Jeff Buckley - Grace Album Cover

Jeff Buckley was another rock and roll casualty, dying young, like his father Tim, at the age of 30, when drowning on May 29th, 1997.

After the release of his 1994 album, 'Grace', Jeff Buckley became regarded as one of the most gifted singer/songwriters of his generation.

Born in Anaheim, California, on November 17th, 1966, Buckley's early musical career included being in a punk band and playing guitar in a reggae band.

Buckley moved to New York in the early 1990s, and it was there his career began to take off, after a reputedly stunning performance at a memorial concert for his father in 1991. Three years later, Buckley's debut solo studio album, 'Grace', similarly stunned the music world, and singing its praises were music legends Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page (an early hero of Jeff's), Robert Plant, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Elvis Costello, and Thom Yorke. Buckley's haunting recording on 'Grace', of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah', has become one of the most lauded recordings by any artist of the '90s.

Jeff Buckley then spent two years touring, including playing a gig at the French venue the Paris Olympia, which he considered his greatest live performance. The album 'Live At L'Olympia' captures the gig for posterity.

Rumours of Jeff Buckley's demise still abound - an accidental drowning, or suicide? The Buckley family would prefer the speculation to cease, and issued the following statement to that effect:

"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."

- Paul Rance/booksmusicfilmstv.com.

 

Jeff Buckley Links
Official Jeff Buckley website Official Jeff Buckley documentary MojoPin.org - a tribute to Jeff Buckley