In 1997 Jeff Buckley was found dead in a mysterious drowning accident, he was only 30 years old.
Here are some facts in memory of the talented singer and songwriter with an endless vocal range:
(Photo: legacyrecordings.com)
1. He was born on November 17, 1966, in the city of Anaheim, California to a mother of Greek-French-Panamanian descent - Mary Guibert, and to the iconic cult and folk singer and singer Tim Buckley.
2. He grew up with his mother and stepfather under the name Scott "Scottie" Moorhead (Scott was his middle name).
3. He met his biological father the singer Tim Buckley only once when he was eight years old.
4. His father died of a drug overdose in 1975 when he was only 28 years old.
5. After his father passed away he adopted the biological name of his biological father and became Jeff Buckley.
6. Buckley grew up in a musical environment, his mother was a professional pianist and cellist, and his stepfather introduced him to "Led Zeppelin", Jimi Hendrix, "The Who", "Queen" and "Pink Floyd" at an early age.
7. The first album he purchased was "Led Zeppelin's" "Physical Graffiti," and one of the first bands he loved was Kiss.
At the age of 13, he got his first guitar, Gibson Les Paul Black.
9. He played in the school's jazz band and during this time he connected to the advanced rock genre while listening specifically to bands like "Genesis", "Yes", and "Rush".
10. Upon graduating from high school he moved to Hollywood where he studied music in college.
11. He spent six years as a player in hotels under various ensembles.
12. In 1990 he moved to New York where he played at the Sin-e Cafe in the East Village and gained a fan base.
13. Buckley also worked at the same cafe as a dishwasher.
14. The first to offer him to record an album was none other than his father Tim Buckley's producer Herb Cohen.
15. In 1995, he was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World by People magazine.
16. The album "Grace" was the only album Buckley released in his life.
17. The band with which he recorded the album and later went out with him for a tour to promote it, was put together only weeks before the recordings.
18. The album's theme song was written by Buckley after he broke up with his girlfriend Rebecca Moore at the airport.
19. David Bowie noted that the album "Grace" is one he would take with him to a lonely island.
20. Bowie is not Buckley's only famous fan. The voices for the song "Fake Plastic Trees" were recorded by Thom York after seeing a performance by Buckley. He admitted that he was greatly influenced by Buckley in performing the song.
21. Other artists who praised Buckley and came to his performances were Jimmy Page
and Robert Plant his childhood heroes, Paul McCartney, Bono, and Bob Dylan.
22. Our Ninet Tayeb is also known as a big fan of his, performing more than one of his songs in her performances and being a guest at tribute shows in his honor including around the world.
23. Even the legendary Chris Cornell and Buckley's friend, dedicated the song "Wave Goodbye" to him from his first solo album "Euphoria Morning". Cornell noted that this is one of the most personal songs he has written.
24. The album Grace entered the list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
25. Although this is a cover version, the song "Hallelujah" performed by Buckley entered the list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
26. This is not the only cover version of Buckley. He also performed songs by Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, The Smiths, Sly Stone, Billy Holiday, and other cover versions most of which are on the You and I album released in 2016. In all cover versions, Buckley managed to bring personal charm and added value and make the songs his own, some even surpassing the original.
27. Buckley had a relationship with Scottish singer Elizabeth Fraser known among others from the band Cocteau Twins. The two even recorded a song written by Buckley, but the song was never officially released.
28. Buckley adored Fraser even before he met her and Fraser adored him and just fell at his feet. She also adored his father Tim Buckley, and even performed a cover version of his song Song to the Siren a decade before she even knew Jeff.
29. On May 29, 1997, Buckley went swimming with his clothes in the Mississippi River, a few days later, on June 4, 1997, his body was found in the river by a boat passing by. The circumstances of his death remain mysterious.
30. Creepily the lyrics of his most famous song Grace include lyrics like "My time is coming .. I'm not afraid to die ... and the rain has fallen to the ground and I believe my time has come, and it reminds me of the pain I will probably leave behind ... and I feel them Imprint my name ... I'm not afraid to go but it's going slowly ... "
And now let's watch a documentary about this very talented artist: