Timothy Buckley

Early life and career Tim Buckley was born in Washington, D.C., on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1947, to Elaine (née Scalia), an Italian American, and Timothy Charles Buckley Jr., a decorated World War II veteran and son of Irish immigrants from County Cork. He has a sister named Kathleen. He spent his early childhood in Amsterdam, New York, an industrial city about northwest of Albany. At five years old, Buckley began listening to his mother's progressive jazz recordings, particularly Miles Davis.

Buckley's musical life began after his family moved to Bell Gardens in southern California in 1956. His grandmother introduced him to the work of Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday, his mother to Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland and his father to the country music of Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. When the folk music revival came around in the early 1960s, Buckley at age 13 taught himself the banjo and, with several friends, formed a folk group inspired by The Kingston Trio that played local high school events.

During high school, Buckley was elected to class offices, played on the baseball team and quarterbacked the football team. During a football game, he broke two fingers on his left hand, permanently damaging them. He said that the injury prevented him from playing barre chords. This disability may have led to his use of extended chords, many of which don't require barres.

Buckley attended Loara High School in Anaheim, California. He cut classes regularly and quit football, focusing most of his attention on music. He befriended Larry Beckett, his future lyricist, and Jim Fielder, a bass player with whom he formed two musical groups, the Bohemians, who initially played popular music, and the Harlequin 3, a folk group which regularly incorporated spoken word and beat poetry into their gigs.

In February 1966, following a gig at It's Boss, the Mothers of Invention's drummer Jimmy Carl Black recommended Buckley to the Mothers' manager, Herb Cohen. Cohen saw potential in Tim While living in the Bowery with Jainie, Buckley ran into Lee Underwood and asked him to play guitar for him. The two became lifelong friends and collaborators.

Under Cohen's management, Buckley recorded a six-song demo acetate disc which he sent to Elektra records owner Jac Holzman, Elektra decided not to release the songs as singles, and the songs remained in Elektra's record vaults. Rhino Records was unable to find "Lady Give Me Your Key" to include on its Morning Glory: The Tim Buckley Anthology, Reflecting the confidence Elektra had in Buckley and group, they were given free rein on the content of the album. Buckley's voice had developed since his last release and the press appreciated both his lower register and falsetto in equal measure. While Goodbye and Hello did not make Buckley a star, it performed better in the charts than his previous effort, peaking at No. 171. After a slot on The Tonight Show, Buckley was standoffish and insulting toward Johnny Carson, and on another television appearance refused to lip sync to "Pleasant Street". Later that year, he recorded Happy Sad, which reflected folk and jazz influences and would be his best-charting album, peaking at No. 81.

Middle period During 1969, Buckley began to write and record material for three albums, Blue Afternoon, Lorca, and Starsailor. Inspired by the singing of avant-garde musician Cathy Berberian, he integrated the ideas of composers such as Luciano Berio and Iannis Xenakis in an avant-garde rock genre. Buckley selected eight songs for Blue Afternoon, an album similar to Happy Sad in style. In a 1977 article for DownBeat magazine, Lee Underwood wrote that Buckley's heart was not in Blue Afternoon and that the album was a perfunctory response to please his business partners.

While Buckley's music never sold well, his following releases did indeed chart. Lorca alienated his folk base, while Blue Afternoon was criticized as boring and tepid, and "[not] even good sulking music", although it has been re-evaluated over the years. Blue Afternoon was Buckley's last album to chart on Billboard, reaching No. 192. Following the albums, Buckley began to focus on what he felt to be his masterpiece, Starsailor.

Starsailor contained free jazz textures under Buckley's most extreme vocal performance, ranging from high shrieks to deep, soulful baritone. This personal album included the more accessible "Song to the Siren", a song which has since been covered by Robert Plant, John Frusciante, Bryan Ferry, This Mortal Coil, Sinéad O'Connor and Brendan Perry. The album was a critical and commercial failure upon release, despite having gained a considerable cult status following This Mortal Coil's cover, which renewed interest in it.

Unable to produce his music and almost broke, Buckley turned to alcohol and drug binges. He considered acting and completed an unreleased low-budget film entitled Why? (1971). The film was an experimental use of the new medium video tape and was commissioned by Technicolor.

Aftermath Buckley's tour manager, Bob Duffy, said Buckley's death was not expected, but "was like watching a movie, and that was its natural ending." At his hearing on August 14, 1975, Keeling pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and, after failing to complete community service, was sentenced to 120 days in jail and four years' probation.

