FEATURE:
So Real
IN THIS PHOTO: Jeff Buckley in 1994/PHOTO CREDIT: Andy Willshire
Remembering the Great Jeff Buckley at Fifty-Nine
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ON 17th November…
IN THIS PHOTO: Jeff Buckley at Tower Records, N.Y.C. on 16th December, 1994/PHOTO CREDIT: Merri Cyr
we remember Jeff Buckley on what would have been his fifty-ninth birthday. We sadly lost this iconic musician in 1997 at the age of just thirty. I have been a fan of his for decades and feel his loss is one of the most tragic in all of music. In terms of how far he could have gone and what could have been. Rather than pointlessly speculate, we have to look at what he left behind in his brief yet brilliant career. A sole studio album, Grace (1994), that ranks alongside the best of all time and is one of the most influential albums in history. We can also here him in live albums, a posthumous album, Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk (1998), in addition to recorded and filmed interviews and live performances. We have books like Jeff Buckley: His Own Voice and Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah to the Last Goodbye. There is also a documentary, It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley, that can be streamed on services like Apple TV+. The question around a biopic keeps surfacing. Fortunately, a proposed biopic starring Brad Pitt was nixed by Jeff Buckley’s mother, Mary Guibert. Since then, I think there has been talk and rumours, but nothing is confirmed. You feel, with the success of music biopics involving Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, that Jeff Buckley’s name must be constantly pitched and various actors of today attached. I think that his mother and estate would be very reluctant to see one come to light unless it was at the right time and with the right actor.
You could imagine Jeff Buckley hating the idea of a biopic if he was alive! Sine his death in 1997, Buckley’s music has touched so many other musicians. Radiohead, Muse, Coldplay, Adele, Lana Del Rey, Bon Iver, Bat for Lashes and Massive Attack are among those who have cited Buckley as an influence. Looking ahead to 17th November and what would have been his fifty-ninth birthday, I want to update something I have done before. That relates to a comprehensive playlist. A mixtape here of his best songs. Through live albums, Grace and his posthumous work, this is a look inside the genius of Jeff Buckley. It will be especially sad next year when we mark his sixtieth birthday. However, his legacy is being kept alive. You can hear his influence across modern music. Grace frequently talked about alongside the best albums ever. With a voice like no other, I can see his music enduring for generations. His amazing guitar playing and songwriting is not discussed enough. I know that fans around the world will pay tribute to Buckley on his birthday. I am curious what the next step is in terms of books, documentaries or anything relating to Jeff Buckley. Rather than milk things or go overboard, I do feel like there is something big to come. In the meantime, go and listen to the stunning music of a once-in-a-lifetime artist whose brilliance shines bright twenty-eight years after his death. This celebratory mixtape is a selection of wonderful musical moments from an artist that we…
MISS so much.