A new documentary explores the life and career of Nanci Griffith, from her success in Ireland to her tragic decline.
In 1987 Nanci Griffith became a country-rock superstar in Ireland even as she struggled with obscurity back home in America. Something in the Texas musician’s storytelling style and the starry-eyed sadness of her lyrics connected at a deeply emotional level to audiences on the other side of the Atlantic. She sounded poetically miserable, and, emerging from the awful 1980s, we were poetically miserable, too.
That sadness was more than just an artistic device, as becomes clear in RTÉ pop presenter turned producer David Heffernan’s Nanci Griffith – From A Distance (RTÉ One, Sunday, 8pm), an engaging, if harrowing, account of her success in Ireland, the many friendships she made and her retreat into isolation and alcoholism in the years before her death in 2021 at age 68. It’s a tragic story, and while her music will be familiar to anyone who remembers Ireland in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the film struggles to give us a sense of what Griffith was like. But perhaps that’s because she herself was never quite sure who she was: one contributor explains that, like many creative types, Griffith was insecure – a lack of confidence that intensified with age. “She would pour it out in some of her songs,” says her manager, Ken Levitan. “You see in a lot of artists. She was very insecure. The insecurity grew as she got older.” Still, if she lacked self-belief, she had plenty of fans. Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, and Rodney Crowell are among those who express their admiration. They recall a gifted songwriter and lyricist and talk – seemingly in earnest – of how they envied her success in Irelan
Nanci Griffith Documentary Country Music Ireland Alcoholism
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ruesha Littlejohn keeps Ireland’s Euro 2025 hopes alive in tense stalemate against WalesLittlejohn’s long-distance strike forces an own goal, denying Wales victory in Cardiff
Read more »
New poetry: Works by Niall Campbell, Elisa Gonzalez, John McAuliffe and John FitzgeraldReviews: The Island in the Sound; Grand Tour; National Theatre; and Long Distance
Read more »
Arteta Confirms Saka Injury Absence for 'More Than Two Months'Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Bukayo Saka will be sidelined for 'more than two months' with an injury. Saka's absence is a significant blow to Arsenal's Premier League title aspirations. Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the game as Arsenal beat Ipswich Town to stay within striking distance of the league leaders.
Read more »
Parker Solar Probe Makes Record-Breaking Flyby of the SunNASA's Parker Solar Probe achieved a historic milestone on Christmas Day, flying closer to the sun than any human-made object before. The spacecraft, named after renowned solar physicist Eugene Parker, plunged into the sun's outer atmosphere, the corona, at a distance of 3.8 million miles.
Read more »
Sprint finish of count weekend has given way to slow bicycle race of government formationYour essential end-of-week politics catch up: While the overwhelming likelihood is next government will be based on FF and FG, there are wheels within wheels
Read more »
The Ultimate Bed Linen Guide: Thread count, silk, Egyptian cottonWe may not think too much about the sheets stacked in the hot press, but different types can offer various comfort levels, as well as solutions to sleep issues such as being too hot, too cold or night sweats.
Read more »