From A Distance: The Very Best Of Nanci Griffith

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from a distance | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com . Retrieved April 24, 2021. Sweeting, Adam (August 16, 2021). "Nanci Griffith's Irish hit, cancer history and 'really dysfunctional' family". The Irish Times . Retrieved July 9, 2022. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996 and thyroid cancer in 1998. Griffith's high school boyfriend, John, died in a motorcycle accident after taking her to the senior prom, and subsequently inspired many of her songs. [5] She was married to singer-songwriter Eric Taylor from 1976 to 1982. In the early 1990s, she was engaged to singer-songwriter Tom Kimmel. [28] Death [ edit ]

Noble, Richard E. (2009). Number No. 1: the story of the original Highwaymen. Denver: Outskirts Press. pp.265–267. ISBN 9781432738099. OCLC 426388468.She played in clubs while finishing her academic qualifications, and armed with a degree in education from the University of Texas, she became a kindergarten teacher. In 1978 she released her debut album, There’s a Light Beyond These Woods, on the local Austin label BF Deal. The title song defined some of her essential qualities. It was a haunting and nostalgic saga of two childhood friends pursuing different paths through life, and included a reference to a boy called John, who had been her high school sweetheart but died in a motorcycle accident. Also in 1978 she won the New Folk competition at the Kerrville folk festival. Sandbloom, Gene (September 21, 1990). "Top 40: Music Meeting" (PDF). The Network Forty. p.28 . Retrieved March 21, 2020. Steve from Gaithersburg, MdDuring her testimony before an Intellectual Property Rights task force on September 14, 2004, Ms. Gold said: CMT: Videos: Nanci Griffith: Speed of the Sound Of Loneliness". Country Music Television . Retrieved January 21, 2013. Her career spanned a variety of musical genres, predominantly country, folk, and what she termed "folkabilly." [1] Griffith won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1994 for her 1993 recording, Other Voices, Other Rooms. [9] This album features Griffith covering the songs of artists who were her major influences. One of her better-known songs is " From a Distance," which was written and composed by Julie Gold. Similarly, other artists have occasionally achieved greater success than Griffith herself with songs that she wrote or co-wrote. 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 (and Tom Russell)'s " Outbound Plane". [10] [ citation needed]

Nanci Griffith, the youngest of three siblings, was born in Seguin, Texas, but raised in Austin, the place her family moved to shortly after her birth. [4] [5] Her mother Ruelene was a real estate agent and amateur actress; her father, Marlin Griffith, was a graphic artist and barbershop quartet singer. [6] [7] Griffith began her music career at age 12, singing in a local coffeehouse. [6] Her father took her to see Townes Van Zandt as a teenager. At the age of 14, she did her first professional gig at the Red Lion Cabaret in downtown Austin. [8] Her debut album, There’s a Light Beyond These Woods, was released in 1978, with a cover designed by her father. Nanci Griffith recorded it first in her 1987 album Lone Star State of Mind. Nanci Griffith stated that a songwriter Julie Gold sent her the song in 1986, asking Griffith what was wrong with it, as Gold had sent it to many artists and record companies but none wanted to record it. Griffith answered that she loved it so much the moment she heard it and that she wanted to hear it performed personally by Gold. This established a relationship between the two with Griffith being the first to record "From a Distance" in her Lone Star State of Mind album.Nanci sang that song all over the world, and I was still very much a secretary. She would call me at work from Belfast and tell me how the song was affecting people around the world. She took me out on the road with her several times, just so I could play the piano as she sang that one song. What incredible moments we shared. Me, away from my day job and in the spotlight with a beloved world-class talent. Me, getting love and honor from total strangers all because of one little song. Me, basking in the light of my life-long dream.

During this time, I received a call from Marc Shaiman, who identified himself as Bette Midler’s musical director. She was making a new record, and, in their search for songs, they called Stephen Holden at the New York Times for suggestions. Stephen told Marc about “From a Distance,” Marc called me, I sent the scratchy demo, and Bette recorded it. From a Distance (US cassette single sleeve). Bette Midler. Atlantic Records. 1990. 4-87820. {{ cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ( link) Stay with Me" ( Darkchild version) – James Napier, William Phillips& Sam Smith (songwriters) (2014) Diane from Sunset, ScI love this song & it is the Perfect song for these days of social distancing!

Tracklist

Breihan, Tom (September 22, 2023). "Stream The New Nanci Griffith Tribute Album Feat. Steve Earle, Billy Strings, Iris DeMent, & More". Stereogum . Retrieved September 23, 2023. Comprehensive Nanci Griffith Discography". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016 . Retrieved September 5, 2006. Linda from Fairfax,ia UsaIt would have been better without the phrase "from a distance" War is more exaggerated from a distance since we don't come face to face. Plus it makes it sound like God is distant and doesn't care. The saving grace of the song is the sweetness in the tune and the phrase "God is watching us" because He is.

She recorded four more albums, the last of them being Intersection, recorded at her Nashville home with Pete and Maura Kennedy and the percussionist Pat McInerney. Two of its songs Come On Up Mississippi and Bethlehem Steel reflected some of Griffith’s social and political concerns. In an 2020 retrospective review, Matthew Hocter from Albumism stated that the song "showcases her magnificent vocality, coupled with lyrics entrenched in hope and peace." [13] Conversely, Midler's recording of the song ranked at number 37 on VH1's list of the "50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs Ever." [14] and ranked at number 14 on Blender Magazine's list of "The 50 Worst Songs Ever". [15] Criticisms focus on the song's lyrical content and the production of Midler's version. On September 22, 2023, a tribute album, More than a Whisper: Celebrating the Music of Nanci Griffith, was released by Rounder and Concord Records. The compilation featured covers of Griffith's songs by her friends and fans, including Sarah Jarosz, John Prine, Kelsey Waldon, Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Kathy Mattea, Brandy Clark, Shawn Colvin, Ida Mae, Steve Earle, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Todd Snider, Iris DeMent, Mary Gauthier and The War and Treaty. [31] Discography [ edit ] Studio albums [ edit ] Year Biography". Archived from the original on January 13, 2007 . Retrieved January 13, 2007. originating from nancigriffith.com Retrieved January 31, 2013People seemed to love it, and I won a Grammy for Song of the Year in 1991. Here I was still living in one dark room, no money, uncertain of my future, and yet my song was on the radio and I had won a Grammy. If that isn’t a dream come true, what is? Powerfully Poetic Folk and Country Songwriter Nanci Griffith Has Died at Age 68, austinchronicle.com, Aug. 13, 2021 On June 16, 1988, I played Carnegie Hall with Nanci. All my relatives came up from Philadelphia to share the miracle. Most of them, including my mother, are immigrants. In many ways, I am their American Dream. What an amazing dream it is. As I write this, I can’t even believe it’s true. But it is. It really is. Not to put too much philosophical weight on the lyrics of a pop song but it's just something that popped into my head when I first heard the song. Even with all this glory, however, I was still a secretary. I still lived in one little dark room. I still barely made enough money to survive. Believe it or not, I was depressed and despondent. I remember crying on the phone to both my parents (who, incidentally, were never anything short of supportive, encouraging and fully loving with regard to my dream). On this occasion, I remember my desperation and how they tried to console me with a stereo pep talk. It didn’t work. Finally, they asked what they do to help me feel better. For the first and only time in my life, I asked them to please pay my rent for six months. They agreed, and July 7, 1989 was my last day of work at HBO. I walked down Sixth Avenue, crying all the way. Free at last.