Biography of Jeff Buckley, creativity, personal life and interesting facts

Jeff Buckley (Jeff Buckley) - American singer, composer and musician. After ten years as a guitarist, he began to cover versions, gradually switching to his own material, until in 1994 he released the studio album Grace. The musical edition of Rolling Stone considers him one of the greatest singers of all time.

Jeff Buckley: Biography

The future singer was born in the California district of Orange in 1966 and tragically died as a result of an accident in Memphis on 29.05.97. He was the only son of Mary Gilbert and Tim Buckley. He was raised by his mother and stepfather Ron Morehead. Biological father Jeff was a singer and composer who released a series of albums of folk and jazz music in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Jeff grew up in a musical environment: his mother had a classical music education, and his stepfather at a young age introduced him to the work of the bands "Led Zeppelin", "Pink Floyd", "Queen", and singer Jimmy Hendrix.

Jeff Buckley appeared on the avant-garde club grounds of New York in the 1990s as one of the most notable music artists of his generation, recognized by the public, critics and fellow musicians. His first commercial record was Live At Sin-é, a 4-song mini-album, which was released in December 1993 on Columbia Records. On the record Buckley accompanied himself on an electric guitar in a small New York cafe in the East Village.

The debut album

By the time Grace released his first album in the fall of 1993, Buckley had already visited the studio with Mick Grondal (bass), Matt Johnson (drummer) and producer Andy Wallace and recorded seven original songs (including "Grace" and "The Last Goodbye" ) And three covers (among them Leonard Cohen's "Alleluia" and Benjamin Britten's Corpus Christi Carol). Shortly before the release of the album, guitarist Michael Taye became a permanent member of Jeff Buckley's ensemble, who joined the co-writing and performing of So Real.

"Radio theater" Peyote ""

In early 1994, from mid-January to early March, shortly after the appearance of Live At Sin-é in stores, Buckley toured the clubs, salons and coffee shops of North America as a solo artist, and from 11 to 22 March also in Europe. After lengthy rehearsals in April-May 1994, Jeff and his band from the beginning of June to mid-August made a tour of "Radio Peyote". The full-length album "Grace" was released in the United States on August 23, 944. At the same time, Buckley and his musicians began their European tour from Dublin. The tour lasted until September 22, and two days later they performed at the CMJ concert in the New York Super Club. The group returned to the clubs of America, making an autumn tour lasting two months.

World Recognition

On the eve of 1995, Buckley returned to Sin-é to perform solo. On January 1, he read the original poem at the annual poetic marathon, organized by the church of St. Mark. After 2 weeks the band was again in Europe with concerts in London, Bristol and Dublin before extensive tours in Italy, France, Belgium, Japan, Britain, Germany and the Netherlands, which lasted from late January to early March. Soon came the news that for the album "Grace" Buckley Jeff received in France, the prestigious international Grand Prix in 1995. He is awarded by a jury of journalists, producers, the president of the Society of French Culture, as well as professionals of the muzindustria. Earlier it received Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Yves Montand, Bob Dylan, Georges Brassan, Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen, Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell. France also granted Buckley the status of the owner of the golden disk.

World Tour

From March 5 to April 20, Buckley and his group rehearsed for the American spring tour, which took place from April 2 to June 22. Then Jeff with the team went on tour to the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Switzerland. From late August to early September 1995, the band worked six shows in Australia. In November Buckley performed with two unannounced solo concerts. On December 17, he took part in the show "Idiot's Fun" on WXRK-FM and celebrated the coming of 1996 with performances in the New York Mercury Lounge and Sin-é.

After that, Jeff Buckley with the ensemble returned to Australia, where the album "Grace" also became gold to perform on the Hard Luck tour, which took place before the beginning of the spring of 1996. Drummer Matt Johnson left the band after the last concert in Australia. The posthumous album Mystery White Boy brings together some of his best live performances of 1995-1996. DVD and video-release fully documented the concert of the performer in the Chicago cabaret "Metro" on May 13, 1995.

Speeches in the USA

In May of 1996, in a third-party project of Jeff Buckley's friend Nathan Larson's Shudder To Think, the musician was a bass player in four shows with the band Mind Science of The Mind. In September 96 he gave another unannounced solo concert in his beloved Sin-é. December 1996, the musician devoted to preparing for his "phantom solo tour." Designed to experiment with new songs in live performance (as in the time of performances in Sin-é), these sudden solo concerts throughout the northeastern part of the US were played under different pseudonyms: "Crackrobats", "Possessed by Elves", "Father Demo" , "Smakrobiotic", Crit Club, the Halfspeeds, Topless America, Martha & the Nicotines, etc.

At midnight on February 9, 1997, at the Arlene Grosery, located in the New York lower East Side, Jeff Buckley introduced his new drummer Parker Kaindrid. During the first months of 1997, he gave a couple of recitals in New York: Daydream Cafe (with members of the band Mika Grondala and Michael Tiye as "special guests") and a solo concert on February 4 as part of the 10th anniversary of Knitting Club Factory.

