Kick & Go: Dream Brother

Jeff Buckley - RIP
Posted by Hello

How could I forget. On May 29th, I make a brief boring post about nothing, when it was the date of something far more important to me. May 29th, 1997 was the day that Jeff Buckley was pronounced dead. Drowned. And a part of my heart shattered. I know I sound tragic and groupie-like, but his music has been so much to me. I have never met someone with such charisma, talent, heart, humor, and a pure joy for song and life ( no matter how painful or sad life can be. ) I didn't like to share him with anyone. I felt like those songs were mine and mine only, and the people in my life at the time ( boyfriend mostly ) weren't worthy enough to experience it. His "Grace" album became a sanctuary to me. My life at the time of it's popularity was filled with chaos and hurt, and his voice made it go away. I feel honored to have met him. One of the best memories of my life is sitting up in the VIP section of Avalon with Jeff, drinking beer, watching PJ Harvey. I mean, you don't GET moments like that. You can't even make that shit up. In a word, it was AWESOME. I knew his girlfriend at the time, and they would pop into Tower when he was in town and he was always friendly and down to earth. We cracked jokes about his chicken salad sandwich at the in-store he did and then in a blink of an eye, he could walk onto that stage and go from "average joe" to "voice from beyond". I've seen him perform twice and both times I was brought to tears. Magical, beautiful, raw, tender, aggressive, out of control.....he took me with him when he sang.

It's so sad that he is gone. So young. The only thing about his death that gives me any comfort is that he died singing. Drunk in the Mississippi River, his guitar player says that Jeff was floating in the water, singing Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" at the top of his lungs shortly before he disappeared into it's murky depths after a boat went by. If there is a way to go....

Again, I know I sound like some crazed sycophant. What makes him better than anyone else?

Why is HE so special? Because he was. That's all. His music made my emotions come alive. The good and the bad. The world might argue with me. Some of my friends might say "Eh" when hearing some of his songs. But to me, he was larger than life while at the same time being so small and fragile. The day that I found out he had gone missing and was presumed dead, I broke down into tears at work. I went home later that evening, put on "Grace", lit a sage bundle, and stared at the wall and cried some more. Dramatic, sure - but I needed to grieve. Someone who moved me so deeply was gone. I also wrote a poem ( which I still have ) and here it is:

In Sweet Memory

So fully ripe with flavor

In the milky coat of summer

That angel's drunken wander

Did he ever stop to ponder

that this might possibly be

a last attempt for free?

An angel's voice was silenced

in a last attempt for leisure.

There was no saving grace

A silver lining now been cut.

Songs are floating into space