Buckley died in debt, owning only a guitar and an amplifier. About 200 friends and family attended his funeral at the Wilshire Funeral Home in Santa Monica, including manager Herb Cohen and Lee Underwood. His 8-year-old son, Jeff, had met his father only once, spending a week with him and his new family, and was not invited to the funeral. Jeff Buckley said not being invited to his father's funeral "gnawed" at him, and prompted him to pay his respects by performing "I Never Asked to Be Your Mountain" in 1991 at a memorial tribute to Buckley in Brooklyn.

Personal life During French class in 1964, Buckley met Mary Guibert. Their relationship inspired some of Buckley's music, and provided both of them time away from their respective turbulent home lives. After almost a year of dating, Buckley and Guibert married on October 25, 1965.

In April 1970, Buckley married Judy Brejot Sutcliffe in Santa Monica, and adopted her son, Taylor Keith Sutcliffe.

Discography Studio albums +TitleDetailsPeak chart positions US Tim Buckley Released: October 1966 Label: Elektra Format: LP— Goodbye and Hello Released: August 1967 Label: Elektra Format: LP171 Happy Sad Released: April 1969 Label: Elektra Format: LP81 Blue Afternoon Released: November 24, 1969 Label: Straight, Enigma Format: LP, CD192 Lorca Released: June 1970 Label: Elektra Format: LP— Starsailor Released: November 1970 Label: Straight Format: LP— Greetings from L.A. Released: August 1972 Label: Straight, Enigma Format: LP— Sefronia Released: September 1973 Label: DiscReet Format: LP— Look at the Fool Released: September 13, 1974 Label: DiscReet Format: LP—

Live albums Dream Letter: Live in London 1968 (Enigma/Manifesto) (1990) Peel Sessions (Dutch East India/Strange Fruit) (1991/1993) Live at the Troubadour 1969 (Rhino/Manifesto) (1994) Honeyman: Live 1973 (Edsel/Manifesto) (1995) Once I Was (Varese) (1999) Copenhagen Tapes (Pinnacle Licensed Repertoire) (2000) Live at the Folklore Center 1967 (Tompkins Square) (2009) Venice Mating Call (Edsel) (2017) Greetings From West Hollywood (Edsel) (2017) Live at the Electric Theatre Co., Chicago 1968 (Manifesto) (2019) Bear's Sonic Journals: Merry-Go-Round at the Carousel (Owsley Stanley Foundation) (2021)

Compilations The Late Great Tim Buckley (WEA) (1978) – Released in Australia only The Best of Tim Buckley (Rhino) (1983) Morning Glory (Band of Joy) (1994) Works in Progress (Rhino Handmade) (1999) The Dream Belongs to Me: Rare and Unreleased 1968–1973 (Manifesto) (2001) Morning Glory: The Tim Buckley Anthology (Rhino) (2001) Tim Buckley/Goodbye and Hello (Elektra) (2001) – Compilation of first two albums Take 2: Greetings from L.A./Tim Buckley (Straight/Enigma) (2005) – 2×CD compilation of the two albums Tim Buckley (Rhino Handmade) (2011) – Handmade 2×CD Disc One: Both the stereo and mono versions of his debut album Disc Two: 22 unreleased recordings of Buckley from November 1965 with the Bohemians (12 tracks) and from 1966 with Larry Beckett (10 tracks) Starsailor: The Anthology (Music Club Deluxe/Rhino) (2011) – 2×CD Wings: The Complete Singles 1966–1974 (Omnivore Recordings) (2016)

Other releases Thin Wires in the Voice (1999) – 120-page booklet with a three-track CD EP included Tim Buckley: My Fleeting House (MVD Visual) (2007) – DVD of filmed live performances Tim Buckley: Lady, Give Me Your Key: The Unissued 1967 Solo Acoustic Sessions (Future Days Recordings) (2016) – Demos from Buckley's 1967 sessions

