Jeff Buckley Died 15 Years Ago Today
May 29, 2012, 3:51 p.m.
On this day in 1997, Jeff Buckley tragically died while swimming in Memphis.
Today in 1997 Jeff Buckley died, drowning in the Wolf River Harbor off the Mississippi River while in Memphis working with his band. EV Grieve notes that East Village Radio has been paying tribute to the musician today, so you can tune in there, or head here where they've compiled videos of Buckley magnificently covering other people's songs.
When the NY Times reported on the 30-year-old's death on June 6th, they noted "Mr. Buckley and a friend had stopped by the harbor on their way to a rehearsal studio last week. Mr. Buckley was wading and swimming when a speedboat passed by, creating a wake. The friend, Keith Foti, said he turned away to protect the pair's stereo and that when he looked up, Mr. Buckley had disappeared. The police and the harbor patrol searched for Mr. Buckley with helicopters, scuba divers and foot patrols. His body was not found until a passenger on the riverboat spotted it floating in the harbor near the city's main thoroughfare, Beale Street." His death was ruled an accidental drowning.
Currently there are three movies being made about Buckley, who was an East Village resident from 1990 until the time of his death, playing at venues like the now defunct Sin-é (the one located at 122 St. Mark's Place). You can listen to some of his sets from that time right here, and here are some of his performances caught on film—from the stage to MTV:
