in 1992, of all places. It was sold-out !
That little 'ding' that was the elevator at the Woolworth store. That innocent little speaking voice that became a powerful beacon of hope when she sang. Some people cannot be replaced or imitated, and it somehow makes them resonate so strongly. Sometimes it seems like we are losing them all, these troubadours, way too quickly, and we can either cry and throw our arms up in despair or we can step up and do what we can to carry on that tradition.
Oh to pick a favourite Nanci song is like asking to pick a favourite Dylan or a Joni! She was THE one that made me sit up and take notice of "country" music (after what seemed like a lifetime of saccharine and rhinestones). Lone Star... was a game changer I had just moved from Ireland to London and was working the the largest record shop in the world when it came out. We sold a ton of them...and played it every day for months on the stores system. Saw her in London at the hight of her fame...such a beautiful performer. I am in shock still and went to bed last night here in the wilds of rural Wexford in tears listening to There's a light beyond these woods RIP Nanci
Hell No (I'm not alright) is my favorite, and I love the video. She was such a fierce defender of the oppressed and such a force for good in this world. ❤
First thing I heard was Other Voices album and fell in love. Then started to listen to all her stuff that’s when I found out how talented she really was.
Wonderful Interview! Thank You for sharing! Am so saddened by the loss of dear Nanci and my favorite..which is hard, because every one of her Songs was incrediable {had this same dilemma when John Prine died} because it changes with every day...so today i am going to say my favorite Nancy Song is Gulf Coast Highway Love you Nancy your are an American treasure will miss you much, but grateful for all the music you left me
Saw her with Prine in Louisville KY. years ago, and I think in Colorado. I was smitten with her smile, her voice and just felt like Prine she knew me and would be a kind friend . May the good memories get her family and friends through this. From a Distance, cross the great divide , she watches over us. Peace and love from Bruce.
A huge loss and someone who, despite being successful and fairly well-known, is still so underrated. As far as favourite songs, I love Cradle of the Interstate, Ford Econoline and Love at the Five and Dime. She was such a good interpreter of other people's work, too, with her cover of Speed of the Sound of Loneliness being a favourite. Thanks for another lovely video, Otis!
One of the first songs I heard her perform was "Once In a Very Blue Moon". It was on a PBS special and she was already becoming more famous. I learned it well enough to play it for myself and when I would gather with some friends. I loved just about everything she did but something about that song really did it for me and still does. Like everyone I know I felt a great sadness when I woke up the morning after her death and my wife told me about her passing. I went to the living room and got my old Ovation guitar that I had played it so often on and played it again. Thanks for this posting Thomm Jutz is a great subject with so many great stories.
I haven’t watched this yet Otis but thanks so much. She’s one of my very favorites. When I heard of her passing I opened a bottle of wine and listened to the entire “one fair summer’s evening” album it’s a live record. The first I ever heard her was on the soundtrack from the movie “falling from grace” and fell in love right away. Edited afterthought: In approximately 2000 I think it was, I went down to Louisville to see her play a show, she was there with her band but was under the weather and couldn’t go on stage.
I'm sure she was met by many greats whom she sang with, admired and were friends... She had a sincerity very few can achieve.. She left so many video performances to enjoy..
I was not in a Lone Star State of Mind when my family uprooted us and moved to Texas years ago. It was like another country. And then I found Nanci Griffith. Her voice, her music, the stories that her music told were a lodestar and made this new country of Texas less of a mystery and more understandable, believable, real, tender. Her music will continue to be my brave companion through life.
Love at the Five and Dime. She describes the smell of a 5&10 as bubble gum on the bottoms of a leather sole shoe, which is absolutely spot on. When you saw heard Nancy sing, you wanted to be near her. She was a down home sage, and as good as Texan gets. This one got me. Brings me back to days where not much comfort was to be found, but she was a great place to hide.
Especially when one grew up sitting at a counter eating fries, spinning till I drove myself nauseous and then shopping in all the aisles with my gram. Hair nets and Bobbi pins first so gram didn’t forget. Lol The smell was so many things all put together. The Coffee brewing, the over perfumed smell of people spraying diff scents. After shave too. Etc ! You could buy so much for so little.
I loved her Flyer album, which seldom gets mentioned, but I think it was the first one I heard by her, so maybe that plays a role. Talk To Me While I'm Listening, Always Will, and Flyer, are just three favs from that album. Other, even sadder, favs are It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go and her cover of Townes' Tecumseh Valley.
Like other folks on here, her performance of Tecumseh Valley is one for the ages. My buddy Jeff ha purchased Other Voices and I played it as I snoozed on his couch while he slept in his bed. After that song played I spontaneously yelled to him in the other room, "That's the saddest song I ever heard!" A few weeks later, I saw her perform the song with Townes on a TV show. That clinched it. In the end, I saw Townes in concert not Nanci. I don't think she ever played up my way, in Toronto. But Townes did. A year before he passed. My friend insisted we go. So glad I did.