Compilation appearances Elektrifying (Elektra) (1968) – "Wings" Off (Elektra) (1968) – "Song Slowly Song" Select Elektra (Elektra) (1968) – "Morning Glory" Elektra's Best, Volume 1 2×LP (Elektra) (1969) – "Morning Glory" Zapped (Bizarre) (1970) – "I Must Have Been Blind" The Big Ball 2×LP (Warner Bros.) (1970) – "Happy Time" Alternatives (Warner Bros.) (1970) – "Happy Time" Garden Of Delights 2×LP (Elektra) (1971) – "Wings" The First Family Of New Rock 2×LP (Atlantic/Exulta/Warner Bros./Reprise Records) – "I Had A Talk With My Woman" Days Of Wine And Vinyl 2×LP (Warner Bros.) (1972) "Move With Me" Display Case 2×LP (Warner Bros.) (1972) – "Move With Me", "Sweet Surrender" The First Family Of New Rock 2×LP (Warner Bros. (France)) (1972) – "Pleasant Street" All Singing-All Talking-All Rocking 2×LP (Warner Bros.) (1973) – "Sally Go Round The Rose" Die Grosen Amerikanischen Liedermacher (Warner Bros./Stern Musik) (1974) – "Sally Go Round The Rose" The Rock Revelation 3×LP (The Sunday Times Magazine) (1975) – "Dolphins" Musikladen Jazz Rock Humor 3×LP (Warner Bros./Atlantic) (1975) – "Wanda Lou" Litera Luisterplaat (Warner Bros.) (1976) – "The King's Chair", "Serfonia" Elektrock 4×LP/4×Cass/Box (Elecktra) (1985) "Aren't You The Girl". "Strange Street Affair Under Blue", "I Can't Hear You", "No Man Can Feel The War", "Pleasant Street", "Dream Letter", "Morning Glory" The Psychedelic Years 3×CD (Knight Records) (1990) – "Buzzin' Fly" The Psychedelic Years 1966–1969 (American Album Classics) (Knight) (1990) – "Buzzin' Fly" Before The Fall '67–'77 -The Peel Sessions (Strange Fruit) (1991) – "Once I Was" Troubadours Of The Folk Era Vol. 2 (Rhino/Warner Special Products) (1992) – "Once I Was" West Coast Rock (Castle) (1992) – "More With Me" Peace and Love 76-75, Les Annees Plasantes (Delabel) (1993) – "Sweet Surrender" Microdelia (Diablo) (1994) – "Driftin' (live)" Starship-Viaggio Nella Musica Psychedelia (Mercury) (1995) – "Hallucinations" Step Right Up (The Songs of Tom Waits) (Manifesto) (1995) – "Martha" The Demon Bible According To Tower, Book One (Demon) (1995) – "Dolphins" 18 Free And Easy Hits From The 70's (JCI/Warner Special Products) (1995) – "Buzzin' Fly" White Roots (From American Folk to Country Rock) (BMG Music/RCA) (1996) – "Buzzin' Fly" Best of American Rock (CNR) (1996) – "Honey Man" Psychedelic Roses (Warner Music Greece) (1996) – "I Can't See You" Peace Love & Music (Starbucks 25th Anniversary Anthology) (Starbucks/AEI) (1996) -"Pleasant Street" Psychedelic Perceptions (Temple) (1996) – "Hallucinations" Crooning On Venus Ocean Of Sound 2 2×CD (Virgin) (1996) – "Star Sailor" Der Nachtfalke (Columbia/Sony) (1997) – "Sweet Surrender" Unknown Pleasures (Rare And Classic Tracks From The Archives of Demon Records) (Uncut (2)) (1998) – "Dolphins" – given away free with a UK music and film magazine Discover America's Hearts & Spirits Vol. 5 (WEA) (1998) – "I Can't See You", "Carnival Song" Generations of Folk, Vol. Four-The Troubadours (Vanguard) (1998) – "Sing A Song For You" Real Fidelity-The Liberating Sound Of Division One (Vanguard) (2001) – "Mexicali Voodoo" Cafe Apres-Midi~Roux (WEA Japan) (2000) – "Buzzin' Fly" Peace And Love '60·1967-1 (Fabbri Edition) (2000) – "Morning Glory" Follow The Music-A Comprehensive Sampler of Elektra's Pre-Rock Era (Elektra) (2000) – "Goodbye and Hello" Peace & Love '60·1967-5 (Fabbri) (2000) – "Pleasant Street" Elektra: The first 50 Years 5×CD (Elektra) – "Morning