Nanci Griffith, Grammy-winning folk singer-songwriter, dead at 68

Nanci Griffith, a Grammy Award-winning folk and country singer-songwriter who wrote “Love at the Five and Dime,” died Friday, her manager confirmed. She was 68.

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Griffith, who survived cancer twice during the 1990s, died in Nashville, Tennessee, Variety reported. No cause of death was given.

“It was Nanci’s wish that no further formal statement or press release happen for a week following her passing,” Gold Mountain Entertainment, Griffith’s management company, said in a statement.

Nanci Caroline Smith was born July 6, 1953, in Seguin, Texas, and was raised in Austin, Rolling Stone reported. She played at clubs and festivals in her native state and began her career as a teacher after attending the University of Texas, the magazine reported.

She switched to music full time in 1977 and married fellow performer Eric Taylor. They divorced in 1982, according to Rolling Stone.

A good singer in her own right, Griffith was better known for songs she wrote for others. “Love at the Five and Dime” was a country hit that rose to No. 3 on the country charts for Kathy Mattea, while “Outbound Plane” was a top-10 hit for Suzy Bogguss, Variety reported.

She recorded duets with Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Willie Nelson, Darius Rucker and the Chieftans, according to the website.

Griffith won a Grammy Award in 1993 for “Other Voices, Other Rooms,” an album of country cover songs.

Griffith released her debut album, “There’s a Light Beyond These Woods,” in 1978, Rolling Stone reported. Her second album, “Poet in My Window,” was released in 1982.

She signed with Philo and got national attention with her albums, “Once in a Very Blue Moon” and “The Last of the True Believers,” according to the magazine.

Griffith was the first artist to record Julie Gold’s song, “From a Distance,” which became a big pop hit for Bette Midler in 1990.

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