So sorry to hear about Nanci passing...much in this world is a disappointment that I've forgone the news and much of social media...I had to find out from you Otis. When I heard "Drive-In Movies and Dashboard Lights" the first time it grabbed me, that angelic voice had a beautiful brain too. My wife bought "The MCA Years" & about wore out "Ford Econoline"...sadly we only got to see her in concert once...she was just as engaging live.
I played and sang Ford Econoline for my mom. It was the last song I ever played for her. She died a week later. My mom could sing and yodel!!! She had 4 daughters in 36 months. She would get us to quit fighting on car rides by singing and yodeling. She had voice like wine.
I discovered Nanci around 1985. I loved every song of hers that I ever listened to. For some reason Flyer still grabs me strongly. Story songs that you can identify with and that whole traveling and meeting a stranger vibe that you connect with ..that is just the best. And for a just good feeling windows down radio blaring Outbound Plane does it for me every time. Love this little glimpse into the world of the working musician.
Loved her timeless music & spirit! Saw her live twice...once in Tucson & once out at the Albuquerque zoo which was a great setting for her songs. Still hard to believe she's gone. RIP Nanci
Well I love Nanci. What a loss. I have several if her albums in my stack. Near impossible to pick a favorite song, but Love in a Five and Dime and Just Another Morning Here are a couple that come to mind. I have seen her live she was a real treat, so genuine and near angelic.
I loved her doing Red is the Rose with the Chieftains. These are such great stories Otis! Again, thank you so much for creating this living archive of tales and memories. Without these recordings these things would have been lost in time and life is so much better when there is context and the fullness of living in the history we share.
This loss really hit me. Nancy was so charismatic, authentic; the complete package AND beautiful. Additionally one month younger then me. (gulp) Love at the five and dime was my favorite (going up) I miss her terribly ready. RIP sweet lady💔
Rest in Peace Dear Nanci. How we love you here in Ireland. Your own songs fed our souls. Your generosity in introducing new singer songwriters and your respect for those gone before.
What a terrible shock to lose her! Many favorites including her covers of Townes Van Zandt, Kate Wolfe & John Prine but a couple of hers that jump out - Trouble in these fields & Love at the Five & Dime. I Still think “One Fair Summer Evening” is one of the great live albums of any genre. RIP❤️
Such a loss-she and I were Austinites but she had the good fortune to having been born here. I first saw her at the old Emma Joes club late 70s/early 80s. I always felt she was kind of Austin's sweetheart. I met her once accidentally around 1995. I'm grabbing a late lunch at El Azteca -an East Austin Tex Mex institution. I grab the door handle and pulled it back and this waif of a lady just about falls into me. I look up and I've grabbed Nancy by the shoulders and the gal beside her is EmmyLou Harris. I start laughing, they start giggling. I don't want to be the star stuck fan so I say "I come for the Mole-its the best in town. What did you have for lunch. ?" Enchiladas one of them says to which I responded "Chicken with Green Sauce?" Yes-Nancy replies and I state "You chose wisely- have a great day."
Nanci's passing took me by surprise how deep it cut into my heart. She was my idol, the words and stories she sang also touched my soul. Her professionalism, sweetness, kindness and love for her audience could never be matched by no other. May you rest in peace Nanci and I hope you found my mother and you are able to play and sing for her. I can guarantee she will be dancing for sure. Thank you for helping me get through some tough times.
Another great loss, being from Northern Ireland " It's a hard life wherever you go " is one of my favourite Nancy compositions along with "Across the great divide", while her versions of "Tecumseh Valley" and " The speed of the sound of loneliness" are up there with the originals. She was a wonderful , warm and kind person as well as a great artist, and a great supporter of the Belfast /Nashville songwriter Festival.
This Old Town reminds me of my hometown on the prairie. Love At The Five and Dime. Her covers of Ten Degrees and Colder, Tecumseh Valley, and Can't Help but Wonder Where I'm Bound.
You have it the nail Tom Abbot ‘losing Nanci hit me so hard’ it did me and am heartbroken, I hope she has seen all the ovations raised during her concerts, that must have been deeply gratifying....do I miss her!
The Wing and the Wheel. Leaving the Harbour. Wish It Would Rain. Saint Teresa of Avila. Nanci's voice has been with me for a long time. I've been grieving.
The wing & the wheel is my favorite I guess. She had a lot of good ones though. Never got to see her in person , but you could just tell she was sweet & genuine!
Love at the Five and Dime would be my favorite. I’ve lived in Texas for over 70 years. Almost all that in the same county. My grandfather’s most used byword was DadGumit. I have heard Nanci use it when she somehow got frustrated when telling a story. I guess that’s why I loved her travels and stories. Because like Guy Clark and John Prine she was a story teller, but also able to put it to music. You always knew she was from Texas after 2nd word she spoke. All the early videos just mesmerized me with the energy that comes from such a childlike face and feminine body.