Glory" American Music (DeAgostini) (2000) – "Morning Glory" Protest And Poetry (DeAgostini) (2000) – "Pleasant Street" Peace And Love '60·1967-9 (Fabbri) (2000) – "Goodbye and Hello" Me Without You (Music From The Motion Picture) (Epic) (2001) – "Strange Peelin'" Underground Moderna (Nova) (2001) – "Sweet Surrender" Washington Square Memoirs-The Great Urban Folk Boom 1960–1970 3×CD (Rhino) (2001) – "Once I Was" RMAT Study Guide (Rhino) (2001) – Morning Glory" Coast To Coast (DeAgostini) (2001) – "Strange Feelin'" 19-Track Guide To The Month's Best Music (Uncut(2)) (2001) – "Falling Timber" Simply The Best Songwriters 2×CD (Warner Strategic Marketing) (2002) – "Morning Glory" Take It Easy 2×CD (Warner Strategic Marketing) (2002) – "Move With Me" Pure Genius 2×CD (Warner Strategic Marketing United Kingdom) (2002) – "Morning Glory" Songs 2 (The Best Of The Singer/Songwriters) 2×CD (Warner Strategic Marketing The Netherlands) – "Morning Glory" 100% Classic Pop-40 Grand Artistas En 2Cd's 2×CD (Warner Strategis Markets) (20020 – "Morning Glory" Simply The Best Songwriters 2 2×CD (Warner Strategic Marketing) (2002) – "Song For The Siren" Pure Genius Volume 2 (Warner Strategic Marketing United Kingdom) (2002) – "Song For The Siren" Songwriter 2×CD (Sony Music|Sony Music TV) (2002) – "Song For The Siren" Songs (The Best Of The Singer/Songwriters) 2×CD (RTL/Warner Strategic Marketing) (2002) – "Morning Glory" Songs 2 Best Of West Coast 2×CD (Warner Music|Warner Music Group Germany) (2002) – "Move With Me" Songs 3 (Best Of Singer/Songwriters) 2×CD (Warner Strategic Marketing|Sat.1) (2002) – "Song To The Siren" Acoustic 2 2×CD (Echo)/V2) (2002) – "Once I Was" Simply The Best Songwriters 2 2×CD (Warner Strategic Marketing) (2002) – "Song Of The Siren" Folk Heros 2×CD (EMI) (2003) – "Morning Glory" Singer And Singwriters-The Folk Years 2×CD (Time Life|Time Life Music) (2003) – "Morning Glory", "Happy Time" Strange Currencies (Uncut (2)) (2003) – "Dolphins (Live)" Simply The Best Songwriters 2 2×CD (Warner Strategic Marketing) (2003) -"Morning Glory" Singer And Songwriters-Mavericks 2×CD (Time Life Music) (2003) – "Once I Was" Rokkland 2003 2×CD (Skifan) (2003) – "Song For The Siren" 50 And De Rock-15 Tresors Des Annees (Les Inrockuptibles) (2004) – "Morning Glory" Reelin" In The Years 2×CD (Universal/Warner Strategic Marketing) (2004) – "Move With Me" L'odyssee Du Rock 4×CD (Sony Music|Sony Music Media) (2004) – "Morning Glory" The Peace and Love Generation 6×CD (Warner) (2004) – "Buzzin' Fly" 10 Corso Como-Love 3 3×CD (Irma Records) (2004) – "Song For The Siren" Acoustic 04 2×CD (Echo/V2) (2004) – "Dolphins" Sin City (14 L.A. Rock Classics) (Uncut (2)) (2004) – "Chase The Blues Away" The Jack Nitzsche Story (Hearing Is Believing 1962–1979) (Ace) (2005) – "It Happens Every Time" John Peel-A Tribute 2×CD (Warner Strategic Marketing) (2005) – "Song To The Siren" Gloomy Afternoon (The Music Of Melancholy) (EmArcy/Universal) (2005) – "Love From Room 109 At The Islander" Lammas Night Laments Volume 9 CDr (The Unbroken Circle) (2005) – "Song For The Siren (Demo)" Acoustic Rock Volume 2 (Crimson) (2005) – "Once I Was (Live In London 1968)" 1967 (Ein Jahr Und Seine 20 songs) (Suddentsche Zeitung) (2005) – "Morning Glory" Forever Changing-The Golden Age Of Elektra Records 1963–1973 5×CD (Rhino) (2006) "Wings", "Once I Was", "Sing A Song", "Wayfaring Stranger" Selections From...Forever Changing-The Golden Ave