CPI Archive 2008: Nanci Griffith is a phenomenon of country music. The Grammy winner chats candidly to Andrew Hamilton about beating cancer, the Blue Moon Orchestra and what she likes to call the Irish factor.
TEXANS are hard-headed creatures. At their best, they can be stubborn old dogs - never ready to admit defeat or raise the white flag. At their worst, well, at their worst their sheer single-mindedness and determination can be overwhelming, almost in fact to the point of nausea. There’s more than a touch of that single-mindedness in Nanci Griffith. A daughter of Austin - home of the City Limits, South by Southwest and the infamous 6th Street clubs - she possesses a unique cultural geography; the hardness of Texas and the softness of Austin. It’s a combination that has clearly worked. Having spent decades using her Austin side to graft her way to the top of the country music pile she was struck down with breast cancer back in 1996. After digging deep and beating that off, she was struck again in 1998, this time with thyroid cancer. It was at this time that the thick- skinned Texan came to the fore. “It was tough but you get through it,” said the 55-year-old. “It effects you, I think it changes you. But in a good way. I think that it teaches you to live in the moment and enjoy every minute of your life. If it’s not fun don’t do it."
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