Cradle of the Interstate which was on the wonderful soundtrack for John Mellencamp’s Falling From Grace movie he made. Melancholy never sounded so real. What a sad bit of news to hear. That I didn’t hear it elsewhere and heard it from Otis is such a gift for me to hear this sad news from someone with a keen ear for real talent. Thanks Otis and Thank you Nancy ☮️❤️🎶🎶
That is such a great soundtrack. On of McMurtry's first appearances. Larry Crane. Nanci. Not to mention, the guy who did the title track was a local and our hometown hero Claude Akins was in the movie. Thanks for mentioning this!
Well, this was just wonderful. Never thought as old & mean as I am that I’d outlive someone so beautiful & timeless & necessary as Nanci Griffith. Once more, Thomm comes through with a terrific story. Thanks, Otis. Favorite Nanci song? Too many to list but since her passing I’ve played “Tecumseh Valley” & “Across The Great Divide” a lot. Repeatedly.
Wow. Not sure how I missed this. But I had no idea Nanci had passed. I love her version of Tecumseh valley. And Her and Townes doing it together was amazing. Townes forgot the last verse and instead did the chorus first then the last verse. The way Nanci looked at Townes during that preformice you could tell she was in awe of him. RIP Nanci you will be missed.
And I believe Townes said her cover of Tecumseh Valley was the best he had seen. The unique tapestry of Nancis musicianship where she covered Townes and Prine so elegantly white authoring her own work with such distinction and deep expression will be her legacy, and the treasure to be enjoyed for the ages. RIP, Nanci, with admiration and gratefulness you came our way
Thank you for this tribute. The comment about how doing very little allows one to do more with much less was one of those truths that hides in plain sight. (3:04) Thank you again. Our hearts are broken, even as it should be obvious that nothing lasts forever.
I have a story abut this song. I was visiting a friend who had moved out to Nederland CO. She got married and had a baby. The baby was about 2.5 when I visited. They had a casstte of Nanci's music so we learned Listen to the Radio. About a year klater, at Christmas they were back in both our hometowns visiting ad we got together for a hoedown. We played Listen to the Radio and her less than 4 yr old daughter STILL remembered all the words!!!! She started playing fiddle and violin at an early age. I've never had the chance to jam with her since then. Or not yet!
Also, there was a video of Nanci playing Speed of the Sound of Loneliness in Norway or Finland which seems to have been taken down, but it was completely devastatingly beautiful.
I've known Nanci's music and covered many of her songs for a long time. But I am not familiar with "Cradle of the Interstate" Maybe because it's a from a movie, I will have to check it out. ua-cam.com/video/1STxUb5LLAk/v-deo.html
Falling from Grace is a John Mellencamp movie. it had a soundtrack from it. the song is great. theres a john prine song on there as well but am not sure if he wrote it.
Thanks so much for putting this one up Otis! I read every comment ad tried to talk to some of the folks who posted if I had something to say. I love all Nanci's songs and covers so I cannot pick out a favorite. I am feeling so sad, even though it had been years since she was active. I still feel the loss of John, I am sure I am going to feel the loss of Nanci for a long time too. I am a amateur guitar player and singer. I know I will hum on her every time I sing this one ua-cam.com/video/9OoZosQSG6g/v-deo.html
As time goes on and we lose more and more artists...there are a few that for me are really hard to come to grips with. Those that are beyond words and have impacted my life more than others. That list for me includes John Lennon....Glen Frey.....Tom Petty....and Nanci Griffith. Such a loss for this world but I know they are happy in Heaven.
Otis I enjoyed listening to the interview with Thomm Jutz. These little pieces seems to make the life and the people a bit more real somehow. There are so many Nanci songs but one of my personal favorites is The Wing and the Wheel. I get tears just thinking about it. Best of luck.
The 'hand-shake' at birth is a coming death; without this understanding the shadow-time of death can be overwhelming. It might be this reason Namci Griffith wanted to keep her illness and death a private affair.
“I got a double 0 18 Martin guitar in the back seat of my car….and I’m leaving Mississippi with the radio on…..” THAT is in my opinion one of the best lines from any song ever….. 👍🏻
Hi - Great Thomm Jutz piece - My favourite Nanci track? - That's so difficult - There are so many, but 'I Knew Love' and 'Late Night Grand Hotel' are up there with them all - Thanks - John H (UK)
I had the great pleasure of seeing Nancy at least 3x, once with John Prine and once with Rodney Crowell. The last time I saw her she seemed frail but still managed a great performance. I had tickets to see her with The Chieftains when I assume her health started to decline and she canceled. The next time I was slated to see her she was again forced to cancel for health problems. That’s when she just fell off the map. I’ll miss her RIP
For me, I think "There's A Light Beyond These Woods" is right up there with the best of anything she ever did. There is a saying that the test of a good poem is that it makes you want to get inside and actually be a part of the subject matter. Edward Thomas's poem 'Adelstrop' would be a good example of this. It is the same with this early Nanci song. Lyrically and musically it is such a well crafted piece. It makes me wish I could go back 60 years and be there with Nanci and Mary Margaret. You have sympathy for the death of John and wonder if Mary Margaret is still alive. That's how good this piece really is. May She Rest in Peace.
