Age, Biography, and Wiki
Jeff Buckley was born Jeffrey Scott Buckley (raised as Scott Moorhead) on November 17, 1966. He spent his early years in Southern California before moving to New York City, where he developed a cult following in the early 1990s. Buckley's rise to fame began with his performances in the East Village, Manhattan, and he eventually signed with Columbia Records. His only studio album, "Grace," was released in 1994, featuring a mix of original songs and covers, including his iconic version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" .
| Occupation | Rock Singer |
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| Date of Birth | November 17, 1966 |
| Age | 59 Years |
| Birth Place | Anaheim, California, U.S. |
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| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 29 May, 1997 |
| Died Place | N/A |
Height, Weight & Measurements
There is no widely available information on Buckley's height or weight. However, his physical presence was often overshadowed by his powerful voice and stage presence.
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Dating & Relationship Status
Buckley's personal life was marked by a focus on his music. There is limited information available about his romantic relationships, as he kept his personal life private.
Born in Anaheim, California, Buckley was the only son of Mary ( Guibert) and the singer-songwriter Tim Buckley. His mother was a Zonian of Greek, English, French and Panamanian descent, while his father was the son of an Irish American father and an Italian American mother. Buckley was raised by his mother and stepfather, Ron Moorhead, in Southern California, and had a half-brother, Corey Moorhead. Buckley moved many times in and around Orange County while growing up, an upbringing he called "rootless trailer trash". As a child, Buckley was known as Scott "Scottie" Moorhead, based on his middle name and his stepfather's surname.
Buckley's biological father, Tim Buckley, released a series of folk and jazz albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Jeff said they met only once, when he was eight. After Tim died of a drug overdose in 1975, Jeff chose to go by Buckley and his given name, Jeff, which he found on his birth certificate. To members of his family he remained "Scottie".
Buckley was brought up around music; his mother was a classically trained pianist and cellist, and his stepfather introduced him to Led Zeppelin, Queen, Jimi Hendrix, the Who, and Pink Floyd at an early age. Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti was the first album he owned, and said the hard rock band Kiss was an early favorite. He grew up singing around the house and in harmony with his mother, and said all his family sang. He began playing guitar at the age of five after discovering an acoustic guitar in his grandmother's closet. At age 12, he decided to become a musician and received his first electric guitar, a black Les Paul, at age 13. He attended Loara High School and played in the school jazz band; during this time, he developed an affinity for progressive rock bands Rush, Genesis, and Yes, and the jazz fusion guitarist Al Di Meola. He told MuchMusic about the era that inspired him: "I grew up late '60s, early '70s, '80s, so I observed Joni Mitchell, I observed the Smiths and Siouxsie and the Banshees. That turns me on completely".
Buckley moved back to Los Angeles in September when his father's former manager, Herb Cohen, offered to help him record his first demo of original songs. Buckley completed Babylon Dungeon Sessions, a four-song cassette that included the songs "Eternal Life", "Last Goodbye", "Strawberry Street" and punk screamer "Radio". Cohen and Buckley hoped to attract industry attention with the demo tape.
Buckley flew back to New York early the following year to make his public singing debut at a tribute concert for his father, Greetings from Tim Buckley. The event, produced by Hal Willner, was held at St. Ann's Church in Brooklyn on April 26, 1991. Buckley rejected the idea of the concert as a springboard to his career, instead citing personal reasons regarding his decision to sing at the tribute.
Accompanied by the experimental rock guitarist Gary Lucas, Buckley performed "I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain", a song Tim Buckley wrote about the infant Jeff and his mother. He returned to play "Sefronia – The King's Chain", "Phantasmagoria in Two", and concluded with "Once I Was" performed acoustically with an impromptu a cappella ending, due to a snapped guitar string. Willner, the show's organizer, recalled that Buckley made a strong impression. Buckley's performance was counter to his desire to distance himself musically from his father; he later said: "It wasn't my work, it wasn't my life. But it bothered me that I hadn't been to his funeral, that I'd never been able to tell him anything. I used that show to pay my last respects." The concert proved to be Buckley's first step into the music industry that had eluded him for years.
Following Johnson's departure, the band, now without a drummer, was put on hold and did not perform live again until February 12, 1997. Due to the pressure from extensive touring, Buckley spent the majority of the year away from the stage. However, from May 2 to 5, he played a short stint as bass guitarist with Mind Science of the Mind, with friend Nathan Larson, then guitarist of Shudder to Think. Buckley returned to playing live concerts when he went on his "phantom solo tour" of cafés in the northeast U.S. in December 1996, appearing under a series of aliases: the Crackrobats, Possessed by Elves, Father Demo, Smackrobiotic, the Halfspeeds, Crit-Club, Topless America, Martha & the Nicotines, and A Puppet Show Named Julio. By way of justification, Buckley posted a note stating he missed the anonymity of playing in cafés and local bars:
Buckley was roommates with actress Brooke Smith from 1990 to 1991. During a tribute concert to his father, Tim Buckley, in April 1991, Buckley met artist Rebecca Moore, and the pair dated until 1993. This relationship became the inspiration for his record Grace and provoked his permanent move to New York. From 1994 to 1995, Buckley had an intense relationship with Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins. They wrote and recorded a duet together, "All Flowers in Time Bend Towards the Sun", which has never been released commercially. In 1996, Buckley began a relationship with musician Joan Wasser, known professionally as Joan as Police Woman. He reportedly proposed marriage to her shortly before his death.
