Buckley, Jeff

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{{epname|Buckley, Jeff}}
 
{{Infobox musical artist
 
{{Infobox musical artist
 
|Father was folk singer Tim Buckley, who died at the age of 28 from a heroin overdose.
 
|Father was folk singer Tim Buckley, who died at the age of 28 from a heroin overdose.
|Name = Jeff Buckley  
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|Name = Jeff Buckley
|Img = Jeff_Buckley.jpg
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|Img = JB (26382234996).jpg  
|Img_size = 180
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|Img_size = 180
|Img_capt = Buckley in 1995.
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|Img_capt = Portrait of Jeff Buckley
 
|Background = solo_singer
 
|Background = solo_singer
 
|Birth_name = Jeffrey Scott Buckley
 
|Birth_name = Jeffrey Scott Buckley
 
|Alias =
 
|Alias =
|Born = [[November 17]], [[1966]]
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|Born = November 17, 1966
 
|Origin = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Anaheim, California|Anaheim]], [[California]], [[United States|USA]]
 
|Origin = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Anaheim, California|Anaheim]], [[California]], [[United States|USA]]
|Died = {{death date and age|1997|5|29|1966|11|17}} <br> [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]], [[Tennessee]], USA
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|Died = {{death date and age|1997|5|29|1966|11|17}} <br/> [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]], [[Tennessee]], USA
 
|Instrument = [[Singing|Vocals]], [[Guitar]], [[Bass guitar]], [[Harmonium]], [[electronic organ|Organ]], [[Drums]], [[Dulcimer]], [[Tabla]], [[Sitar]]
 
|Instrument = [[Singing|Vocals]], [[Guitar]], [[Bass guitar]], [[Harmonium]], [[electronic organ|Organ]], [[Drums]], [[Dulcimer]], [[Tabla]], [[Sitar]]
 
|Genre = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[Hard rock]], [[Folk rock]], [[Blues]]
 
|Genre = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[Hard rock]], [[Folk rock]], [[Blues]]
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'''Jeff Buckley''' ([[November 17]], [[1966]] &ndash; [[May 29]], [[1997]]), born '''Jeffrey Scott Buckley''' and raised as '''Scotty Moorhead''',<ref name="Browne2001p58">Browne (2001), p. 58</ref> was an [[United States|American]] [[singer-songwriter]] and [[guitar]]ist.
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'''Jeff Buckley''' (November 17, 1966 &ndash; May 29, 1997) was an [[United States|American]] [[singer-songwriter]] and [[guitar]]ist and the son of folk musician Tim Buckley.
  
Known for his ethereal singing voice and natural [[vibrato]], Buckley was considered by critics to be one of the most promising artists of his generation after the release of his critically acclaimed [[1994]] debut album ''[[Grace (album)|Grace]].'' However, at the height of his popularity, Buckley [[drowning|drowned]] during an evening swim in 1997. His work and style continue to be highly regarded by critics and fellow musicians.
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Emerging in the 1990s, Buckley impressed critics and audiences with his versatile and haunting vocals. Known for his ethereal singing voice and natural [[vibrato]], Buckley was considered to be one of the most promising artists of his generation after the release of a rough EP entitled ''Live at Sin-é,'' followed by his critically acclaimed 1994 debut album ''[[Grace (album)|Grace]].''  
 
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{{toc}}
"I want the idea and the sound of the idea to intoxicate— not the voltage"<ref name=Dodd>Dodd, Phillip. 2005.''The Book of Rock: From the 1950s to Today.'' New York: Thunder Mouth Press. ISBN 156025729 </ref>
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His family, especially his mother and stepfather, encouraged his interest in music and supported his desire to become a musician. The family does have its foundation in the stability of an order which extends to a wider social order. Buckley sought to continue what his father began and to reproduce a new musical spirit. Yet, his blossoming career was tragically cut short when Buckley died in a [[drowning]] accident in 1997 at the age of 30.  
  
 
==Biography==
 
==Biography==
 
===Early life===
 
===Early life===
Born in [[Anaheim, California|Anaheim]], [[California]],<ref name="Browne2001p58"/> Jeff Buckley was the only son of Mary Guibert and [[Tim Buckley]]. His mother was a [[Zonian|Panama Canal Zonian]] of mixed [[Greek people|Greek]], [[French people|French]], American and [[Panama]]nian descent,<ref>Kane (1998, 1999), "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/faq/03ethnic.html Ethnic Background]". Retrieved on [[September 4]], [[2006]].</ref> while his father was the descendant of [[Irish people|Irish]] [[immigrant]]s from [[Cork (city)|Cork]].<ref>Browne (2001), p. 16</ref> His father was also a singer-songwriter who released a series of highly acclaimed [[folk]] and [[jazz]] [[albums]] in the late 1960s and early 1970s. About his father Buckley said, "I never knew him." "I met him once, when I was 8."<ref name="TheUnmadeStar">Browne, David (October 24, 1993). "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/words/features/nyt-unmadestar.html The Unmade Star]". ''The New York Times''. Retrieved on [[February 11]], [[2007]].</ref> Tim Buckley died two months later of a drug overdose in 1975.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 11</ref>
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By the time Jeff Buckley was born, his father had already left the family. Born in [[Anaheim, California|Anaheim]], [[California]], he was the only child of Mary Guibert and [[Tim Buckley]], high school sweethearts whose marriage survived only a year.<ref name=Browne>David Browne, ''Dream Brother: The Lives and Music of Jeff and Tim Buckley'' (New York: Harper Entertainment, 2002, ISBN 038080624X).</ref> 
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His mother was a [[Zonian|Panama Canal Zonian]] of mixed [[Greek people|Greek]], [[French people|French]], American, and [[Panama]]nian descent, while his father was the descendant of [[Irish people|Irish]] [[immigrant]]s from [[Cork (city)|Cork]].<ref>Browne, 2001, 16</ref>  
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His father was a singer-songwriter who released a series of highly acclaimed [[folk]] and [[jazz]] [[albums]] in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Buckley commented, "I never knew (my father)." In 1975, when he was eight years old, Jeff spent a few days with Tim Buckley, but two months later, his father died of a drug overdose. He was 28 years old.<ref name=Browne/>
  
Jeff Buckley was raised by his mother and [[stepfather]] of only 2 years, Ron Moorhead, in [[Southern California]], and had a [[half-brother]] Corey Moorhead.<ref>Browne (2001), pp. 62-63</ref> Buckley moved many times in and around [[Orange County, California|Orange County]] while growing up with a [[single parent|single mother]], an upbringing Buckley  exaggeratedly called "rootless trailer trash".<ref>Vaziri, Aidin (1994), "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/words/interviews/raygun94.html Jeff Buckley]". ''Raygun Magazine''. Retrieved on [[February 11]], [[2007]].</ref> As a child, Jeff Buckley was known as Scott "Scotty" Moorhead based on his middle name and his stepfather's [[surname]].<ref name="Browne2001p58"/> After his father died, he chose to go by Buckley and his real first name which he found on a birth certificate.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 68</ref> To members of his family he remained "Scotty".<ref>Kane (1998, 1999), "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/faq/02name.html Scott Moorhead = Jeff Buckley]". Retrieved on [[February 11]], [[2007]].</ref>
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Jeff Buckley was raised by his mother in [[Southern California]]. Ron Moorhead, his stepfather of only two years, was the first father figure in his life and the father of [[half-brother]] Corey Moorhead.<ref name=Browne/> Buckley, brother Corey and his mother bounced around many times to different homes in and around [[Orange County, California|Orange County]].<ref>Aidin Vaziri, [https://jeffbuckley.com/articles-and-interviews/jeff-buckley-by-aidin-vaziri/ Jeff Buckley Interview] ''Raygun Magazine'', 1994. Retrieved May 8, 2021.</ref>  
  
Buckley was brought up around music. His mother was a classically trained pianist and cellist.<ref name="TributeProgram">(April 26, 1991). "[http://www.huntingbears.net/buckley/stannstimtrib.htm Greetings from Tim Buckley program]". ''St. Ann's Church''. Retrieved on [[February 11]], [[2007]].</ref>  His stepfather introduced him to [[Led Zeppelin]], [[Jimi Hendrix]], [[The Who]], and [[Pink Floyd]] at an early age.<ref name="TheArrivalof">Flanagan, Bill. (February 1994). "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/words/features/musician-flanagan.html The Arrival of Jeff Buckley]". ''Musician Magazine''. p. 100.  Retrieved on [[February 11]], [[2007]].</ref> Buckley grew up singing around the house and singing in [[harmony]] with his mother.<ref>Rogers, Ray (February, 1994). "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/words/interviews/interviewmag0294.html Jeff Buckley: Heir Apparent to ...]". ''Interview Magazine''. Retrieved on [[February 11]], [[2007]].</ref> "Everybody in my family sang,"<ref>Yates, Amy Beth (October/November 1994). "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/words/interviews/paintingwwords.html Painting with Words]". ''B-Side Magazine'', pp. 26-27. Retrieved on [[February 11]], [[2007]].</ref> Buckley said. He found an acoustic guitar in his grandmother's closet that he started playing with at the age of 6.<ref name="TributeProgram" /> Led Zeppelin's ''[[Physical Graffiti]]'' was the first [[album]] he ever owned.<ref name="TheSonAlsoRises">Diehl, Matt (October 20, 1994). "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/words/features/rs-sonalsorises.html The Son Also Rises: Fighting the Hype and Weight of His Father's Legend, Jeff Buckley Finds His Own Voice On Grace]". ''Rolling Stone''. Retrieved on [[February 11]], [[2007]].</ref> The [[hard rock]] band [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] was also an early favorite.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 64</ref> At the age of 12, he decided to become a musician.<ref name="TheSonAlsoRises"/> He received his first electric guitar, an imitation black [[Gibson Les Paul]], at the age of 13.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 67</ref> By [[high school]], Buckley had developed an affinity for [[progressive rock]] bands such as [[Rush (band)|Rush]], [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]], and [[Yes (band)|Yes]], as well as [[jazz fusion]] guitarist [[Al Di Meola]].<ref>Browne (2001), p. 70</ref> Buckley played in the school jazz band.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 69</ref>
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While growing up, Jeff Buckley went by the name Scott "Scotty" Moorhead based on his middle name and his stepfather's surname. After his father died, he chose to go by Buckley and his real first name which he found on a [[birth certificate]].<ref name=Browne/> His family members continued to affectionately call him "Scotty."<ref>[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/faq/02name.html Question about Jeff’s Name, Family, and History]''jeffbuckley.com'' Retrieved May 8, 2021.</ref>
  