Didn't know she passed away, i don't pretend i am the greatest fan,but the two albums i have, are great,i think they are BLUE ROSES FROM THE MOONS and OTHER VOICES OTHER ROOMS. She was just great, i will go through other stuff.
Thomm Jutz is absolutely correct about Ireland's love for Nanci Griffith. I "I am a backseat driver from America They drive to the left on Falls Road The man at the wheel's name is Seamus We pass a child on the corner he knows And Seamus says, "Now, what chance has that kid got?" And I say from the back, "I don't know" He says, "There's barbed wire at all of these exits And there ain't no place in Belfast for that kid to go" I'm sitting on the Falls Road tonight. It's where I call home. Sad.
Thomm Jutz has become a favorite for me since you turned me on to him Otis - been listening to ' To Live in Two Worlds' both Volumes are steeped in fine words and music!
To paraphrase her own lyric, "...Where would we be, in times like these, without the sogs that Nanci wrote?" For years she worked the road 10-11 months a year trying to find the commercial success here that she enjoyed in Ireland and Europe until she finally threw in the towel. So it's ironic the nationwide attention her death has drawn. No, no favorite song. She was my favorite.
Nice video. My favorite? You ask such hard questions. I'm tempted to say, whichever song I'm listening to, or maybe everything on Last of the True Believers, but I love Flyer. On Grafton Street maybe. Or My Life in an Open Book. She wrote so many beautiful songs!
"Once in a Very Blue Moon " is an obvious choice but a great one. "Love at the Five and Dime" is also beautiful, amongst others. Her middle name was Caroline, which is our daughter's name. I think the story went that her dad took her to see Townes Van Zandt play and told her she would hear a song that mentioned her name. She heard "Tecumseh Valley". "The name she gave was Caroline..."
![Nanci Griffith - New Country (Full Show) [1986]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hLPl6MRnO_w/mqdefault.jpg)
![Nanci Griffith - New Country (Full Show) [1986]](/img/tr.png)
I don't know why losing Nancy Griffith hit me so hard, but it did. Such a lovely singer songwriter. Rest easy Nancy.
Weird isn't it. I remember her stuff in 1987 on video and listening to promotional 45's coming to a station I worked at. For me her purity was what I loved the most. Her music is special and the world is not as bright without her in it.
It hit me hard too.
Me too. It’s like I thought she was only mine.
Yes, like losing a close friend. ♥️
I have loved Nanci Griffith’s music since I first heard “Last of the True Believers.” in the mid 80s. Every song on that album is great and that was only her second album!! Her voice was pure and powerful and she was a damn good guitar player, as well..As a performer, Nanci was magnetic and generous.I was shocked when I learned that she’d died. It’s so sad. Rest In Love, Nanci.❤️
I followed Nanci Griffith and was a huge fan for 31 years. The first time I heard her sing I was hooked on her voice and her style. We lost another one of our great story tellers and a true poet of our time. RIP Nanci Griffith. You are already missed.
Nanci was a National Treasure. Few Folks really knew of her it seemed, which was a shame...My and my Dad used to ride around Columbia SC in the dead of night delivering newspapers listening to “Other Voices, Other Rooms”. An amazing record, every song is a classic. I liked all of her stuff, I cried when I heard she died...What a lovely sensitive human being...she was a joy...Rest Easy
I loved how she always showcased other musicians. See Don Edwards, Townes, her ex, Eric and others.
You might be surprised how well known and loved she was. I’m a Northeasterner who never bought a country record until I heard Nanci. She had a (seemingly) effortless perfection about her guitar playing and singing like a bluegrass version of Joni Mitchell.
I never really even thought of her as “country music”- she was purely “Nanci Griffith” to me, unique. All the best artists always transcend their styles.
I even saw her at Symphony Hall in Boston in 1992, of all places. It was sold-out !
That little 'ding' that was the elevator at the Woolworth store. That innocent little speaking voice that became a powerful beacon of hope when she sang. Some people cannot be replaced or imitated, and it somehow makes them resonate so strongly. Sometimes it seems like we are losing them all, these troubadours, way too quickly, and we can either cry and throw our arms up in despair or we can step up and do what we can to carry on that tradition.
i remember woolworth, at the soda bar, you would pick a balloon and pop it and inside was your price for the banana split, sometimes it was free
Beautiful, beautiful girl, voice second to none.
So Long Ago, and Spin on a Red Brick Floor (live, from the One Fair Summer Evening).
Oh to pick a favourite Nanci song is like asking to pick a favourite Dylan or a Joni!
She was THE one that made me sit up and take notice of "country" music (after what seemed like a lifetime of saccharine and rhinestones). Lone Star... was a game changer I had just moved from Ireland to London and was working the the largest record shop in the world when it came out. We sold a ton of them...and played it every day for months on the stores system. Saw her in London at the hight of her fame...such a beautiful performer.
