How did Nanci Griffith die? All about the Grammy-award winning artist as she passes away at 68 

Grammy-award winning singer Nanci Griffith passes away at 68 (Image via Getty Images)

American singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith has passed away at the age of 68. The news was reportedly confirmed by her manager.

Known for her contributions to folk and country music, the Grammy-award winner reportedly took her last breath on Friday, August 13, 2021. As of now, the cause of her death remains unknown.

Griffith’s management company, Gold Mountain Entertainment, is yet to release an official statement to abide by the musician's final wish:

“It was Nanci’s wish that no further formal statement or press release happen for a week following her passing.”

Nanci Griffith’s former co-worker and fellow country singer, Suzy Bogguss, also penned a heartfelt note to pay an emotional tribute to the late singer:

“A beautiful soul that I love has left this earth. I feel blessed to have many memories of our times together along with most everything she ever recorded. I’m going to spend the day reveling in the articulate masterful legacy she’s left us.”

Griffith is best remembered for classic numbers like Love at the Five and Dime, Outbound Plane, From a Distance and Once in a Very Blue Moon. She rose to fame in the mid-1970s and showcased her prowess in folk and country music. She also mastered a unique style of music and termed it "Folkabilly."

In 1994, Nanci Griffith bagged a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album for Other Voices, Other Rooms.

The following year, she was awarded the Kate Wolf Memorial Award by the World Folk Music Association. She also received the Americana Trailblazer Award from the Americana Music Association in 2008.

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Who was Nanci Griffith? Tributes pour in as singer passes away at 68

American singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith (Image via Getty Images)

Nanci Griffith was born as Nanci Caroline Griffith on July 6, 1953, in Texas. She was a singer, songwriter and guitarist. She began performing at local gigs and shows from the age of 12 and launched a career in mainstream music in 1977.

Griffith released her debut album, There’s a Light Beyond These Woods, in 1978 and won an award for songwriting at the Kerrville Folk Festival. She moved to Nashville in the early 1980s and collaborated with several folk artists. She went on to record more than 17 studio albums and two live albums.

In addition to her popular folk and country songs, Nanci Griffith is recognized for her appearances on PBS' Austin City Limits.

The singer also collaborated with Jimmy Webb and contributed to Red Hot + Country, an AIDS benefit album for the Red Hot Organization.

Nanci Griffith married singer-songwriter Eric Taylor in 1976. The couple divorced in 1982. She was also engaged to singer-songwriter Tom Kimmel but parted ways before tying the knot.

Nanci Griffith is also a cancer survivor. She battled breast cancer in 1996 and thyroid cancer in 1998.

Following the news of Nanci Griffith’s tragic demise, several fans and admirers took to Twitter to pay their tributes to the singer:

As tributes continue to pour in online, it is certain that Nanci Griffith will always be alive through her music. Her legacy and contribution to the folk industry will be remembered by fans and contemporaries alike.

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