Working in Memphis

Buckley Jeff and his band with Tom Verlaine as producer during the summer and fall of 1996 and early winter of 1997 in New York, and in February 1997 in Memphis recorded new album. After completing these sessions, he sent the musicians back to New York, and in March and April 1997 stayed in Memphis and continued to work. Jeff Buckley's songs were recorded at home, creating their various four-track versions to present later to their bandmates. Some of them were reworkings of songs recorded with Verlaine, some were brand new, and some were amazing cover versions. New songs debuted on February 12 and 13 at Barrister's in Memphis.

The tragic death

Starting March 31, Jeff gave a series of regular evening recitals at Barrister's, held on Mondays. His last performance took place on 26.05.97. On the night of his death, Buckley was going to meet with his group to begin three weeks of rehearsals. Producer Andy Wallace, who directed the recording of "Grace", was to join them in Memphis at the end of June to record a new album.

Collaboration with other performers

In addition to the Columbia Records Live At Sin-é and "Grace" releases, Buckley appeared as a guest singer in a number of other artists' recordings. Jeff can be recognized in the composition of Jolly Street 1994 album by Jazz Passengers. His tenor was used in compositions by John Zorn's Taipan and D. Popylepis Live At The Knitting Factory (1995). In the songs of Rebecca Moore, Brenda Kahn, Patti Smith, the musician plays the bass guitar, drums and acts as a backing vocalist.

An ardent enthusiast of many musical forms, Jeff became the champion among young American musicians, working with the world's leading singer of Cavalli (Sufi music) Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Buckley and Nusrat gave an extensive interview to Interview magazine (January 1996) and wrote annotations to the disc of the singer, released on Mercator / Caroline Records in August 1997. On May 9, 2000, Columbia Records released a live album of live performances by Jeff Buckley, Mystery White Boy and Jeff Buckley - Live in Chicago, a full-length concert available on DVD and VHS, which was recorded at the Metro Cabaret in Chicago on May 13, 1995 , In the midst of the tour Mystery White Boy.

The mysterious young man

As already mentioned, after the release of "Grace" on August 23, 1994, Jeff and his band spent most of 1994-1996, touring around the world on tours Unknown, Mystery White Boy and Hard Luck. Release in May 2000, Mystery White Boy first brought some of the best performances at these concerts. Produced by Michael Tillie (guitarist of the band throughout the band's international tour and recording "Grace") and Mary Gleber (the singer's mother), the album offers a catchy slice of Jeff Buckley's repertoire, consisting of previously unreleased compositions, capturing recordings from the studio album, as well as incomprehensible And amazing cover versions. Records were picked up from dozens of concert bands Mary and members of the Jeff group, who played a big role, helping Jeff realize his musical vision.

According to Mary, the album's compositions "are separate performances that represented the transcendental moments of each of the concerts that were categorized as outstanding."

Jeff Buckley: "Hallelujah"

In the years after the death of a talented artist, his legacy continues to grow. His fans are rock legends, artists, loyal followers, as well as a completely new generation of music lovers. "Grace", Jeff's only studio album, released during his lifetime, continues to be popular.

In addition, in 1998, unfinished Memphis work by Jeff Sketches (For My Sweetheart The Drunk) was released. Release 2000 Mystery White Boy arrived in time for a DVD with a concert record in the Chicago Metro hall. In 2003 Sony reissued Live at Sin-e and in 2004 Grace, which were supplemented with rare tracks and excerpts from performances. In 2007, the album So Real: Songs From Jeff Buckley was released with updated tracks for ardent fans and music lovers. In 2009, it was possible to see Jeff during the Live DVD Grase tour - around the world. In 2014, to mark the 20th anniversary of the studio recording, a limited edition of 2,000 copies produced a 180 gram vinyl disc "Lilac Whirlwind". In March 2015, a new album with previously unknown material appeared.

Cover of Leonard Cohen, performed by Jeff Buckley, Hallelujah took the first place in the list of "Billboard" in March 2008. This was due to the performance of the song by the participant of the "American Idol" Jason Castro. In the same year, the winner of the British "X-factor" Alexander Burke for Christmas released his cover version of Hallelujah. Jeff Buckley climbed to number 2 on the UK singles chart thanks to the efforts of his fans who launched the campaign against Burke.

Interesting Facts

• Jeff Buckley grew up under the name Scott Morehead.
• The magazine "Rolling Stone" considers him one of the greatest singers of all time.
• His father, Tim Buckley, Jeff saw only when he was 8 years old, a few months before his death from an overdose.
• The first performance of the singer took place in the Episcopal Church of St. Anna in Brooklyn in April 1991, where he performed 3 songs of his father.
• The musician was almost auditioned for solo concerts with Mick Jagger, but the music director of the Rolling Stones leader rejected him.
• Jeff chose the recording studio Sony Columbia Records because with it worked his idol Bob Dylan.
• The impetus for Buckley's career was not the single "Grace", but the song "Last goodbye".
• In May 1995, Jeff was named People magazine one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world.