I am in shock still and went to bed last night here in the wilds of rural Wexford in tears listening to There's a light beyond these woods
RIP Nanci
I had the great pleasure of hearing Nanci Griffith accompanied by Thomm Jutz in Melbourne about ten years ago. A musical memory I'll always treasure.
I first heard her song on the Concert for a Landmine Free World CD. Hard Life won me over instantly.
Hell No (I'm not alright) is my favorite, and I love the video. She was such a fierce defender of the oppressed and such a force for good in this world. ❤
Nancy was so wonderful , it’s like impossible to pick a favorite! They were all great 😊 👍👍😃
First thing I heard was Other Voices album and fell in love. Then started to listen to all her stuff that’s when I found out how talented she really was.
Wonderful Interview! Thank You for sharing! Am so saddened by the loss of dear Nanci and my favorite..which is hard, because every one of her Songs was incrediable {had this same dilemma when John Prine died} because it changes with every day...so today i am going to say my favorite Nancy Song is Gulf Coast Highway Love you Nancy your are an American treasure will miss you much, but grateful for all the music you left me
Saw her with Prine in Louisville KY. years ago, and I think in Colorado. I was smitten with her smile, her voice and just felt like Prine she knew me and would be a kind friend .
May the good memories get her family and friends through this.
From a Distance, cross the great divide , she watches over us.
Peace and love from Bruce.
A huge loss and someone who, despite being successful and fairly well-known, is still so underrated.
As far as favourite songs, I love Cradle of the Interstate, Ford Econoline and Love at the Five and Dime. She was such a good interpreter of other people's work, too, with her cover of Speed of the Sound of Loneliness being a favourite.
Thanks for another lovely video, Otis!
One of the first songs I heard her perform was "Once In a Very Blue Moon". It was on a PBS special and she was already becoming more famous. I learned it well enough to play it for myself and when I would gather with some friends. I loved just about everything she did but something about that song really did it for me and still does. Like everyone I know I felt a great sadness when I woke up the morning after her death and my wife told me about her passing. I went to the living room and got my old Ovation guitar that I had played it so often on and played it again. Thanks for this posting Thomm Jutz is a great subject with so many great stories.
I haven’t watched this yet Otis but thanks so much. She’s one of my very favorites. When I heard of her passing I opened a bottle of wine and listened to the entire “one fair summer’s evening” album it’s a live record.
The first I ever heard her was on the soundtrack from the movie “falling from grace” and fell in love right away.
Edited afterthought: In approximately 2000 I think it was, I went down to Louisville to see her play a show, she was there with her band but was under the weather and couldn’t go on stage.
This one hurt bad.. she was one of my musical dream girls. Loves her voice and inflection and everything about her..
I'm sure she was met by many greats whom she sang with, admired and were friends...
She had a sincerity very few can achieve..
She left so many video performances to enjoy..
I was not in a Lone Star State of Mind when my family uprooted us and moved to Texas years ago. It was like another country. And then I found Nanci Griffith. Her voice, her music, the stories that her music told were a lodestar and made this new country of Texas less of a mystery and more understandable, believable, real, tender. Her music will continue to be my brave companion through life.
I'm heartbroken. Prine , then Toots and now Nanci. The last year and a half has sucked the hind teet.
Thanks for sharing and God’s blessings for you all
I love listening to her perform Love at the Five & Dime as well as Speed of the Sound of Lonliness, beautiful voice.
Love at the Five and Dime.
She describes the smell of a 5&10 as bubble gum on the bottoms of a leather sole shoe, which is absolutely spot on. When you saw heard Nancy sing, you wanted to be near her. She was a down home sage, and as good as Texan gets. This one got me. Brings me back to days where not much comfort was to be found, but she was a great place to hide.
I agree so much with what you said....the description of the Woolworth store....so poetic!
I think it was bubble gum and popcorn.
Especially when one grew up sitting at a counter eating fries, spinning till I drove myself nauseous and then shopping in all the aisles with my gram. Hair nets and Bobbi pins first so gram didn’t forget. Lol
The smell was so many things all put together. The Coffee brewing, the over perfumed smell of people spraying diff scents. After shave too. Etc ! You could buy so much for so little.
@@shawnuel you’re right
I loved her Flyer album, which seldom gets mentioned, but I think it was the first one I heard by her, so maybe that plays a role. Talk To Me While I'm Listening, Always Will, and Flyer, are just three favs from that album. Other, even sadder, favs are It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go and her cover of Townes' Tecumseh Valley.
Like other folks on here, her performance of Tecumseh Valley is one for the ages. My buddy Jeff ha purchased Other Voices and I played it as I snoozed on his couch while he slept in his bed. After that song played I spontaneously yelled to him in the other room, "That's the saddest song I ever heard!"
A few weeks later, I saw her perform the song with Townes on a TV show. That clinched it.
In the end, I saw Townes in concert not Nanci. I don't think she ever played up my way, in Toronto. But Townes did. A year before he passed. My friend insisted we go. So glad I did.