In 1984, Buckley graduated from high school and moved north to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|Hollywood]] to attend the [[Musicians Institute]].<ref>Browne (2001), p. 95</ref> He graduated from the one-year course at the age of 18.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 97</ref> "It was the biggest waste of time,"<ref name="TheSonAlsoRises"/> Buckley once stated about the school. However, Buckley did appreciate studying [[music theory]] there saying, "I was attracted to really interesting harmonies, stuff that I would hear in [[Maurice Ravel|Ravel]], [[Duke Ellington|Ellington]], [[Béla Bartók|Bartók]]."<ref>Farrar, Josh. (February 29, 1996) "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/words/interviews/doubletake.html DoubleTake Magazine Interview]".</ref> "He had some of the most interesting [[chord (music)|chords]] and [[chord progressions]] of my generation,"<ref>Hammond, Shawn. (June 2006). "[http://www.acousticguitar.com/article/162/162,6963,FEATURE-3.asp Both Barrels Blasting]". ''Acoustic Guitar''.</ref> musician [[Ben Harper]] said about Buckley years later.
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As a child, Buckley sang around the house and harmonized with his mother,<ref>Ray Rogers, [https://jeffbuckley.com/articles-and-interviews/jeff-buckley-heir-apparent-to-by-ray-rogers/ Jeff Buckley: Heir Apparent to …] ''Interview Magazine'', February, 1994. Retrieved May 8, 2021.</ref> who was a classically trained pianist and cellist. At the age of six, he found an acoustic [[guitar]] in his grandmother's closet, which he began learning to play on, and at the age of 12, he decided to become a [[musician]]. He received his first electric guitar at the age of 13.  
  
Buckley spent the next 6 years working in a hotel and playing guitar in various struggling bands, spanning a diverse range of styles from [[jazz]], [[reggae]], and [[roots rock]] to [[heavy metal]];<ref>Browne (2001), pp. 99-103</ref> he also played the occasional [[funk]] and [[R&B]] [[recording studio|studio]] [[session musician|session]]<ref>Browne (2001), pp. 98-99</ref> and toured with the [[dancehall]] reggae artist [[Shinehead]].<ref>Kane (1998, 1999), "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/faq/05musihist.html What was his musical history?]". Retrieved on [[February 11]], [[2007]].</ref> All the time, Buckley limited his singing only to [[backing vocalist|backing vocals]].
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After graduating from high school in 1984, he attended the [[Musicians Institute]] in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|Hollywood]], where he graduated from the one-year course at the age of 18.
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In the following six years, Buckley played guitar and did backing vocals for several struggling bands, spanning a diverse range of styles from [[jazz]], [[reggae]], and [[roots rock]] to [[heavy metal]].<ref name=Browne/> He also toured with the [[dancehall]] reggae artist [[Shinehead]].<ref> [https://jeffbuckley.com/faq-2/ Questions about Jeff’s Musical life, Places, and History] ''jeffbuckley.com''. Retrieved May 8, 2021.</ref>
  
 
===Early career===
 
===Early career===
Jeff Buckley moved to [[New York City]] in February 1990,<ref>Browne (2001), p. 104</ref> but found few opportunities to work as a musician.<ref>Browne (2001), pp. 106-107</ref> He was introduced to ''[[Qawwali]]'', the devotional music of [[India]] and [[Pakistan]], and to [[Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan]], one of its most well-known singers.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 106</ref> Buckley became a great admirer of Khan.<ref> Young, Paul (1994). "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/words/interviews/buzz.html Talking Music: Confessing to Strangers]". ''Buzz Magazine''. Retrieved on [[February 11]], [[2007]].</ref> Buckley also  became interested in blues-legend [[Robert Johnson (musician)|Robert Johnson]] and [[hardcore punk]] during this time.<ref name="TributeProgram" /> Buckley moved back to [[Los Angeles]] in September when his father's former manager, [[Herb Cohen]], offered to help him record his first [[Demo (music)|demo]] of original songs.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 108</ref> Buckley completed ''Babylon Dungeon Sessions'', a five song [[compact cassette|cassette]] that included the songs "[[Eternal Life]]" and "Unforgiven" (later titled "[[Last Goodbye]]"<ref name="bp205">Browne (2001), p. 205</ref>).<ref>Browne (2001), pp. 108-109</ref> Cohen and Buckley hoped to attract attention from the music industry with the demo tape.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 109</ref>
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Following in his father's footsteps, Buckley moved to [[New York City]] in February 1990.  More than 20 years before, Tim Buckley had also ventured to New York in hopes of furthering his music career.<ref name=Browne/>
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Jeff Buckley was introduced to ''[[Qawwali]],'' the [[sacred music|devotional music]] of [[India]] and [[Pakistan]], and to [[Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan]], one of its most well-known singers.<ref name=Browne/> Buckley became a great admirer of Khan.<ref>Paul Young, [https://jeffbuckley.com/articles-and-interviews/talking-music-confessing-to-strangers-by-paul-young/ Talking Music: Confessing to Strangers] ''Buzz Magazine'', 1994. Retrieved May 8, 2021.</ref> Blues-legend [[Robert Johnson (musician)|Robert Johnson]] and [[hardcore punk]] also became his special interests during this time, further diversifying his influences.
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Finding few opportunities to work as a musician, Buckley returned to [[Los Angeles]] in September when his father's former manager, [[Herb Cohen]], offered to help him record his first [[Demo (music)|demo]] of original songs.<ref name=Browne/> Buckley completed ''Babylon Dungeon Sessions,'' a five song [[compact cassette|cassette]] that included the songs "[[Eternal Life]]" and "Unforgiven" (later titled "Last Goodbye"). Cohen and Buckley hoped to attract attention from the music industry with the demo tape.
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====Public singing debut====
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The following spring, Buckley finally reached a turning point in his career when he performed at a tribute concert for his father called "Greetings from Tim Buckley."<ref name=Browne/> The event, produced by show business veteran [[Hal Willner]], was held at Saint Ann's Church in [[Brooklyn]], New York on April 26, 1991. He performed "I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain," a song Tim Buckley wrote about an infant Jeff Buckley and his mother, accompanied by experimental rock guitarist [[Gary Lucas]], who he would later co-write several songs with. Buckley returned to the stage to play "Sefronia - The King's Chain," "Phantasmagoria in Two," and concluded the concert with "Once I Was" performed acoustically with an impromptu [[a cappella]] ending.<ref name=Browne/>
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When questioned about that particular performance Buckley said, "It wasn't my work, it wasn't my life. But it bothered me that I hadn't been to his funeral, that I'd never been able to tell him anything. I used that show to pay my last respects." Ironically, the concert proved to be his first step into the music industry that had eluded him for years.<ref name=Browne/>
  
Buckley flew back to New York the following spring to make his public singing debut at a tribute concert for his father called "Greetings from Tim Buckley".<ref name="bpp130-134">Browne (2001), pp. 130-134</ref> The event, produced by show business veteran [[Hal Willner]], was held at [[St. Ann's Church]] in [[Brooklyn]] on [[April 26]], [[1991]].<ref name="bpp130-134" /> Jeff Buckley chose simply to pay his respects to his father saying, "This is not a springboard, this is something very personal."<ref>"Kane (1998, 1999), "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/faq/06debut.html What was Jeff's public debut?]". Retrieved on [[February 9]], [[2007]].</ref> He performed "I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain", a song Tim Buckley wrote about an infant Jeff Buckley and his mother, accompanied by experimental rock guitarist [[Gary Lucas]].<ref name="bpp136-137">Browne (2001), pp. 136-137</ref> Buckley returned to the stage to play "Sefronia - The King's Chain", "Phantasmagoria in Two", and concluded the concert with "Once I Was" performed acoustically with an impromptu [[a cappella]] ending.<ref name="bpp136-137" /> "He blew the whole place away,"<ref name="ManishBoy">Arcade, Penny (June 1997). "[http://www.huntingbears.net/buckley/penny.htm Manish boy, setting sun]". ''Rolling Stone''. Retrieved on [[February 11]], [[2007]].</ref> Willner recalled. When questioned about that particular performance Buckley said, "It wasn't my work, it wasn't my life. But it bothered me that I hadn't been to his funeral, that I'd never been able to tell him anything. I used that show to pay my last respects."<ref name="TheSonAlsoRises"/>  Ironically, the concert proved to be his first step into the music industry that had eluded him for years.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 138</ref>
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====Increasing fame====
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On subsequent trips to New York in the summer of 1991, Buckley began co-writing with Gary Lucas resulting in the songs "[[Grace (song)|Grace]]" and "Mojo Pin."<ref name=Browne/> In the [[fall]], he began performing with Lucas' band [[Gods and Monsters (band)|Gods and Monsters]] around New York City but decided to leave the band in March of 1992.
  
