I want to do a little featurette for the man who has brought more beauty to my ears and to my life than any other artist in my music collection.

Jeff Buckley was a talented singer-songwriter with a haunting voice, who was thought to be the most promising artist of his generation. I remember first hearing Lover, you should have come over on a CD sampler that my sister had in her CD collection. It grew on me and I found the full Grace album in the bargain bin at the local Disc-go-Round (why was it in the bargain bin?!).

Soon I was in audio love. I remember many nights falling asleep listening to Grace, especially Mojo Pin, which begins with the lyrics, "I'm lyin' in my bed, blanket is warm, this body will never be safe from harm..." which seemed terribly deep and tragic and meaningful to a then 15 year old. There is such immense and almost untouchable beauty in every track on Grace. It is one of THE masterpiece albums.





Buckley drowned in the Mississippi River on May 29, 1997. He was missing after a night swim. He and a friend were listening to a radio on the beach of the river and waded in to cool off, during days of studio recording for his follow-up to Grace (to be called My Sweetheart The Drunk). Jeff was floating on his back, singing. A boat went by and the wake caused small waves to wash up on shore. His friend was worried about the radio getting wet and he went to move it further up the beach. When he turned back around, Jeff was gone. No sound, no splash. Just pulled under. Part of me has always wondered what he was singing [edit: Whole Lotta Love, Led Zep]. It gives me chills.

His body was recovered a week later at the foot of historic Beale Street, birthplace of the Blues. They had to identify his body by his piercings.

It was great to find out about the wonderful variety of songs penned by the musical community as tributes to Jeff after his death. I would think that the highest form of compliment that a musician could receive would be to see how he impacted so many others, and how he lives on through their music.