If you are something like me, you will have heard the name Jeff Buckley before. Possibly, in the context of the song “Hallelujah” (his now infamous cover of the Leonard Cohen classic) being played in some TV show or movie, or perhaps on the radio. Maybe you are familiar even with some of his other songs like “Grace” or “Last Goodbye”. Heck, you might’ve listened to his only completed studio album “Grace” (1994) – I don’t know you.
But if you are somewhat like me, then you also never took the time to dig in a bit deeper to his music and story for the longest time. Until this year, to be precise!
Well, let me tell you: you missed out on some pretty intriguing stuff!
Buckley was born and raised in and around Orange County, California, by his mom and stepdad, as what he self described as “rootless trailer trash”. His estranged biological father, Tim Buckley, whom he met only once at the age of 8, before his father died of a drug overdose, was a jazz & folk singer-songwriter. But even without his influence, Jeff was raised around music, as his mother was a trained musician and his stepfather a music aficionado.
Taking to music, Jeff moved to New York in the 90s to try his hand in a number of bands, before trying his luck solo, as a singer-songwriter – first, covering songs and later performing his own material, slowly but surely building a local following.
One of these early sessions was recorded, “Live at Sin-é” (1993), and is the music I’d like to share with you today, ’cause I have been listening to it up and down the last weeks. It really showcases his raw talent, but beyond that crystalizes him as an immensely charismatic young artist.
A year later, he would release “Grace” (1994) to slow sales despite critical acclaim, but steadily it gained momentum and started hitting the world stage; allowing him to tour internationally, for the first time. Sadly, while working on his sophomore album, Buckley succumbed to an accidental drowning, when he went for a night swim in a side-arm of the Mississippi River in 1997 and was lost to the wake of a passing tugboat that swept him away.
Thankfully, his music remains. If you have the time, play the full album – if you are a bit short, I would suggest listening to “Lover, You Should Have Come Over”, as well as “Yeh Jo Halka Saroor Hae”.
Happy weekend! Hope you enjoy 🙂
Coryphe 