After Buckley's death, a collection of demo recordings and a full-length album he had been reworking for his second album were released as a compilation album, titled Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk – the compilation was overseen by his mother, Mary Guibert, band members and old friend Michael J. Clouse, as well as Chris Cornell. The album achieved gold sales in Australia in 1998. Three other albums composed of live recordings have also been released, along with a live DVD of a performance in Chicago. A previously unreleased 1992 recording of "I Shall Be Released", sung by Buckley over the phone on live radio, was released on the album For New Orleans.
Since his death, Buckley has been the subject of numerous documentaries: Fall in Light, a 1999 production for French TV; Goodbye and Hello, a program about Buckley and his father produced for Netherlands TV in 2000; and Everybody Here Wants You, a documentary made in 2002 by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). An hour-long documentary about Buckley called Amazing Grace: Jeff Buckley has been shown at various film festivals to critical acclaim. The film was released worldwide in 2009 by Sony BMG Legacy as part of the Grace Around The World Deluxe Edition. In spring 2009, it was revealed that Ryan Jaffe, best known for scripting the movie The Rocker, had replaced Brian Jun as screenwriter for the upcoming film Mystery White Boy. Orion Williams is also set to co-produce the film with Michelle Sy. A separate project involving the book Dream Brother was allegedly cancelled.
In 2012, Greetings from Tim Buckley premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival; the film explores Jeff Buckley's relationship with his father. At a tribute concert honoring the deceased Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins in 2021, Foo Fighters lead singer David Grohl's daughter Violet performed "Last Goodbye" and "Grace", with Dave Grohl, Alain Johannes, Greg Kurstin, Chris Chaney, and Jason Falkner.
According to Variety, a biographical film, Everybody Here Wants You, starring Reeve Carney as Buckley, was set to begin filming in late 2021. It was to be Orian Williams's directorial debut and released by Culmination Productions. It was to be co-produced by Buckley's mother, Mary Guibert, and access to his music was approved by Alison Raykovich, manager of Buckley's estate. Buckley's mother said "this will be the only official dramatisation of Jeff's story".
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Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his death in 1997, Jeff Buckley's net worth was estimated to be around $2 million . Since then, his music has continued to gain popularity, leading to posthumous releases and increased earnings for his estate. The exact net worth of his estate in 2025 is not well-documented, but his music continues to generate revenue through album sales and streaming.
Career, Business, and Investments
Buckley's career was marked by his unique voice and eclectic style. He began as a session guitarist in Los Angeles before gaining a following in New York City. His album "Grace" became a critical success, and his version of "Hallelujah" remains one of his most iconic works . Buckley did not have the opportunity to engage in business ventures or investments beyond his music career.
Over the next few months, Buckley attracted admiring crowds and attention from record label executives, including industry maven Clive Davis dropping by to see him. By mid-1992, limos from executives eager to sign him lined the street outside Sin-é. Buckley signed with Columbia Records, home of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, for a three-album deal for nearly in October 1992. He spent three days in February 1993 in a studio with the engineer Steve Addabbo and the Columbia A&R representative Steve Berkowitz recording much of his solo repertoire. Buckley sang a cappella and accompanied himself on acoustic and electric guitars, Wurlitzer electric piano, and harmonium. The tapes remain unreleased, but much of the material appeared on Buckley's debut album, Grace. Recording dates were set for July and August 1993 for what would become Buckley's recording debut, an EP of four songs, including a cover of Van Morrison's "The Way Young Lovers Do". The live EP Live at Sin-é was released on November 23, 1993.
A tour of Canada and the U.S. began on October 19, 1994, at CBGB. The tour was far reaching with concerts held on both East and West Coasts of the U.S. and a number of performances in central and southern states. The tour ended two months later on December 18 at Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey. After another month of rest and rehearsal, the band commenced a second European tour, this time mainly for promotion purposes. The band began the tour in Dublin. The short tour largely consisted of promotional work in London and Paris.
In late January, the band did their first tour of Japan, playing concerts and appearing for promotion of the album and newly released Japanese single "Last Goodbye". The band returned to Europe on February 6. He toured various Western European countries before returning to the U.S. on March 6. Among the gigs performed during this period, Buckley and his band performed at a 19th-century-built French venue, the Bataclan, and material from the concert was recorded and later released in October of that year as a four track EP, Live from the Bataclan. Songs from a performance on February 25, at the venue Nighttown in Rotterdam, were released as a promotional-only CD, So Real.
