Jeff Buckley

Blessed with a voice of extraordinary range and potency, a genetic legacy of the father he did not know, young Jeff Buckley was similarly drawn to a life of music. He worked small live venues such as Sin-é with just his voice and guitar, and found session work too. Buckley was part of a number of bands playing various styles of music, though his involvement featured his guitar playing rather than his vocal skills.

That all changed after his first and only album, Grace, was released in 1994. The album had a wide range of styles—all featuring that four-octave voice—and contained the standout track “Hallelujah”, a cover of Leonard Cohen’s memorable song. Buckley and his band toured the album extensively, including Australia where the album entered the Top 10. The heavy touring schedule made work on a follow-up album difficult, so Buckley returned to Mississippi in 1997 to focus on writing. It was here, while taking a clothed swim in the state’s signature river late one night, that he drowned.