So sorry to hear about Nanci passing...much in this world is a disappointment that I've forgone the news and much of social media...I had to find out from you Otis. When I heard "Drive-In Movies and Dashboard Lights" the first time it grabbed me, that angelic voice had a beautiful brain too. My wife bought "The MCA Years" & about wore out "Ford Econoline"...sadly we only got to see her in concert once...she was just as engaging live.
I played and sang Ford Econoline for my mom. It was the last song I ever played for her. She died a week later. My mom could sing and yodel!!! She had 4 daughters in 36 months. She would get us to quit fighting on car rides by singing and yodeling. She had voice like wine.
I discovered Nanci around 1985. I loved every song of hers that I ever listened to. For some reason Flyer still grabs me strongly. Story songs that you can identify with and that whole traveling and meeting a stranger vibe that you connect with ..that is just the best. And for a just good feeling windows down radio blaring Outbound Plane does it for me every time. Love this little glimpse into the world of the working musician.
Loved her timeless music & spirit! Saw her live twice...once in Tucson & once out at the Albuquerque zoo which was a great setting for her songs. Still hard to believe she's gone. RIP Nanci
For me it's toss up for "Trouble in the Fields" and The Wing and the Wheel" both from "The Dust Bowl Symphony "
Well I love Nanci. What a loss. I have several if her albums in my stack. Near impossible to pick a favorite song, but Love in a Five and Dime and Just Another Morning Here are a couple that come to mind. I have seen her live she was a real treat, so genuine and near angelic.
I loved her doing Red is the Rose with the Chieftains. These are such great stories Otis! Again, thank you so much for creating this living archive of tales and memories. Without these recordings these things would have been lost in time and life is so much better when there is context and the fullness of living in the history we share.
Thank ya kindly! : )
This loss really hit me. Nancy was so charismatic, authentic; the complete package AND beautiful.
Additionally one month younger then me. (gulp)
Love at the five and dime was my favorite (going up)
I miss her terribly ready.
RIP sweet lady💔
She was an angel, nuff said. I will miss her. Thanks, Otis
Thomm Jutz is another great musician I found due to this channel!!
Rest in Peace Dear Nanci. How we love you here in Ireland. Your own songs fed our souls. Your generosity in introducing new singer songwriters and your respect for those gone before.
What a terrible shock to lose her! Many favorites including her covers of Townes Van Zandt, Kate Wolfe & John Prine but a couple of hers that jump out - Trouble in these fields & Love at the Five & Dime. I Still think “One Fair Summer Evening” is one of the great live albums of any genre. RIP❤️
Such a loss-she and I were Austinites but she had the good fortune to having been born here. I first saw her at the old Emma Joes club late 70s/early 80s. I always felt she was kind of Austin's sweetheart. I met her once accidentally around 1995. I'm grabbing a late lunch at El Azteca -an East Austin Tex Mex institution. I grab the door handle and pulled it back and this waif of a lady just about falls into me. I look up and I've grabbed Nancy by the shoulders and the gal beside her is EmmyLou Harris. I start laughing, they start giggling. I don't want to be the star stuck fan so I say "I come for the Mole-its the best in town. What did you have for lunch. ?" Enchiladas one of them says to which I responded "Chicken with Green Sauce?" Yes-Nancy replies and I state "You chose wisely- have a great day."
That's tremendous, Steve! : )
Love that story. This feels like we are having a wake for her Thanks everyone, Thanks Otis!
Nanci's passing took me by surprise how deep it cut into my heart. She was my idol, the words and stories she sang also touched my soul.
Her professionalism, sweetness, kindness and love for her audience could never be matched by no other.
May you rest in peace Nanci and I hope you found my mother and you are able to play and sing for her. I can guarantee she will be dancing for sure.
Thank you for helping me get through some tough times.
Her voice was so pure, and her smile seemed so easy, genuine and honest.
Favorite Nanci song that is a tough one. At the moment, Heaven. But after that the list goes on and on and on.
Another great loss, being from Northern Ireland " It's a hard life wherever you go " is one of my favourite Nancy compositions along with "Across the great divide", while her versions of "Tecumseh Valley" and " The speed of the sound of loneliness" are up there with the originals. She was a wonderful , warm and kind person as well as a great artist, and a great supporter of the Belfast /Nashville songwriter Festival.
The philosophy and spirituality of Nancy singing Working in Corners will always stay with me. Thank you Nancy.
Amazing how many male fans she had and old rockers too. She will be missed.
This Old Town reminds me of my hometown on the prairie. Love At The Five and Dime. Her covers of Ten Degrees and Colder, Tecumseh Valley, and Can't Help but Wonder Where I'm Bound.
She was awesome in all her songs and shows
You have it the nail Tom Abbot ‘losing Nanci hit me so hard’ it did me and am heartbroken, I hope she has seen all the ovations raised during her concerts, that must have been deeply gratifying....do I miss her!
Favorite Nancy Griffith song is "Once In A Very Blue Moon". So unique. A beautiful voice.