Touring recommenced in April with dates across the U.S. and Canada. During this period, Buckley and the band notably played Metro in Chicago, which was recorded on video and later released as Live in Chicago on VHS and later on DVD. In addition, on June 4 they played at Sony Music Studios for the Sony Music radio hour. Following this was a month-long European tour between June 20 and July 18 in which they played many summer music festivals, including the Glastonbury Festival and the 1995 Meltdown Festival (at which Buckley sang Henry Purcell's "Dido's Lament" at the invitation of Elvis Costello). During the tour, Buckley played two concerts at the Paris Olympia, a venue made famous by the French vocalist Édith Piaf. Although he had failed to fill out smaller American venues at that point of his career, both nights at the large Paris Olympia venue were sold out. Shortly after this Buckley attended the Festival de la Musique Sacrée (Festival of Sacred Music), also held in France, and performed "What Will You Say" as a duet with Alim Qasimov, an Azerbaijani mugham singer. Sony BMG has since released a live album, 2001's Live à L'Olympia, which has a selection of songs from both Olympia performances and the collaboration with Qasimov.
Buckley became interested in recording at Easley McCain Recording in Memphis, at the suggestion of friend Dave Shouse from the Grifters. He rented a shotgun house there, of which he was so fond he contacted the owner about purchasing it. From February 12 to May 26, 1997, Buckley played at Barristers', a bar located in downtown Memphis, underneath a parking garage. He played there numerous times in order to work through the new material in a live atmosphere, at first with the band, then solo as part of a Monday night residency. In early February, Buckley and the band did a third recording session with Verlaine in Memphis, where they recorded "Everybody Here Wants You", "Nightmares by the Sea", "Witches' Rave" and "Opened Once", but Buckley expressed his dissatisfaction with the sessions and contacted Grace producer Andy Wallace to step in as Verlaine's replacement. Buckley started recording demos on his own 4-track recorder in preparation for a forthcoming session with Wallace; some of the demos were sent to his band in New York, who listened to them enthusiastically and were excited to resume work on the album. However, Buckley was not entirely happy with the results and sent his band back to New York while he stayed behind to work on the songs. The band was scheduled to return to Memphis for rehearsals and recording on May 29. After Buckley's death, the Verlaine-produced recordings and Buckley's demos were released as Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk in May 1998.
The 2008 UK X Factor winner Alexandra Burke released a cover of "Hallelujah", with the intent to top the UK Singles Chart as the Christmas number one single. Buckley fans countered this, launching a campaign with the aim of propelling Buckley's version to the number one spot; despite this, Burke's version eventually reached the Christmas number one position on the UK charts in December 2008. Buckley's version of the song entered the UK charts at number 49 on November 30, and by December 21, it had reached number 2, even though it had not been rereleased in a physical format.
* In 2006, Mojo named Grace the number one Modern Rock Classic of all Time. It was also rated as Australia's second favorite album on My Favourite Album, a television special aired by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, on December 3, 2006.
Social Network
Jeff Buckley did not have the opportunity to engage with social media platforms, as they were not prevalent during his lifetime. However, his legacy continues to be celebrated and discussed on platforms like Instagram and Facebook by fans and artists who have been influenced by his work.
Grace won appreciation from a number of revered musicians and artists, including members of Buckley's biggest influence, Led Zeppelin. Jimmy Page considered Grace close to being his "favorite album of the decade". Robert Plant was also complimentary, as was Brad Pitt, saying of Buckley's work, "There's an undercurrent to his music, there's something you can't pinpoint. Like the best of films, or the best of art, there's something going on underneath, and there's a truth there. And I find his stuff absolutely haunting. It just ... it's under my skin." Others who had influenced Buckley's music lauded him: Bob Dylan named Buckley "one of the great songwriters of this decade", and, in an interview with The Village Voice, David Bowie named Grace one of 10 albums he would bring with him to a desert island. In 2010, the Smiths singer Morrissey, one of Buckley's influences, named Grace one of his favorite albums.
Buckley mainly played a blonde 1983 Fender Telecaster, which he had re-fretted and modded with a Seymour Duncan Hot Lead Stack in the bridge and a mirror pick guard. In 2020, Matt Bellamy of Muse purchased the Telecaster and said it "has a sound like nothing I've ever heard".
Education
There is limited information available about Jeff Buckley's formal education. Much of his musical development occurred through his experiences as a session musician and his early performances in New York City.
In summary, Jeff Buckley's impact on music far exceeds his financial legacy. His music continues to inspire new generations of artists and fans, ensuring that his artistic contributions remain relevant and celebrated.
After graduating from high school, Buckley moved to Hollywood to attend the Musicians Institute, completing a one-year course at age 19. Buckley later said the school was "the biggest waste of time", but said in another interview that he had appreciated studying music theory: "I was attracted to really interesting harmonies, stuff that I would hear in Ravel, Ellington, Bartók."