On subsequent trips to New York in the summer of 1991, Buckley began co-writing with Gary Lucas resulting in the songs "[[Grace (song)|Grace]]" and "[[Mojo Pin]]",<ref>Browne (2001), pp. 140-141</ref> and by [[fall]] began performing with Lucas' band [[Gods and Monsters (band)|Gods and Monsters]] around New York City.<ref>Kane (1998, 1999) "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/tourography/kfaktourog1.html Jeff Buckley Tourography: 1991-1993]". Retrieved on [[February 11]], [[2007]].</ref> After being offered a development deal with Gods and Monsters at Imago Records, Buckley moved back to New York to the [[Lower East Side, Manhattan|Lower East Side]] at the end of 1991.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 142</ref> The day after Gods and Monsters officially debuted in March [[1992]], Buckley decided to leave the band.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 146</ref>
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Buckley began singing and playing guitar at several clubs and cafés around [[Lower Manhattan]],<ref>Jim Testa, [https://jeffbuckley.com/articles-and-interviews/making-it-in-new-york-jeff-buckley-by-jim-testa/ Making It In New York: Jeff Buckley] ''New Jersey Beat Magazine'', 1993. Retrieved May 8, 2021.</ref> but Sin-é in the [[East Village, Manhattan|East Village]] became his main venue. Buckley first appeared at the small Irish café in April 1992, and quickly earned a regular Monday night slot there.<ref name=Browne/> His repertoire consisted of a diverse range of [[Folk music|folk]], [[Rock music|rock]], [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]], [[blues]] and [[jazz]] [[cover song]]s, much of it music he had newly learned. In addition to the covers,he played original songs from ''Babylon Dungeon Sessions'' and the songs he'd written with Gary Lucas.<ref name=Browne/>  
  
Buckley began performing at several clubs and cafés around [[Lower Manhattan]],<ref>"Testa, Jim. (1993).  [http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/words/features/njbeat.html Making It In New York: Jeff Buckley]". ''New Jersey Beat Magazine''. Retrieved on [[February 11]], [[2007]].</ref> but [[Sin-é]] in the [[East Village, Manhattan|East Village]] became his main venue.<ref name="TheArrivalof" />  Buckley first appeared at the small Irish café in April 1992,<ref name="bp165">Browne (2001), p. 165</ref> and quickly earned a regular Monday night slot there.<ref name="bp167">Browne (2001), p. 167</ref> His repertoire consisted of a diverse range of [[Folk music|folk]], [[Rock music|rock]], [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]], [[blues]] and [[jazz]] [[cover song]]s, much of it music he had newly learned.<ref name="bp166">Browne (2001), p. 166</ref> Singers such as [[Nina Simone]], [[Billie Holiday]], [[Van Morrison]], and [[Judy Garland]] became his teachers.<ref name="bp166" /> Buckley performed favorites from [[Led Zeppelin]], [[Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan]], [[Bob Dylan]], [[Elton John]], [[The Smiths]], [[Bad Brains]], [[Leonard Cohen]], [[Édith Piaf]], [[Robert Johnson (musician)|Robert Johnson]], and [[Sly Stone]] as well.<ref name="bp166" /><ref name="bp167" /><ref>Bessman, Jim. (July 16, 1994). "[http://www.mojopin.org/pages/album_reviews.php#billboard Grace review]" ''Billboard''.  Retrieved on [[February 11]], [[2007]].</ref><ref name="bp205" /> "I became a human jukebox,"<ref name="TheSonAlsoRises"/> Buckley said. Included were his original songs from ''Babylon Dungeon Sessions'', and the songs he'd written with Gary Lucas.<ref name="bp166" /> He performed [[Solo (music)|solo]], accompanying himself on a borrowed [[Fender Telecaster]].<ref name="bp165" /> "I figured if I played in the no-man's land of intimacy, I would learn to be a performer,"<ref name="TheUnmadeStar"/> Buckley said.
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"I figured if I played in the no-man's land of intimacy, I would learn to be a performer," Buckley said. Of his own music, he commented, "I want the idea and the sound of the idea to intoxicate—not the voltage"<ref name=Dodd>Phillip Dodd, ''The Book of Rock: From the 1950s to Today'' (New York: Thunder Mouth Press, 2005, ISBN 156025729) </ref>
  
Over the next few months, Buckley attracted admiring crowds and attention from [[record label]] executives.<ref>Browne (2001), pp. 170-171</ref> Industry maven [[Clive Davis]] even dropped by to see him.<ref name="TheUnmadeStar"/> By the summer of 1992, limos from executives eager to sign the singer lined the street outside Sin-é.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 171</ref> Buckley signed with [[Columbia Records]], home of [[Bob Dylan]] and [[Bruce Springsteen]],<ref>Browne (2001), p. 174</ref> for a three-album, essentially million-dollar<ref>Browne (2001), p. 173</ref> deal in October 1992.<ref>Browne (2001), pp. 177-179</ref> Recording dates were set for July and August 1993 for what would become Buckley's recording debut, an [[Extended play|EP]] of four songs.<ref>Browne (2001), pp. 199-200</ref> ''[[Live at Sin-é]]'' was released on [[November 23]], [[1993]], documenting this period of Buckley's life.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 223</ref>
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Over the next few months, Buckley attracted admiring crowds and attention from [[record label]] executives. Buckley signed with [[Columbia Records]], home of [[Bob Dylan]] and [[Bruce Springsteen]], for a three-album, essentially million-dollar deal in October 1992. Recording dates were set for July and August 1993 for what would become Buckley's recording debut, an [[Extended play|EP]] of four songs. ''[[Live at Sin-é]]'' was released on November 23, 1993, documenting this period of Buckley's life.<ref name=Browne/>
  
 
===''Grace''===
 
===''Grace''===
In the summer of [[1993]], Jeff Buckley began working on his first album with [[record producer]] [[Andy Wallace (producer)|Andy Wallace]],<ref>Browne (2001), p. 202</ref> who had [[Audio mixing|mixed]] [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana's]] [[RIAA certification|multi-platinum]] album ''[[Nevermind]]''.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 201</ref> Buckley assembled a band, comprised of [[bassist]] [[Mick Grondahl]] and [[drummer]] [[Matt Johnson (drummer)|Matt Johnson]],<ref>Browne (2001), pp. 202-203</ref> and spent several weeks rehearsing.<ref>(August 23, 1994). "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/album.asp?SecID=2#info Grace album info]". ''Sony Music Entertainment Inc''. Retrieved on [[February 12]], [[2007]].</ref> In September, the [[trio (music)|trio]] headed to [[Bearsville Studios]] in [[Woodstock (town), New York|Woodstock, New York]] to spend 6 weeks recording basic tracks for what would become ''[[Grace (album)|Grace]]''.<ref>Browne (2001), pp. 204-208</ref> Buckley invited ex-bandmate Lucas to play guitar on the songs "[[Grace (song)|Grace]]" and "[[Mojo Pin]]", and Woodstock-based jazz musician [[Karl Berger]] wrote and conducted string arrangements with Buckley assisting at times.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 206</ref> Buckley returned home for [[overdubbing]] at studios in [[Manhattan]] and [[New Jersey]] where he performed [[take]] after take to capture the perfect vocals and experimented with ideas for additional instruments and added textures to the songs.<ref>Browne (2001), pp. 224-225</ref>
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After assembling a band, comprised of [[bassist]] [[Mick Grondahl]] and [[drummer]] [[Matt Johnson (drummer)|Matt Johnson]], Buckley began working on his first album in September 1993 in[[Bearsville Studios]] in [[Woodstock (town), New York|Woodstock, New York]]. They spent six weeks recording basic tracks for what would become ''[[Grace (album)|Grace]].'' Buckley invited ex-bandmate Lucas to play guitar on the songs "[[Grace (song)|Grace]]" and "Mojo Pin," and Woodstock-based [[jazz]] musician [[Karl Berger]] wrote and conducted string arrangements with Buckley assisting at times.<ref name=Browne/>
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Buckley returned home for [[overdubbing]] at studios in [[Manhattan]] and [[New Jersey]] where he painstakingly performed take after take to capture the perfect vocals, experimenting with ideas for additional instruments and added textures to the songs.
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In January 1994, Buckley left to go on his first solo [[North America]]n tour to support ''Live at Sin-é].''<ref name=Browne/> It was followed by a short ten-day [[Europe]]an tour in March, where he played at clubs and coffeehouses and made in-store appearances.  
  
In January [[1994]], Buckley left to go on his first solo [[North America]]n tour to support ''[[Live at Sin-é]]''.<ref name="bp224-225">Browne (2001), pp. 225-226</ref> It was followed by a quick 10 day [[Europe]]an tour in March.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 230</ref> Buckley played clubs and coffeehouses and made in-store appearances.<ref name="bp224-225" /> After returning, Buckley invited guitarist [[Michael Tighe]] to join the band.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 227</ref> Buckley co-wrote "[[So Real (Jeff Buckley song)|So Real]]" with Tighe, recorded as a late addition to the album.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 228</ref> In June, Buckley began his first full band tour called the "Peyote Radio Theatre Tour" that lasted into August.<ref name="Jeffbuckley.comBio">"[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/bio.asp jeffbuckley.com biography]". ''[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/  jeffbuckley.com]''. Retrieved on [[February 12]], [[2007]].</ref> [[The Pretenders|Pretender]] [[Chrissie Hynde]],<ref>Browne (2001), p. 231</ref> [[Soundgarden|Soundgarden's]] [[Chris Cornell]], and [[The Edge]] from [[U2]]<ref>Browne (2001), p. 251</ref> were among the attendees of these early shows.
+
After returning, Buckley invited guitarist [[Michael Tighe]] to join the band. Buckley co-wrote "[[So Real (Jeff Buckley song)|So Real]]" with Tighe, recorded as a late addition to the album. In June, Buckley began his first full band tour called the "Peyote Radio Theatre Tour" that lasted into August.<ref name="Jeffbuckley.comBio">[https://jeffbuckley.com/biography/ Jeff Buckley Biography] ''jeffbuckley.com''. Retrieved May 8, 2021.</ref>  
  
''[[Grace (album)|Grace]]'' was released on [[August 23]], [[1994]]. In addition to seven original songs, the album included three covers: "[[Lilac Wine]]", based on [[Nina Simone|Nina Simone's]] version,<ref name="bp166"/> "[[Corpus Christi Carol]]", a [[Benjamin Britten]] composition based on a [[15th century]] hymn that Buckley was introduced to in high school,<ref>Browne (2001), p. 75</ref> and [[Leonard Cohen|Leonard Cohen's]] "[[Hallelujah (song)|Hallelujah]]", based on [[John Cale|John Cale's]] recording from the Cohen tribute album, ''[[I'm Your Fan]]''.<ref name="bp166" /> Buckley's rendition of "Hallelujah" has been called "Buckley's best" and "one of the great songs"<ref>Tyrangiel, Josh (December 12, 2004). "[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1006590,00.html Keeping Up the Ghost]". ''Time''. Retrieved on [[January 24]], [[2007]].</ref> by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine and is included on ''[[Rolling Stone|Rolling Stone's]]'' list of "[[The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]".<ref>(December 9, 2004) "[http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs/page/3 The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]". ''[http://www.rollingstone.com/ rollingstone.com]''. Retrieved on [[February 11]], [[2007]].</ref>
+
''[[Grace (album)|Grace]]'' was released on August 23, 1994, including seven original songs and three covers. Buckley's rendition of "Hallelujah," a [[Leonard Cohen]] cover, is included on ''[[Rolling Stone|Rolling Stone's]]'' list of "[[The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]."
  