Sorry to hear of Nanci Griffith's passing . We are losing too many .
Love at the Five and Dime. So many to choose from, including her great covers. Last of the True Believers is in the "perfect record" category.
The Wing and the Wheel. Leaving the Harbour. Wish It Would Rain. Saint Teresa of Avila. Nanci's voice has been with me for a long time. I've been grieving.
The wing & the wheel is my favorite I guess. She had a lot of good ones though. Never got to see her in person , but you could just tell she was sweet & genuine!
Love at the Five and Dime would be my favorite. I’ve lived in Texas for over 70 years. Almost all that in the same county. My grandfather’s most used byword was DadGumit. I have heard Nanci use it when she somehow got frustrated when telling a story. I guess that’s why I loved her travels and stories. Because like Guy Clark and John Prine she was a story teller, but also able to put it to music. You always knew she was from Texas after 2nd word she spoke. All the early videos just mesmerized me with the energy that comes from such a childlike face and feminine body.
Cradle of the Interstate which was on the wonderful soundtrack for John Mellencamp’s Falling From Grace movie he made. Melancholy never sounded so real. What a sad bit of news to hear. That I didn’t hear it elsewhere and heard it from Otis is such a gift for me to hear this sad news from someone with a keen ear for real talent. Thanks Otis and Thank you Nancy ☮️❤️🎶🎶
That is such a great soundtrack. On of McMurtry's first appearances. Larry Crane. Nanci. Not to mention, the guy who did the title track was a local and our hometown hero Claude Akins was in the movie. Thanks for mentioning this!
Well, this was just wonderful. Never thought as old & mean as I am that I’d outlive someone so beautiful & timeless & necessary as Nanci Griffith.
Once more, Thomm comes through with a terrific story. Thanks, Otis. Favorite Nanci song? Too many to list but since her passing I’ve played “Tecumseh Valley” & “Across The Great Divide” a lot. Repeatedly.
Wow. Not sure how I missed this. But I had no idea Nanci had passed. I love her version of Tecumseh valley. And Her and Townes doing it together was amazing. Townes forgot the last verse and instead did the chorus first then the last verse. The way Nanci looked at Townes during that preformice you could tell she was in awe of him. RIP Nanci you will be missed.
And I believe Townes said her cover of Tecumseh Valley was the best he had seen. The unique tapestry of Nancis musicianship where she covered Townes and Prine so elegantly white authoring her own work with such distinction and deep expression will be her legacy, and the treasure to be enjoyed for the ages. RIP, Nanci, with admiration and gratefulness you came our way
Man... I’m so out of touch. That infos hitting me hard. Had not heard she had passed. Love you Nanci.
Trouble in the Fields...perfect.
Lone Star State of mind is a great sad love song. But Nancy wrote so many great songs, Gulf coast highway, Troubled fields, etc.
Nanci was just wonderful in every way, so sad at her passing.
Thank you for this tribute. The comment about how doing very little allows one to do more with much less was one of those truths that hides in plain sight. (3:04) Thank you again. Our hearts are broken, even as it should be obvious that nothing lasts forever.
I absolutely loooove A Clock Without Hands
Listen To The Radio 🎶🙏🏽
I have a story abut this song. I was visiting a friend who had moved out to Nederland CO. She got married and had a baby. The baby was about 2.5 when I visited. They had a casstte of Nanci's music so we learned Listen to the Radio. About a year klater, at Christmas they were back in both our hometowns visiting ad we got together for a hoedown. We played Listen to the Radio and her less than 4 yr old daughter STILL remembered all the words!!!! She started playing fiddle and violin at an early age. I've never had the chance to jam with her since then. Or not yet!
My favorite song changes all of the time. Today, it’s You Made this Love a Teardrop.
Also, there was a video of Nanci playing Speed of the Sound of Loneliness in Norway or Finland which seems to have been taken down, but it was completely devastatingly beautiful.
My favorite Nanci song is "Cradle of the Interstate" off the "Falling from Grace" movie soundtrack. She was special no doubt.
I've known Nanci's music and covered many of her songs for a long time. But I am not familiar with "Cradle of the Interstate" Maybe because it's a from a movie, I will have to check it out.
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Falling from Grace is a John Mellencamp movie. it had a soundtrack from it. the song is great. theres a john prine song on there as well but am not sure if he wrote it.
One favorite song is almost too much to ask. I've gone through her catalog for 2 weeks now. Gosh. Today, I'd have to say working in corners.
What's your favorite Nanci Griffith song?
Love at the Five & Dime. 🕯
These days my life is an open book. Thank you Otis.
I'm not driving these wheels.
It's A Hard Life.
Thanks so much for putting this one up Otis! I read every comment ad tried to talk to some of the folks who posted if I had something to say.
