Patty Griffin

Contemporary folk singer/songwriter

Patty Griffin is one of a slew of woman singer/songwriters who rose to relative fame in the 1990s contemporary folk scene. Other comparable women include Shawn Colvin, Dar Williams, Nanci Griffith. Griffin can also easily be compared to other artists who cover her work, like Emmylou Harris and the Dixie Chicks.

Living With Ghosts (A&M, 1996). 1000 Kisses (ATO Records, 2002). Impossible Dream (ATO Records, 2004).

Patricia Jeanne (Patty) Griffin was born in March, 1964, in upper Maine near the Canadian border. The youngest of seven children, Griffin's childhood was full of music, as her mother and grandmother were both fond of singing. Griffin bought her first guitar at the age of 16, began writing songs while still in high school and soon started playing with a cover band called Patty & the Executives.

After spending two years in Florida, Griffin moved to Boston in 1985, where she got married and took on odd jobs. She took guitar lessons, but only began playing music gigs after getting divorced in 1992.

Soon after she began playing shows around Boston, Griffin recorded a series of demos in her apartment and soon attracted the attention of A&M Records. She recorded Living With Ghosts for A&M at Kingsway Studios in New Orleans, and the record was well recieved in singer/songwriter circles. In response, Griffin moved to Nashville, started touring with Lilith Fair, and impressed contemporary folk fans around the country.

In 1998, she released Flaming Red, which caught the raised the interest of artists like the Dixie Chicks, who recorded "Let Him Fly" for their critically acclaimed album Fly.

Two years later, after her record company was sold and shuffled, Griffin signed a contract with Dave Matthews' label ATO Records. 1000 Kisses was the first album Patty Griffin made for ATO Records, and won the artist a Grammy nomination, although she lost the award to Nickel Creek.

Since then, Griffin has released two more records, appeared in film and on collaborative tours, and received another Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 2004. In addition to various covers by the Dixie Chicks, Griffin's music has been recorded by several artists, including Emmylou Harris and Bette Midler. She now resides in Austin, TX. Her next album is due in February, 2007.

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