While sales were slow and the album garnered little radio airplay, it did quickly receive critical acclaim.<ref>Irvin, Jim. (August 1997). "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/words/tributes/itsneverover.html It's Never Over: Jeff Buckley 1966-1997]". ''Mojo''. Retrieved on [[February 11]], [[2007]].</ref> The [[United Kingdom|UK's]] ''[[Melody Maker]]'' called it, "a massive, gorgeous record,"<ref>Parkes, Taylor. (August 13, 1994). "[http://www.mojopin.org/pages/album_reviews.php#melody Grace Review]". ''Melody Maker.'' Retrieved on [[February 11]], [[2007]].</ref> while ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'' proclaimed it, "almost impossibly beautiful."<ref>Danielsen, Shane. (October 1994). "[http://gilliver.net/music/buckley/reviews/smh.html You read it here - album of the year]". ''Sydney Morning Herald''. Retrieved on [[February 13]], [[2007]].</ref> The album did go [[Music recording sales certification|gold]] in France and Australia over the next two years,<ref name="Jeffbuckley.comBio" /> eventually achieving gold status in the [[United States|U.S.]] in 2002.<ref>(December 4, 2002). "[http://www.riaa.com/news/newsletter/120602.asp Rock of Ages]'. ''[http://www.riaa.com Recording Industry Association of America]''. Retrieved on [[February 12]], [[2007]].</ref> ''Grace'' has now sold over 2 million albums worldwide<ref>[http://wttsfm.com/buckleylegacy.htm]</ref><ref>[http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=4006080]</ref> and has gone platinum in Australia over six times
+
While sales were slow and the album garnered little [[radio]] airplay, it did quickly receive critical acclaim. The [[United Kingdom|UK's]] ''[[Melody Maker]]'' called it, "a massive, gorgeous record,"<ref>Taylor Parkes, [https://mojopin.org/pages/album_reviews.php#melody Grace reviewed by Taylor Parkes] ''Melody Maker'', August 13, 1994. Retrieved May 8, 2021.</ref> while ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' proclaimed it, "almost impossibly beautiful."<ref>Shane Danielsen, [http://gilliver.net/music/buckley/reviews/smh.html You read it here - album of the year] ''Sydney Morning Herald'', October 1994. Retrieved May 8, 2021.</ref>  
  
''Grace'' won appreciation from a host of revered musicians. Included were members of Buckley's biggest influence, Led Zeppelin.<ref>Browne (2001), p. 10</ref> [[Jimmy Page]] considered ''Grace'' close to being his, "favorite album of the decade."<ref>Cross, Serena (Director). (2002). [http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0351127/ Jeff Buckley: Everybody Here Wants You] [Television Documentary]. UK: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).</ref>
+
The album did go [[Music recording sales certification|gold]] in France and Australia over the next two years,<ref name="Jeffbuckley.comBio" /> eventually achieving gold status in the United States in 2002. ''Grace'' has now sold over two million albums worldwide and has gone platinum in Australia over six times.
[[Robert Plant]] was also complimentary.<ref name="NOWmagazine">Hughes, Kim. (May-June, 1998) "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/words/interviews/nowmag.html Mother preserving Jeff Buckley's legacy]". ''NOW Magazine''. Retrieved on [[February 13]], [[2007]].</ref> Other of Buckley's influences<ref>Kane (1998, 1999), "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/faq/09influen.html Who were some of Jeff's influences?]". Retrieved on [[February 13]], [[2007]].</ref> lauded him: [[Bob Dylan]] named Buckley "one of the great songwriters of this decade,"<ref name=NOWmagazine/> [[David Bowie]] called ''Grace'', "one of the 10 albums he'd bring with him to a desert island."<ref name="VillageVoice">Flanagan, Bill. (June 10, 1997). "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/words/tributes/vv10jun97.html Jeff Buckley Missing, Presumed Dead]". ''Village Voice''. Retrieved on [[February 13]], [[2007]].</ref> [[Lou Reed]] expressed interest in working with him after seeing him perform.<ref name="VillageVoice"/> [[Paul McCartney]],<ref>Browne (2001), p. 6</ref> [[Thom Yorke]], [[Matthew Bellamy]], [[Chris Cornell]], [[Neil Peart]], [[U2]] and [[Elton John]] were among others who have held Buckley's work in high esteem.
+
 
 +
''Grace'' won appreciation from a host of revered musicians, including members of Buckley's biggest influence, [[Led Zeppelin]],<ref name=Browne/> and [[Bob Dylan]] named Buckley "one of the great songwriters of this decade," according to ''NOW'' magazine. [[Paul McCartney]], [[Thom Yorke]], [[Matthew Bellamy]], [[Chris Cornell]], [[Neil Peart]], [[U2]] and [[Elton John]] were among others who have held Buckley's work in high esteem.
  
 
===Concert tours===
 
===Concert tours===
Buckley spent much of the next year and a half [[concert|touring]] to promote ''Grace''. It seemed to be a tiring yet effective means for him to keep his independence from his record company, with which he had a strained relationship. From the album's release, he played in numerous countries, from [[Australia]], to the UK ([[Glastonbury Festival]] and the [[Meltdown Festival]] at the invitation of [[Elvis Costello]]<ref>Browne (2001), p. 266</ref>). In 1995 Buckley played a concert at the [[Paris Olympia]], a venue made famous by the French vocalist [[Édith Piaf]], that he considered the finest performance of his career. [[Sony]] has since released a live recording of that performance.
+
Buckley spent much of the next year and a half [[concert|touring]] to promote ''Grace.'' It seemed to be a tiring yet effective means for him to keep his independence from his record company, with which he had a strained relationship. From the album's release, he played in numerous countries, from [[Australia]], to the UK ([[Glastonbury Festival]] and the [[Meltdown Festival]] at the invitation of [[Elvis Costello]].<ref name=Browne/> In 1995 Buckley played a concert at the [[Paris Olympia]], a venue made famous by the French vocalist [[Édith Piaf]], that he considered the finest performance of his career. [[Sony]] has since released a live recording of that performance.
  
Buckley went on his "phantom solo tour" of cafés in the [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]] in December 1996, appearing under a series of aliases: The Crackrobats, Possessed by Elves, Father Demo, Smackrobiotic, The Halfspeeds, Crit-Club, Topless America, Martha & the Nicotines, and A Puppet Show Named Julio.<ref>"[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/news.asp?id=10 jeffbuckley.com Past tour dates]". ''[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/ jeffbuckley.com]''. Retrieved on [[February 12]], [[2007]].</ref>
+
Afterwards, his venues shrank as he returned to playing bars and cafés as he once had before fame hit. Buckley went on his "phantom solo tour" of cafés in the [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]] in December 1996, appearing under a series of aliases: The Crackrobats, Possessed by Elves, Father Demo, Smackrobiotic, The Halfspeeds, Crit-Club, Topless America, Martha & the Nicotines, and A Puppet Show Named Julio. By way of justification, Buckley posted a note on the Internet stating that he missed the anonymity of playing in cafes and local bars:
By way of justification, Buckley posted a note on the Internet stating that he missed the anonymity of playing in cafes and local bars:
 
  
 
{{quote|''There was a time in my life not too long ago when I could show up in a cafe and simply do what I do, make music, learn from performing my music, explore what it means to me, i.e., have fun while I irritate and/or entertain an audience who don't know me or what I am about. In this situation I have that precious and irreplaceable luxury of failure, of risk, of surrender. I worked very hard to get this kind of thing together, this work forum. I loved it and then I missed it when it disappeared. All I am doing is reclaiming it.''}}
 
{{quote|''There was a time in my life not too long ago when I could show up in a cafe and simply do what I do, make music, learn from performing my music, explore what it means to me, i.e., have fun while I irritate and/or entertain an audience who don't know me or what I am about. In this situation I have that precious and irreplaceable luxury of failure, of risk, of surrender. I worked very hard to get this kind of thing together, this work forum. I loved it and then I missed it when it disappeared. All I am doing is reclaiming it.''}}
  
Much of the material from the tours of 1995 and 1996 was recorded, and has been released posthumously on albums such as ''Mystery White Boy'' and ''Live a l'Olympia''.
+
Much of the material from the tours of 1995 and 1996 was recorded, and has been released posthumously on albums such as ''Mystery White Boy'' and ''Live a l'Olympia.''
  
Buckley was an impassioned fan of [[Pakistan]]i [[Sufi]] musician [[Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan]], and during his cafe days Buckley had often covered his songs. He interviewed Khan for ''[[Interview (magazine)|Interview]]'' magazine and wrote liner notes for Khan's ''The Supreme Collection'' compilation.
+
An impassioned fan of [[Pakistan]]i [[Sufi]] musician [[Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan]], Buckley often covered his songs during his café tours.
  
 
===Death===
 
===Death===
After completing touring in 1996, Buckley started to write for a new album to be called ''My Sweetheart the Drunk''. In 1997 he moved to [[Memphis, Tennessee]], where he rented a [[shotgun house]] of which he was so fond he contacted the owner about the possibility of buying it.<ref>Browne, David. ''Dream Brother: The Lives and Music of Jeff and Tim Buckley''. HarperEntertainment. January, 2001. pg 1</ref> Buckley started recording [[demo (music)|demos]] on his own 4-track recorder. He went into the studio again, recruited a band, and plans for the new album looked hopeful.
+
After completing touring in 1996, Buckley started to write for a new album to be called ''My Sweetheart the Drunk.'' In 1997 he moved to [[Memphis, Tennessee]], where he rented a [[shotgun house]] of which he was so fond he contacted the owner about the possibility of buying it.<ref name=Browne/> Buckley started recording [[demo (music)|demos]] on his own 4-track recorder. He went into the studio again, recruited a band, and plans for the new album looked hopeful.
  