I love all Nanci's songs and covers so I cannot pick out a favorite. I am feeling so sad, even though it had been years since she was active. I still feel the loss of John, I am sure I am going to feel the loss of Nanci for a long time too. I am a amateur guitar player and singer. I know I will hum on her every time I sing this one
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As time goes on and we lose more and more artists...there are a few that for me are really hard to come to grips with. Those that are beyond words and have impacted my life more than others. That list for me includes John Lennon....Glen Frey.....Tom Petty....and Nanci Griffith. Such a loss for this world but I know they are happy in Heaven.
Otis I enjoyed listening to the interview with Thomm Jutz. These little pieces seems to make the life and the people a bit more real somehow. There are so many Nanci songs but one of my personal favorites is The Wing and the Wheel. I get tears just thinking about it. Best of luck.
Otis love the guests you have been getting. Keep up the good work.
The 'hand-shake' at birth is a coming death; without this understanding the shadow-time of death can be overwhelming. It might be this reason Namci Griffith wanted to keep her illness and death a private affair.
"Trouble in the fields. So sad, she was the real Mccoy,
“I got a double 0 18 Martin guitar in the back seat of my car….and I’m leaving Mississippi with the radio on…..” THAT is in my opinion one of the best lines from any song ever….. 👍🏻
Nanci Griffith and Tom T. Hall. 2 of my favorites gone 😢💔
Poet In My Window has a lot of my favorites. I also like "Once In A Very Blue Moon"
Hi - Great Thomm Jutz piece - My favourite Nanci track? - That's so difficult - There are so many, but 'I Knew Love' and 'Late Night Grand Hotel' are up there with them all - Thanks - John H (UK)
thanks Otis, from a distance -----Nanci RIP
I had the great pleasure of seeing Nancy at least 3x, once with John Prine and once with Rodney Crowell. The last time I saw her she seemed frail but still managed a great performance. I had tickets to see her with The Chieftains when I assume her health started to decline and she canceled. The next time I was slated to see her she was again forced to cancel for health problems. That’s when she just fell off the map. I’ll miss her RIP
Lucky guy! Nancy had SO much charisma without saying anything
Thomm plays on one of her later performances of "Listen to the Radio".
For me, I think "There's A Light Beyond These Woods" is right up there with the best of anything she ever did. There is a saying that the test of a good poem is that it makes you want to get inside and actually be a part of the subject matter. Edward Thomas's poem 'Adelstrop' would be a good example of this. It is the same with this early Nanci song. Lyrically and musically it is such a well crafted piece. It makes me wish I could go back 60 years and be there with Nanci and Mary Margaret. You have sympathy for the death of John and wonder if Mary Margaret is still alive. That's how good this piece really is. May She Rest in Peace.
Blue Moon. It was so simple and pure.
Sorry to hear this
Didn't know she passed away, i don't pretend i am the greatest fan,but the two albums i have, are great,i think they are BLUE ROSES FROM THE MOONS and OTHER VOICES OTHER ROOMS. She was just great, i will go through other stuff.
Listen to the radio!
I love Nanci. Rest In Peace darlin
Favorite Nanci Griffith song? Hard to choose between Lone Star State of Mind and Closed Hearts/Closed Minds. What a way to start an album!
Thomm Jutz is absolutely correct about Ireland's love for Nanci Griffith. I "I am a backseat driver from America
They drive to the left on Falls Road
The man at the wheel's name is Seamus
We pass a child on the corner he knows
And Seamus says, "Now, what chance has that kid got?"
And I say from the back, "I don't know"
He says, "There's barbed wire at all of these exits
And there ain't no place in Belfast for that kid to go"
I'm sitting on the Falls Road tonight. It's where I call home. Sad.
Thomm Jutz has become a favorite for me since you turned me on to him Otis - been listening to ' To Live in Two Worlds' both Volumes are steeped in fine words and music!
To paraphrase her own lyric, "...Where would we be, in times like these, without the sogs that Nanci wrote?" For years she worked the road 10-11 months a year trying to find the commercial success here that she enjoyed in Ireland and Europe until she finally threw in the towel. So it's ironic the nationwide attention her death has drawn. No, no favorite song. She was my favorite.
Too true.....and sad.
Nice video. My favorite? You ask such hard questions. I'm tempted to say, whichever song I'm listening to, or maybe everything on Last of the True Believers, but I love Flyer. On Grafton Street maybe. Or My Life in an Open Book. She wrote so many beautiful songs!
the thommster ..
💔
Lonestar state of mind
Listen to the radio
Late night Grand hotel
Otis..... did y'all know her in the late 1970's ???
The Flyer
I have followed Nanci for years, will miss her dearly. Also, wow, who dsaid that discusting beard looks good on you, OMG
she was such a sweety
across the great divide, or any song she ever sang.
thank you otis, i didnt know, onward we go.
Ok
"Once in a Very Blue Moon " is an obvious choice but a great one. "Love at the Five and Dime" is also beautiful, amongst others.
Her middle name was Caroline, which is our daughter's name. I think the story went that her dad took her to see Townes Van Zandt play and told her she would hear a song that mentioned her name. She heard "Tecumseh Valley". "The name she gave was Caroline..."