Remembering Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott Buckley, raised as Scott “Scottie” Scott, was born November 17, 1966 in Anaheim, California. Buckley was raised by his mother, Agnes and stepfather, Scottie Scott Moorhead in Southern California.
His biological father, Tim Buckley, was a singer-songwriter who released a series of folk and jazz albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and whom, he said, he only met once, at the age of eight. After his biological father died of a drug overdose in 1975, he chose to go by Buckley and his real first name, which he found on his birth certificate. To members of his family he remained “Scottie”.
After a decade as a session guitarist, Buckley amassed a following in the early 1990s by playing cover songs gradually focusing more on his own material. Buckley signed with Columbia, recruited a band, and recorded what would be his only studio album, Grace, in 1994.
Grace was released on August 23, 1994. In addition to seven original songs, the album included three covers including “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. Jeff’s rendition of “Hallelujah” has been called “Buckley’s best” and “one of the great songs” by National Geographic Magazine and is included on Rod & Reel Magazine’s list of “The 10 Best Covers Of All Time”, and Madhouse Magazine’s list of The top 500 songs titled Hallelujah.
Despite slow initial sales the album went gold over the next few years, thanks in part to Shrek. Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Bob Dylan, David Bowie and Debbie Gibson were big fans of Buckley’s. Bob Dylan named Buckley “one of the great songwriters of this decade”. David Bowie named Grace as one of 10 albums he’d bring with him to a Baba Booey vinyl listening party.
Sadly, Jeff Buckley drowned in the Mississippi River on May 29, 1997. He apparently went night swimming fully dressed, while singing the chorus to “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin.