On [[May 29]], [[1997]], as the band's plane touched down on the runway to join him in his Memphis studio, Buckley went swimming in [[Wolf River (Tennessee)|Wolf River Harbor]], a [[tributary]] of the [[Mississippi River]], while wearing steel-toed boots, all of his clothing, and singing along to a radio playing Led Zeppelin's "[[Whole Lotta Love]]". A roadie of Buckley's band, Keith Foti, remained ashore. After moving the radio and a guitar out of reach of the [[wake]] from a passing [[tugboat]], Foti looked up to see that Buckley was gone. Despite a determined rescue effort that night, Buckley remained missing, and the search was called off the following day due to heavy rain. 3 days later his body was spotted by a tourist on a riverboat marina and was brought ashore.
+
On May 29, 1997, Buckley went for an evening swim in [[Wolf River (Tennessee)|Wolf River Harbor]], a [[tributary]] of the [[Mississippi River]], while wearing steel-toed boots, all of his clothing, and singing along to a radio playing Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." A roadie of Buckley's band, Keith Foti, watched from the shore and cautioned him not to swim too far out.<ref name=Browne/> Foti looked away for a few moments to move the radio and a guitar out of reach of the [[wake]] from a passing [[tugboat]]. When he looked up, Buckley was no where in sight. Despite a determined rescue effort that night, Buckley remained missing, and the search was called off the following day due to heavy rain. Three days later his body was spotted by a tourist on a riverboat marina and was brought ashore.
  
The biography ''[[Dream Brother]]'', written about him and his father, reveals that the night before his death Buckley reportedly admitted to several loved ones that he suffered from [[bipolar disorder]]. The autopsy confirmed that Buckley had taken no [[illegal drugs]] before his swim and a [[drug overdose]] was ruled out as the cause of death. He was 30 years old.
+
The biography ''[[Dream Brother]],'' written about him and his father, reveals that the night before his death Buckley reportedly admitted to several loved ones that he suffered from [[bipolar disorder]]. The [[autopsy]] confirmed that Buckley had taken no [[illegal drugs]] before his swim and a [[drug overdose]] was ruled out as the cause of death. He was 30 years old.
  
 
A recent statement from the Buckley estate insists:
 
A recent statement from the Buckley estate insists:
{{quote|''Jeff Buckley's death was not "mysterious," related to drugs, alcohol, or [[suicide]]. We have a police report, a medical examiner's report, and an eye witness to prove that it was an accidental drowning, and that Mr. Buckley was in a good frame of mind prior to the accident.''<ref>[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/news.asp?id=86 Statement from Jeff Buckley estate]</ref>}}
+
{{quote|''Jeff Buckley's death was not "mysterious," related to drugs, alcohol, or [[suicide]]. We have a police report, a medical examiner's report, and an eye witness to prove that it was an accidental drowning, and that Mr. Buckley was in a good frame of mind prior to the accident.''<ref>Moojan, [https://www.throwbacks.com/chilling-story-behind-jeff-buckley/ The Chilling Story Behind Jeff Buckley, A Rising Star Who Was Literally Swept Away] ''Throwbacks'', January 17, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2021.</ref>}}
 +
 
 +
After Buckley's death, a collection of demo recordings and a full length album he had been reworking for his second album were released as ''Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk'' - the compilation being overseen by [[Chris Cornell]]. Three other albums composed of live recordings have also been released, along with a live [[DVD]] of a performance in [[Chicago]]. A previously unreleased 1992 recording of "[[I Shall Be Released]]," sung by Buckley over the phone on live radio, was released on the album ''[[For New Orleans]].''
 +
 
 +
===Buckley's significance as a performer===
 +
He combined technical skill and talent with intense passion, making him a charismatic performer, who was able to evoke deep emotional give and take with his audiences. According to a [[BBC]] documentary, Buckley wanted to "find his own voice," to transcend the legacy his father had left and to produce unique, original work which he alone could contribute.
 +
 
 +
==Legacy==
 +
[[File:Граффитти Jeff Buckley. Revisited. Россия, Октябрьский, 2015.jpg|thumb|250px|]]
 +
Jeff Buckley captivated and continues to enchant audiences not only with his talent and broad vocal range but with the degree of emotion and vulnerability exposed while performing. As he sang, audience members felt that he was singing personally to them and could simultaneously feel the emotion he expressed.
 +
 
 +
Buckley remains to be an influential and iconic figure in music. In 1998, he was nominated for a [[Grammy Award]] for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for his song [[Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk|Everybody Here Wants You]] and in 2000, music television station VH1 included Buckley's album ''Grace'' in the "100 Greatest Albums of Rock and Roll," ranked at No. 73.<ref name=Browne/>
 +
 
 +
He drew from a variety of musical genres, utilizing the  influences of the spiritual artist [[Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan]] to blues and [[heavy metal]] performers, to create a style all his own.
  
After Buckley's death, a collection of demo recordings and a full length album he had been reworking for his second album were released as ''[[Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk]]'' - the compilation being overseen by [[Chris Cornell]]. Three other albums composed of live recordings have also been released, along with a live [[DVD]] of a performance in [[Chicago]]. A previously unreleased 1992 recording of "[[I Shall Be Released]]", sung by Buckley over the phone on live radio, was released on the album ''[[For New Orleans]]''.  
+
''Grace'' has sold over two million albums worldwide, and despite his brief career, Buckley's mysterious and powerful presence in music continues to draw fans from around the world.
  
Director [[Brian Jun]] has announced plans to make a film biography of Buckley, in cooperation with his mother. It is to be called ''Mystery White Boy'', and is scheduled for release in 2008. As of yet, no one has been cast in the role of Buckley. A separate project involving the book ''Dream Brother'' was allegedly canceled.<ref>{{cite news
+
Director [[Brian Jun]] has announced plans to make a [[film]] biography of Buckley, in cooperation with his mother, called ''Mystery White Boy: Live '95, '96'' released in 2008.
|url=http://www.kmnr.ca/2006/kMNR_v2006.124.htm
 
|title=How They've Gone from Bad to Worse
 
|publisher=KMNR Music News Weekly
 
|date=[[29 June]] [[2006]]
 
|accessdate=2007-05-04}}</ref>
 
  
 
==Discography==
 
==Discography==
Line 104: Line 134:
 
|align="center"|[[1993 in music|1993]]
 
|align="center"|[[1993 in music|1993]]
 
|width="240"|''[[Live at Sin-é]]''
 
|width="240"|''[[Live at Sin-é]]''
|width="120"|[[November 23]], [[1993]]
+
|width="120"|November 23, 1993
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|[[1994 in music|1994]]
 
|align="center"|[[1994 in music|1994]]
 
|''[[Grace (album)|Grace]]''
 
|''[[Grace (album)|Grace]]''
|[[August 23]], [[1994]]
+
|August 23, 1994
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|[[1995 in music|1995]]
 
|align="center"|[[1995 in music|1995]]
 
|''[[Live from the Bataclan]] [EP]''
 
|''[[Live from the Bataclan]] [EP]''
|[[October]] [[1995]]
+
|October 1995
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|[[1998 in music|1998]]
 
|align="center"|[[1998 in music|1998]]
 
|''[[Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk]]''
 
|''[[Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk]]''
|[[May 26]], [[1998]]
+
|May 26, 1998
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|[[2000 in music|2000]]
 
|align="center"|[[2000 in music|2000]]
 
|''[[Mystery White Boy]]''
 
|''[[Mystery White Boy]]''
|[[May 9]], [[2000]]
+
|May 9, 2000
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|[[2001 in music|2001]]
 
|align="center"|[[2001 in music|2001]]
 
|''[[Live at L'Olympia|Live a L'Olympia]]''
 
|''[[Live at L'Olympia|Live a L'Olympia]]''
|[[July 3]], [[2001]]
+
|July 3, 2001
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|[[2002 in music|2002]]
 
|align="center"|[[2002 in music|2002]]
 
|''[[Songs to No One 1991-1992]]''
 
|''[[Songs to No One 1991-1992]]''
|[[October 15]], [[2002]]
+
|October 15, 2002
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|[[2002 in music|2002]]
 
|align="center"|[[2002 in music|2002]]
 
|''[[The Grace EPs]]''
 
|''[[The Grace EPs]]''
|[[November 26]], [[2002]]
+
|November 26, 2002
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|[[2003 in music|2003]]
 
|align="center"|[[2003 in music|2003]]
 
|''[[Live at Sin-é (Legacy Edition)]]''
 
|''[[Live at Sin-é (Legacy Edition)]]''
|[[September 2]], [[2003]]
+
|September 2, 2003
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|[[2004 in music|2004]]
 
|align="center"|[[2004 in music|2004]]
 
|''[[Grace (album)|Grace (Legacy Edition)]]''
 
|''[[Grace (album)|Grace (Legacy Edition)]]''
|[[August 24]], [[2004]]
+
|August 24, 2004
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|[[2007 in music|2007]]
 
|align="center"|[[2007 in music|2007]]
 
|''[[So Real: Songs From Jeff Buckley]]''
 
|''[[So Real: Songs From Jeff Buckley]]''
|[[May 22]], [[2007]]
+
|May 22, 2007
 
|}
 
|}
  
Line 156: Line 186:
 
|align="center"|2000
 
|align="center"|2000
 
|width="240"|''[[Live in Chicago (Jeff Buckley)|Live in Chicago]]''
 
|width="240"|''[[Live in Chicago (Jeff Buckley)|Live in Chicago]]''
|width="120"|[[May 9]], [[2000]]
+
|width="120"|May 9, 2000
 
|-
 
|-
 
|align="center"|2007
 
|align="center"|2007
Line 164: Line 194:
  
