Biography of Jeff Buckley

An eternal flavor

November 17, 1966
May 29, 1997
Guitarist and songwriter, Jeff Buckley entered the legend both for his album "Grace" and the strange death that he took when he was 30 years old. Born on November 17, 1966 in Anaheim, California, Jeffrey Scott Moorhead (Moorhead is the surname of the mother's second husband, Ron Moorhead) is the son of Mary Guibert and Tim Buckley, singer-songwriter rock artist known throughout the world, right around the time of the birth of Jeff is taking his musical career (and indeed, after recording the first album , will leave his wife and son a few months, dying of a drug overdose at only twenty-eight years). The relationship between Jeff and the father is complicated, and probably influence greatly on the existence of both: the two will meet for the first time just a few weeks before the death of Tim.
Jeff shape at the age of seventeen his first group: Shinehead in Los Angeles. Shortly after, in New York together with his friend Gary Lucas gives life to Gods & Monsters, a partnership that nevertheless fails soon because of disagreements within the group. Buckley then embarks on a solo career, and began performing in Greenwich Village circuit and pitching himself during a concert tribute to her father, during which sings "Once I Was". His first concerts are staged in a club in the East Village, the "Sin-is", and characterized his apprenticeship. "Since it's in 1993 Jeff Buckley has the opportunity to record his first album, live, through Columbia: it's called" Live at Sin-E, ' "and contains four tracks: two original compositions (" Eternal Life "and" Mojo Pin ") and two covers, one of Van Morrison and Edith Piaf. Jeff begins a concert tour with his band to promote in disc: first in North America, then in Europe.
The success is remarkable, perhaps even unexpected: that's why his first album "true", "Grace", released in the Usa in August 1994, is advertised massively from his record company. Buckley's talent emerges powerfully in "Grace": intense and tormented lyrics and deep, creative, proposes that draw from both the Repertoire of Dad Tim, both by Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. "Grace" presents ten pieces: three covers (including "Halleluja" by Cohen), three songs entirely written by Jeff and four fruit of collaborations. Accompanied by Matt Johnson on percussion and drums, from Mick Grondhal on bass, Gary Lucas and Michael Tighe on guitars, dulcimer, guitar, harmonium and organ sounds Buckley, creating a work pretty upsetting. To hit the public and criticism is, in particular, the song of Buckley, whose voice part plan to end in a dramatic crescendo, not far from the blues.
Ballads like "Lover" are characterized by slender yet effective melodies and symphonic arrangements. "Grace", in short, qualifies as one of the masterpieces of early to mid-1990s. After "Grace", in 1997 Buckley starts to prepare the new album, "My sweetheart the drunk". The disc will be released posthumously in an unfinished version and so to speak, under the name "Sketches (for my sweetheart the drunk)" because Jeff dies drowned in the Mississippi River on May 29, 1997, having gone to Mud Island Harbor, Tennessee, with a friend. Entered the River to swim with all your clothes on, Buckley takes away within minutes of their tracks, overwhelmed by a wave. The research of law enforcement, while the immediate, not give the desired results, and the singer's corpse is retrieved only on 4 June. The autopsy will decide that in Jeff's body there was no trace of alcohol or drugs.
Best known in Australia and in France, Jeff Buckley knew the global stardom only after dying: even today, his songs appear in the rankings of the most appreciated by critics and audiences. Muse (albeit unknowingly) of many rock singers of the past decade, Jeff went over, reluctantly, the tragic fate of his father, putting (it) at a glance a spirit almost desperate, and becoming, after the tragic end, a protagonist of the dreams of children in the 1990s. In 2000, under the supervision of mother and friend Michael Tighe, Columbia released the live collection "mystery White Boy" and "Live in Chicago", a concert dating back five years earlier recorded at the Cabaret Metro. Dates back to the following year, however, "Live at the Olympia", with Paris in the background.
During his short career, Buckley has received numerous awards, including a nomination for a Grammy Award for the song "Everybody here wants you" as Best male rock vocal performance, the candidacy of Rolling Stone magazine in 1995 as Best new artist and the nomination, also by 1995, the Mtv Video Music Awards for the video for "Last goodbye" as Best new artist. In 2008, always "Rolling Stone" magazine has included Buckley in the list of the 100 greatest singers of all time, the 39th place.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.