BUCKLEY, JEFF - GRACE

Jeffrey Scott Buckley (born Scott Moorhead; November 17, 1966 – May 29, 1997) was an American musician. After spending approximately a decade as a session guitarist in Los Angeles, he began performing in the early 1990s at venues in Manhattan’s East Village, where he developed a following. Buckley signed with Columbia Records and released his only studio album, "Grace", in 1994. He toured internationally to promote the album, performing in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Australia. In 1996, Buckley began work on his second album, tentatively titled "My Sweetheart the Drunk", in New York City with producer Tom Verlaine. In February 1997, he continued recording after relocating to Memphis, Tennessee. On May 29, 1997, Buckley drowned while swimming in the Wolf River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, while waiting for his band to arrive from New York. Posthumous releases have included a collection of four-track demos and studio recordings intended for "My Sweetheart the Drunk", as well as reissues of "Grace" and the "Live at Sin-é" EP. Following his death, Buckley’s reputation grew, and he has been cited as an influence by artists such as Thom Yorke of Radiohead and Matt Bellamy of Muse. "Grace" has appeared on several of Rolling Stone’s lists of the 500 greatest albums, and Buckley’s rendition of Leonard Cohen’s song "Hallelujah" was included among the 500 greatest songs. In 2014, his version of "Hallelujah" was inducted into the American Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.