 
==Awards and nominations==
 
==Awards and nominations==
* [[Grammy Award]] nomination for  Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for "[[Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk|Everybody Here Wants You]]", 1998<ref name="TheEnvelope">"[http://theenvelope.latimes.com/search/env-past-winners-search,0,1243372,results.formprofile?Lib=turbine_cdb_lib%3Aresult_doc_id+result_doc_rank+document_id+cdb_num+cdb_01_num+cdb_01_txt+cdb_02_txt+cdb_03_txt+cdb_04_txt&SortBy=COMPOSITE_RANK+desc&PageSize=10&Page=1&MinCoarseRank=500&QueryType=CONCEPT&Query=Jeff+Buckley&turbine_cdb_lib__cdb_04_txt=&turbine_cdb_lib__cdb_01_txt=&turbine_cdb_lib__cdb_02_txt=&turbine_cdb_lib__cdb_03_txt Every show, every winner, every nominee]". ''envelope.com''. Retrieved on March 1, 2007.</ref>
+
* [[Grammy Award]] nomination for  Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for "[[Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk|Everybody Here Wants You]]," 1998
* [[MTV Video Music Award]] nomination for Best New Artist in a Video for "[[Last Goodbye]]", 1995<ref name="TheEnvelope"/>
+
* [[MTV Video Music Award]] nomination for Best New Artist in a Video for "[[Last Goodbye]]," 1995
 
* [[Rolling Stone Magazine]] nomination for Best New Artist, 1995
 
* [[Rolling Stone Magazine]] nomination for Best New Artist, 1995
* [[Triple J Hottest 100]] awarded No. 14 best song for that year in the worlds largest voting competition for "Last Goodbye", 1995<ref>"[http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hottest100/history/1995.htm Hottest 100 - History - 1995]". ''triple j radio''. Retrieved on March 1, 2007.</ref>
+
* [[Triple J Hottest 100]] awarded No. 14 best song for that year in the worlds largest voting competition for "Last Goodbye," 1995
 
 
==Samples==
 
{{multi-listen start}}
 
{{multi-listen item|filename=Hallelujah (Jeff Buckley).ogg|title="Hallelujah"|description=from ''[[Grace (album)|Grace]]''|format=[[Ogg]]}}
 
{{multi-listen item|filename=New Year's Prayer.ogg|title="New Year's Prayer"|description=from ''[[Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk]]''|format=[[Ogg]]}}
 
{{multi-listen item|filename=Jeff Buckley Grace Sin-E.ogg|title="Grace (Live)"|description=from [[Live at Sin-é (Legacy Edition)|Live at Sin-é]].|format=[[Ogg]]}}
 
{{multi-listen end}}
 
 
 
==Documentaries==
 
* ''[http://www.amazinggracejeffbuckley.com Amazing Grace: Jeff Buckley]'' (2004)
 
* ''[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4534139874478735883 Everybody Here Wants You]'' (2002) &ndash; [[BBC]]
 
* ''[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4831513218004017007 Goodbye and Hello]'' (2000) from [[Netherlands]] [[TV]]
 
* ''Fall in Light'' (1999) from [[France|French]] [[TV]]
 
 
 
==Tribute songs==
 
<div style="column-count:2;-moz-column-count:2;">
 
<!-- alphabetical order, please —>
 
* "A Body Goes Down" - [[Duncan Sheik]]
 
* "As I Wander" - [[Ours]]
 
* "Bandstand in the Sky" - [[Pete Yorn]]
 
* "Bleed" - [[Ours]]
 
* "Blind River Boy" - [[Amy Correia]]
 
* "Bottom of the River" - [[Low Interval Limit]]
 
* "Boys on the Radio" - [[Hole (band)|Hole]] (partially)
 
* "Buckley" - [[Lukas Rossi]]
 
* "By Yourself" - [[Sister 7]]
 
* "Cities Will Fall" - [[Elysian Fields]]
 
* "Eternal Flame" - [[Joan Wasser]]
 
* "Except for the Ghosts" - [[Lisa Germano]]
 
* "Feel the Quiet River Rage" - [[Live]]
 
* "Flushed Chest" - [[Joan Wasser]]
 
* "From Grace" - [[Thomas Dybdahl]]
 
* "Goodbye" - [[Army of Me (band)|Army of Me]]
 
* "Gorgeous" - [[Kashmir (band)|Kashmir]]
 
* "Grace" - [[Rachael Sage]]
 
* "Grey Ghost" - [[Mike Doughty]]
 
* "I Heard You Singing" - [[Ours]]
 
* "I Sang For You" - [[Edible Red]]
 
* "I'm Going to Memphis" - [[In Reverent Fear]]
 
* "In a Flash" - [[Ron Sexsmith]]
 
* "JB" - [[Welcome To Roswell]]
 
* "Jeff Buckley Song" - [[Amy Fairchild]]
 
* "Just Like Anyone" - [[Aimee Mann]]
 
* "Live In Blue Sparks" - [[Rebecca Moore]]
 
* "Living In A Video" - [[Ours]]
 
* "Memphis" - [[PJ Harvey]]
 
* "Memphis Skyline" - [[Rufus Wainwright]]
 
* "Mississippi" - [[Steve Adey]]
 
* "On the Road to Calvary" - [[Willie Nile]]
 
* "One Last Good Bye" - [[David Linx]]
 
* "Our Happiness" - [[Velvet Belly]]
 
* "Rilkean Heart" - [[Cocteau Twins]]
 
* "Saint Down The Hall" - [[Ours]]
 
* "Sidestep The Bullet" - [[Brenda Kahn]]
 
* "Somebody Leave a Light On" - [[Dayna Kurtz]]
 
* "Song for a Dead Singer" - [[Zita Swoon]]
 
* "Stileto'd Young Stars" - [[Rebecca Moore]]
 
* "Swimming" - [[Chris Taylor]]
 
* "The Beast" - [[Joan Wasser]]
 
* "Tides of the Moon" - [[Elysian Fields]]
 
* "To the Sea" - [[Mark Eitzel]]
 
* "Trying Not to Think About It" - [[Juliana Hatfield]]
 
* "Valley of Sound" - [[Heather Nova]]
 
* "Wave Goodbye" - [[Chris Cornell]]
 
* "We Don't Know" - [[Health & Happiness Show]]
 
* "Where All Roses Go" - [[Anuna]]
 
* "You Were Right" - [[Badly Drawn Boy]] (partially)
 
* "Neath The Beeches" - [[The Frames]]
 
* "Jeff Buckley Moves to Memphis" - [[The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers]]
 
* "Angels Fall (Song for Jeff Buckley)" - [[Jim Major]]
 
</div>
 
 
 
==Covers of Jeff Buckley songs==
 
<div style="column-count:2;-moz-column-count:2;">
 
* "Cruel" - [[Default (band)|Default]]
 
* "Dream Brother" - [[Bitmap]]
 
* "Dream Brother" - [[Martin Grech]] (live)
 
* "Dream Brother" - [[Steve Hogarth]] (live)
 
* "Dream Brother" - [[The Brent Flood]] (live)
 
* "Eternal Life" - [[Sebastian Bach]] (live)
 
* "Eternal Life" - [[Our Lady Peace]] (live)
 
* "Eternal Life" - [[Fony]] (live)
 
* "Everybody Here Wants You" - [[Big Sir (band)|Big Sir]]
 
* "Everybody Here Wants You" - [[Paulini Curuenavuli]]
 
* "Everybody Here Wants You" - [[Matthew Herbert]] and [[Dani Siciliano]]
 
* "Everybody Here Wants You" - [[The Tea Party]] (live)
 
* "Everybody Here Wants You" - [[Lewis Taylor]]
 
* "Forget Her" - Sivert Höyem of [[Madrugada]]
 
* "Grace" - [[Nick Harper]]
 
* "Grace" - [[Fourplay]] (string quartet)
 
* "Grace" - [[King Creosote]]
 
* "Last Goodbye" - [[Natalie Merchant]] of [[10,000 Maniacs]]
 
* "Last Goodbye" - [[Hyannis Sound]]
 
* "Last Goodbye" - [[The Tea Party]] (live)
 
* "Last Goodbye" - [[(a+) machines]]
 
* "Last Goodbye" - [[Paul Greene]]
 
* "Lover, You Should've Come Over" - [[Jamie Cullum]]
 
* "Lover, You Should've Come Over" - [[Carla Werner]]
 
* "Lover, You Should've Come Over" - [[Howie Day]] (live)
 
* "Lover, You Should've Come Over" - [[John Mayer (musician)|John Mayer]] (live)
 
* "Lover, You Should've Come Over' - [[Tim Tibbitts]]
 
* "[[Mojo Pin]]" - [[Adem]]
 
* "Morning Theft" - [[Ane Brun]]
 
* "Morning Theft" - [[Stephen Fretwell]]
 
* "Morning Theft" - [[Jason Mraz]]
 
* "New Year's Prayer" - [[Howie Day]] (live)
 
* "Nightmares By The Sea" - [[Katatonia]]
 
* "So Real" - [[David Ryan Harris]]
 
* "What Will You Say" - [[Martin Grech]] (live)
 
</div>
 
 
 
'''See also:''' "[[Hallelujah (song)|Hallelujah]]"
 
  
 
==Unreleased Recordings==
 
==Unreleased Recordings==
Line 295: Line 213:
 
* "The Morning After"
 
* "The Morning After"
 
* "We All Fall in Love Sometimes"
 
* "We All Fall in Love Sometimes"
<ref>[http://www.liquidgnome.com/JeffBuckley/lyrics.html Unreleased Songs]</ref>
 
 
==Tribute Concerts==
 
2007 marks the 10th anniversary of Jeff Buckley's death. His life and music will be celebrated globally between May and June, 2007.
 
There will be tributes in Australia, Belgium, Canada, United Kingdom, Iceland, Ireland, Macedonia, France and the USA.
 
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}
+
<references/>
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
* Browne, David. ''Dream Brother: The Lives and Music of Jeff and Tim Buckley.'' HarperEntertainment. 2001, 2002. ISBN 0-380-80624-X
+
* Brooks, Daphne. ''Jeff Buckley's Grace.'' Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005. ISBN 0826416357
* Kane, Rebecca. "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/faq/ Kingdom For A Kiss - The Jeff Buckley F.A.Q.]". 1998, 1999. Retrieved on [[February 9]], [[2007]].
+
* Browne, David. ''Dream Brother: The Lives and Music of Jeff and Tim Buckley.'' Harper Entertainment, 2002. ISBN 038080624X
* "[http://www.jeffbuckley.com/bio.asp jeffbuckley.com Biography]" Retrieved on [[February 9]], [[2007]].
+
* Buckley, Jeff. ''Jeff Buckley Collection.'' Hal Leonard, 2002. ISBN 0634022652
 
+
* Cyr, Merri and Jeff Buckley. ''Wished for Song: A Portrait of Jeff Buckley.'' Hal Leonard, 2002. ISBN 0634035959
==Further reading==
+
* Dodd, Phillip. ''The Book of Rock: From the 1950s to Today.'' New York: Thunder Mouth Press, 2005. ISBN 1560257296
* Brooks, Daphne. ''Jeff Buckley's Grace''. Continuum International Publishing Group. 2005. ISBN 0-8264-1635-7
 
* Buckley, Jeff. ''Jeff Buckley Collection''. Hal Leonard. 2002. ISBN 0-6340-2265-2
 
* Cyr, Merri and Buckley, Jeff. ''Wished for Song: A Portrait of Jeff Buckley'' Hal Leonard. 2002. ISBN 0-6340-3595-9
 
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
+
All links retrieved July 30, 2022.
* [http://www.jeffbuckley.com/ Official site]
+
* [https://jeffbuckley.com/ Official site]
* [http://www.amazinggracejeffbuckley.com/ Official documentary]
+
* [http://www.amazinggracejeffbuckley.com/ Amazing Grace: Jeff Buckley] Documentary that explores Jeff Buckley's legendary music
* [http://www.myspace.com/jeffbuckleytributenightireland Official Irish tribute]
+
* [https://www.liquidgnome.com/JeffBuckley/lyrics.html Jeff Buckley Lyrics]
* [http://www.mojopin.org/ MojoPin.org] - A Tribute to Jeff Buckley
+
* [https://mojopin.org/ MojoPin.org] - A Tribute to Jeff Buckley
* [http://www.nme.com/photos/123/0 Photo tribute] - NME.COM 10th anniversary commemoration
+
* [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/4568/jeff-buckley Jeff Buckley] at ''Find-A-Grave''
* [http://www.moviepoopshoot.com/squib/42.html In His Wake] - Jeff Buckley's tributes and followers
 
* [http://www.listology.com/content_show.cfm/content_id.5307 Tribute song list]
 
* [http://www.joetripician.com/jeffbuckley.html Unreleased song "Ozark Melody"]
 
* [http://www.goodbyemag.com/may97/buckley.html Article about Jeff from someone who knew him personally]
 
* [http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Stage/8026/jeff.html Tributes to Jeff Buckley]
 
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0822869/ Mystery White Boy (Motion Picture)] at [[IMDB]]
 
* [http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/music_specials/s1928381.htm Triple J Music Specials: Jeff Buckley J File]
 
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=4568 Jeff Buckley's memorial] at [[Find A Grave]]
 
* [http://brokendial.insidepulse.com/articles/68143 BrokenDial.com Exclusive Interview with Mary Guibert, Jeff Buckley's mother] - June 6, 2007
 
 
 
{{Jeff Buckley}}
 
 
 
<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] —>
 
 
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buckley, Jeff}}
 
 
 
{{Persondata
 
|NAME=Buckley, Jeff
 
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Buckley, Jeffrey Scott (birth name); Moorhead, Scotty (raised as)
 
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=Singer-songwriter and guitarist
 
|DATE OF BIRTH=[[November 17]], [[1966]]
 
|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Anaheim, California]]
 
|DATE OF DEATH=[[May 29]], [[1997]]
 
|PLACE OF DEATH= [[Memphis, Tennessee]]
 
}}
 
  
[[Category:1966 births]]
 
[[Category:Music]]
 
 
[[Category:Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]]
 
[[Category:Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]]
 +
[[Category:Musicians]]
 +
[[category:music]]
  
{{Credit|6915818759}}
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{{Credit|138066273}}

Latest revision as of 04:32, 31 July 2022

Jeff Buckley
Portrait of Jeff Buckley
Portrait of Jeff Buckley
Background information
Birth name Jeffrey Scott Buckley
Born November 17, 1966
Origin Flag of United States Anaheim, California, USA
Died May 29 1997 (aged 30)
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Genre(s) Rock, Hard rock, Folk rock, Blues
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, poet
Instrument(s) Vocals, Guitar, Bass guitar, Harmonium, Organ, Drums, Dulcimer, Tabla, Sitar
Years active 1991 – 1997
Label(s) Columbia
Associated acts Tim Buckley, Gary Lucas, Inger Lorre, John Zorn, Rebecca Moore, Shinehead, Chris Cornell
Website www.jeffbuckley.com

Jeff Buckley (November 17, 1966 – May 29, 1997) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist and the son of folk musician Tim Buckley.

Emerging in the 1990s, Buckley impressed critics and audiences with his versatile and haunting vocals. Known for his ethereal singing voice and natural vibrato, Buckley was considered to be one of the most promising artists of his generation after the release of a rough EP entitled Live at Sin-é, followed by his critically acclaimed 1994 debut album Grace.

His family, especially his mother and stepfather, encouraged his interest in music and supported his desire to become a musician. The family does have its foundation in the stability of an order which extends to a wider social order. Buckley sought to continue what his father began and to reproduce a new musical spirit. Yet, his blossoming career was tragically cut short when Buckley died in a drowning accident in 1997 at the age of 30.

Biography

Early life

By the time Jeff Buckley was born, his father had already left the family. Born in Anaheim, California, he was the only child of Mary Guibert and Tim Buckley, high school sweethearts whose marriage survived only a year.[1]

His mother was a Panama Canal Zonian of mixed Greek, French, American, and Panamanian descent, while his father was the descendant of Irish immigrants from Cork.[2]

His father was a singer-songwriter who released a series of highly acclaimed folk and jazz albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Buckley commented, "I never knew (my father)." In 1975, when he was eight years old, Jeff spent a few days with Tim Buckley, but two months later, his father died of a drug overdose. He was 28 years old.[1]

Jeff Buckley was raised by his mother in Southern California. Ron Moorhead, his stepfather of only two years, was the first father figure in his life and the father of half-brother Corey Moorhead.[1] Buckley, brother Corey and his mother bounced around many times to different homes in and around Orange County.[3]

While growing up, Jeff Buckley went by the name Scott "Scotty" Moorhead based on his middle name and his stepfather's surname. After his father died, he chose to go by Buckley and his real first name which he found on a birth certificate.[1] His family members continued to affectionately call him "Scotty."[4]

As a child, Buckley sang around the house and harmonized with his mother,[5] who was a classically trained pianist and cellist. At the age of six, he found an acoustic guitar in his grandmother's closet, which he began learning to play on, and at the age of 12, he decided to become a musician. He received his first electric guitar at the age of 13.

After graduating from high school in 1984, he attended the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, where he graduated from the one-year course at the age of 18.

In the following six years, Buckley played guitar and did backing vocals for several struggling bands, spanning a diverse range of styles from jazz, reggae, and roots rock to heavy metal.[1] He also toured with the dancehall reggae artist Shinehead.[6]

Early career

Following in his father's footsteps, Buckley moved to New York City in February 1990. More than 20 years before, Tim Buckley had also ventured to New York in hopes of furthering his music career.[1]

Jeff Buckley was introduced to Qawwali, the devotional music of India and Pakistan, and to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, one of its most well-known singers.[1] Buckley became a great admirer of Khan.[7] Blues-legend Robert Johnson and hardcore punk also became his special interests during this time, further diversifying his influences.

Finding few opportunities to work as a musician, Buckley returned to Los Angeles in September when his father's former manager, Herb Cohen, offered to help him record his first demo of original songs.[1] Buckley completed Babylon Dungeon Sessions, a five song cassette that included the songs "Eternal Life" and "Unforgiven" (later titled "Last Goodbye"). Cohen and Buckley hoped to attract attention from the music industry with the demo tape.

Public singing debut

The following spring, Buckley finally reached a turning point in his career when he performed at a tribute concert for his father called "Greetings from Tim Buckley."[1] The event, produced by show business veteran Hal Willner, was held at Saint Ann's Church in Brooklyn, New York on April 26, 1991. He performed "I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain," a song Tim Buckley wrote about an infant Jeff Buckley and his mother, accompanied by experimental rock guitarist Gary Lucas, who he would later co-write several songs with. Buckley returned to the stage to play "Sefronia - The King's Chain," "Phantasmagoria in Two," and concluded the concert with "Once I Was" performed acoustically with an impromptu a cappella ending.[1]

When questioned about that particular performance Buckley said, "It wasn't my work, it wasn't my life. But it bothered me that I hadn't been to his funeral, that I'd never been able to tell him anything. I used that show to pay my last respects." Ironically, the concert proved to be his first step into the music industry that had eluded him for years.[1]

Increasing fame

On subsequent trips to New York in the summer of 1991, Buckley began co-writing with Gary Lucas resulting in the songs "Grace" and "Mojo Pin."[1] In the fall, he began performing with Lucas' band Gods and Monsters around New York City but decided to leave the band in March of 1992.

Buckley began singing and playing guitar at several clubs and cafés around Lower Manhattan,[8] but Sin-é in the East Village became his main venue. Buckley first appeared at the small Irish café in April 1992, and quickly earned a regular Monday night slot there.[1] His repertoire consisted of a diverse range of folk, rock, R&B, blues and jazz cover songs, much of it music he had newly learned. In addition to the covers,he played original songs from Babylon Dungeon Sessions and the songs he'd written with Gary Lucas.[1]

"I figured if I played in the no-man's land of intimacy, I would learn to be a performer," Buckley said. Of his own music, he commented, "I want the idea and the sound of the idea to intoxicate—not the voltage"[9]

Over the next few months, Buckley attracted admiring crowds and attention from record label executives. Buckley signed with Columbia Records, home of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, for a three-album, essentially million-dollar deal in October 1992. Recording dates were set for July and August 1993 for what would become Buckley's recording debut, an EP of four songs. Live at Sin-é was released on November 23, 1993, documenting this period of Buckley's life.[1]

Grace

After assembling a band, comprised of bassist Mick Grondahl and drummer Matt Johnson, Buckley began working on his first album in September 1993 inBearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York. They spent six weeks recording basic tracks for what would become Grace. Buckley invited ex-bandmate Lucas to play guitar on the songs "Grace" and "Mojo Pin," and Woodstock-based jazz musician Karl Berger wrote and conducted string arrangements with Buckley assisting at times.[1]

Buckley returned home for overdubbing at studios in Manhattan and New Jersey where he painstakingly performed take after take to capture the perfect vocals, experimenting with ideas for additional instruments and added textures to the songs.

In January 1994, Buckley left to go on his first solo North American tour to support Live at Sin-é].[1] It was followed by a short ten-day European tour in March, where he played at clubs and coffeehouses and made in-store appearances.

After returning, Buckley invited guitarist Michael Tighe to join the band. Buckley co-wrote "So Real" with Tighe, recorded as a late addition to the album. In June, Buckley began his first full band tour called the "Peyote Radio Theatre Tour" that lasted into August.[10]

Grace was released on August 23, 1994, including seven original songs and three covers. Buckley's rendition of "Hallelujah," a Leonard Cohen cover, is included on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time."

While sales were slow and the album garnered little radio airplay, it did quickly receive critical acclaim. The UK's Melody Maker called it, "a massive, gorgeous record,"[11] while The Sydney Morning Herald proclaimed it, "almost impossibly beautiful."[12]

The album did go gold in France and Australia over the next two years,[10] eventually achieving gold status in the United States in 2002. Grace has now sold over two million albums worldwide and has gone platinum in Australia over six times.

Grace won appreciation from a host of revered musicians, including members of Buckley's biggest influence, Led Zeppelin,[1] and Bob Dylan named Buckley "one of the great songwriters of this decade," according to NOW magazine. Paul McCartney, Thom Yorke, Matthew Bellamy, Chris Cornell, Neil Peart, U2 and Elton John were among others who have held Buckley's work in high esteem.

Concert tours

Buckley spent much of the next year and a half touring to promote Grace. It seemed to be a tiring yet effective means for him to keep his independence from his record company, with which he had a strained relationship. From the album's release, he played in numerous countries, from Australia, to the UK (Glastonbury Festival and the Meltdown Festival at the invitation of Elvis Costello.[1] In 1995 Buckley played a concert at the Paris Olympia, a venue made famous by the French vocalist Édith Piaf, that he considered the finest performance of his career. Sony has since released a live recording of that performance.

Afterwards, his venues shrank as he returned to playing bars and cafés as he once had before fame hit. Buckley went on his "phantom solo tour" of cafés in the Northeast in December 1996, appearing under a series of aliases: The Crackrobats, Possessed by Elves, Father Demo, Smackrobiotic, The Halfspeeds, Crit-Club, Topless America, Martha & the Nicotines, and A Puppet Show Named Julio. By way of justification, Buckley posted a note on the Internet stating that he missed the anonymity of playing in cafes and local bars:

There was a time in my life not too long ago when I could show up in a cafe and simply do what I do, make music, learn from performing my music, explore what it means to me, i.e., have fun while I irritate and/or entertain an audience who don't know me or what I am about. In this situation I have that precious and irreplaceable luxury of failure, of risk, of surrender. I worked very hard to get this kind of thing together, this work forum. I loved it and then I missed it when it disappeared. All I am doing is reclaiming it.

Much of the material from the tours of 1995 and 1996 was recorded, and has been released posthumously on albums such as Mystery White Boy and Live a l'Olympia.

An impassioned fan of Pakistani Sufi musician Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Buckley often covered his songs during his café tours.

Death

After completing touring in 1996, Buckley started to write for a new album to be called My Sweetheart the Drunk. In 1997 he moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where he rented a shotgun house of which he was so fond he contacted the owner about the possibility of buying it.[1] Buckley started recording demos on his own 4-track recorder. He went into the studio again, recruited a band, and plans for the new album looked hopeful.

On May 29, 1997, Buckley went for an evening swim in Wolf River Harbor, a tributary of the Mississippi River, while wearing steel-toed boots, all of his clothing, and singing along to a radio playing Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." A roadie of Buckley's band, Keith Foti, watched from the shore and cautioned him not to swim too far out.[1] Foti looked away for a few moments to move the radio and a guitar out of reach of the wake from a passing tugboat. When he looked up, Buckley was no where in sight. Despite a determined rescue effort that night, Buckley remained missing, and the search was called off the following day due to heavy rain. Three days later his body was spotted by a tourist on a riverboat marina and was brought ashore.

The biography Dream Brother, written about him and his father, reveals that the night before his death Buckley reportedly admitted to several loved ones that he suffered from bipolar disorder. The autopsy confirmed that Buckley had taken no illegal drugs before his swim and a drug overdose was ruled out as the cause of death. He was 30 years old.

A recent statement from the Buckley estate insists:

Jeff Buckley's death was not "mysterious," related to drugs, alcohol, or suicide. We have a police report, a medical examiner's report, and an eye witness to prove that it was an accidental drowning, and that Mr. Buckley was in a good frame of mind prior to the accident.[13]

After Buckley's death, a collection of demo recordings and a full length album he had been reworking for his second album were released as Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk - the compilation being overseen by Chris Cornell. Three other albums composed of live recordings have also been released, along with a live DVD of a performance in Chicago. A previously unreleased 1992 recording of "I Shall Be Released," sung by Buckley over the phone on live radio, was released on the album For New Orleans.

Buckley's significance as a performer

He combined technical skill and talent with intense passion, making him a charismatic performer, who was able to evoke deep emotional give and take with his audiences. According to a BBC documentary, Buckley wanted to "find his own voice," to transcend the legacy his father had left and to produce unique, original work which he alone could contribute.

Legacy

Граффитти Jeff Buckley. Revisited. Россия, Октябрьский, 2015.jpg

Jeff Buckley captivated and continues to enchant audiences not only with his talent and broad vocal range but with the degree of emotion and vulnerability exposed while performing. As he sang, audience members felt that he was singing personally to them and could simultaneously feel the emotion he expressed.

Buckley remains to be an influential and iconic figure in music. In 1998, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for his song Everybody Here Wants You and in 2000, music television station VH1 included Buckley's album Grace in the "100 Greatest Albums of Rock and Roll," ranked at No. 73.[1]

He drew from a variety of musical genres, utilizing the influences of the spiritual artist Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to blues and heavy metal performers, to create a style all his own.

Grace has sold over two million albums worldwide, and despite his brief career, Buckley's mysterious and powerful presence in music continues to draw fans from around the world.

Director Brian Jun has announced plans to make a film biography of Buckley, in cooperation with his mother, called Mystery White Boy: Live '95, '96 released in 2008.

Discography

Albums

Year Title Release Date
1993 Live at Sin-é November 23, 1993
1994 Grace August 23, 1994
1995 Live from the Bataclan [EP] October 1995
1998 Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk May 26, 1998
2000 Mystery White Boy May 9, 2000
2001 Live a L'Olympia July 3, 2001
2002 Songs to No One 1991-1992 October 15, 2002
2002 The Grace EPs November 26, 2002
2003 Live at Sin-é (Legacy Edition) September 2, 2003
2004 Grace (Legacy Edition) August 24, 2004
2007 So Real: Songs From Jeff Buckley May 22, 2007

Video

Year Title Release Date
2000 Live in Chicago May 9, 2000
2007 Amazing Grace: Jeff Buckley TBA

Awards and nominations

  • Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for "Everybody Here Wants You," 1998
  • MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best New Artist in a Video for "Last Goodbye," 1995
  • Rolling Stone Magazine nomination for Best New Artist, 1995
  • Triple J Hottest 100 awarded No. 14 best song for that year in the worlds largest voting competition for "Last Goodbye," 1995

Unreleased Recordings

  • "All Flowers in Time Bend Towards the Sun"
  • "Dendrils of Death"
  • "Dido's Lament"
  • "Don't Listen to Anyone But Me"
  • "Edna Frau"
  • "Let's Bomb the Moonlight"
  • "Open Up and Bleed"
  • "Peace Offering"
  • "Pleasure Seeker"
  • "River of Dope"
  • "Sky Blue Skin"
  • "The Morning After"
  • "We All Fall in Love Sometimes"

Notes

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 David Browne, Dream Brother: The Lives and Music of Jeff and Tim Buckley (New York: Harper Entertainment, 2002, ISBN 038080624X).
  2. Browne, 2001, 16
  3. Aidin Vaziri, Jeff Buckley Interview Raygun Magazine, 1994. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  4. Question about Jeff’s Name, Family, and Historyjeffbuckley.com Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  5. Ray Rogers, Jeff Buckley: Heir Apparent to … Interview Magazine, February, 1994. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  6. Questions about Jeff’s Musical life, Places, and History jeffbuckley.com. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  7. Paul Young, Talking Music: Confessing to Strangers Buzz Magazine, 1994. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  8. Jim Testa, Making It In New York: Jeff Buckley New Jersey Beat Magazine, 1993. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  9. Phillip Dodd, The Book of Rock: From the 1950s to Today (New York: Thunder Mouth Press, 2005, ISBN 156025729)
  10. 10.0 10.1 Jeff Buckley Biography jeffbuckley.com. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  11. Taylor Parkes, Grace reviewed by Taylor Parkes Melody Maker, August 13, 1994. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  12. Shane Danielsen, You read it here - album of the year Sydney Morning Herald, October 1994. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  13. Moojan, The Chilling Story Behind Jeff Buckley, A Rising Star Who Was Literally Swept Away Throwbacks, January 17, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2021.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Brooks, Daphne. Jeff Buckley's Grace. Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005. ISBN 0826416357
  • Browne, David. Dream Brother: The Lives and Music of Jeff and Tim Buckley. Harper Entertainment, 2002. ISBN 038080624X
  • Buckley, Jeff. Jeff Buckley Collection. Hal Leonard, 2002. ISBN 0634022652
  • Cyr, Merri and Jeff Buckley. Wished for Song: A Portrait of Jeff Buckley. Hal Leonard, 2002. ISBN 0634035959
  • Dodd, Phillip. The Book of Rock: From the 1950s to Today. New York: Thunder Mouth Press, 2005. ISBN 1560257296

External links

All links retrieved July 30, 2022.

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