Of Elektra Records 1963–1973 (Rhino) (2006) – "Sing A Song For You" 25 Ans Radio Vova (Nova Records|Nova) Candy Original Soundtrack (Inertia)/(iNSYNC music) (2006) – "Song To The Siren" Alternative Acoustic 2×CD (Magic Club Deluxe) (2006) – "Once I Was" Classics From John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (Universal) (2006) – "Song To the Siren" The Old Grey Whistle Test-The Complete Collection 3×DVD (BBC Worldwide) (2006) – "Dolphins" Four Decades Of Folk Rock 4×CD Box Set (Time Life/(Sony BMG)/Rhino/UMG) (2007) -"I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain" Wild World 2×CD (Time Life Music) (2007) – "Morning Glory", "Happy Times" 100 Hits 60s 5×CD (100 Hits/Demon) (2007) – "I Can't See You" Between The Lines Vol. 1 2×CD (EMS) (2007) – "Pleasant Street" 100 Hits 70s 5×CD (100 Hits/Demon) (2007) – "Move With Me" California Dreaming 2×CD (Warner Music TV) (2007) – "Sweet Surrender" Solid Kult Volume 1 (Universal Music GmbH, Austria) (2007) – "Sweet Surrender" Revolutions In Sound: Warner Bros. Records The First Fifty Years M/Stick//MP3 (Warner Bros.) (2006) – "Song To The Siren" A Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble Vol. 1-Cosmic Space Music 2×CD (Platypus) (2008) – "I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain" From The Coffee House (Starbucks Entertainment/Rhino) (2008) – "Song To The Siren (Demo version)" – "Song To The Siren" Revoltes-La Musique Contestataire En 50 Chansons (Les Inrockuptibles) (2008) – "No Man Can Find The War" Where The Action Is! (Los Angeles Nuggets: 1965–1968) 4×CD (Rhino) (2008) – "Once Upon A Time" The Ultimate Collection-Slow Rock 3×CD (EMI) (2009) – "Song To The Siren" Okio-Mosaican (Warner) (2009) – "Phantasmagoria In Two" Lost & Found-Songs We Shouldn't Forget (USM) (2010) – "Sing A Song For You" Les Blockhuis Presents The Sound Of The West Coast 1965–1979 4×CD (Ultgeverij Ambo/Universal Music/Rhino) 4×CD (2010) – "Sing A Song For You" 100 Hits Sixties Pop 5×CD (100 Hits) (2010) – "I Can't See You", "Buzzin' Fly" Le Coffret Ideal Rock Psyche 4×CD (Warner Music France) (2010) – "Song For Janie" L'album Folk 2×CD (Warner Music France) (2010) – "Morning Glory" 60s Hits 2×CD (Crimson) (2010) – "I Can't See You" Dimitris Papaspyropoulous-Long Missed Heros 2×CD (The Spicy Effect)- "Make It Right" Journey To Love (Rare & Early Elektra Classics) (Mojo) (2010) – "Morning Glory" Robert Plant's Jukebox (The Music That Inspired The Man) (Chrome Dreams) (2011) – "Song To The Siren" The Old Grey Whistle Test (Rhino) (2011) – "Happy Time" The Sixties 3×CD (Crimson/Rhino) (2011) – "I Can't See You", "Buzzin' Fly" Classic Americana 2×CD (Warner Music Archives) (2012) – "Song To The Siren" 70s The Collection 3×CD/Box (Rhino) (2012) – "Move With Me" Classic Americana 3 (Warner Music Australia) (2013) – "Get On Top" Sonar 1000 Volume 3 3×CD (Parlophone) (2013) – "Sweet Surrender" Songs We Shouldn't Forget Collected 2×CD/Box (Universal) (2013) – "Sing A Song For You" Coffret 60 Ans De Musique 2×CD (FNAC/Les Inrockuptibles) (2014) – "Move With Me" Original Americana 2×CD (Rhino UK) (2014) – "Move With Me" Greenwich Village In The '60s-Beginnings & Branches Of The New York Folk Revival 2×CD (Festival) (2014) – "Aren't You The Girl" Original Seventies 2×CD (Rhino) (2014) – "Happy TimeT" Massive Hits-Sixties 3×CD (Rhino UK) (2014) – "Phantasmagoria In Two" Troubadours (Folk And The Roots Of American Music) Part 4 3×CD (Bear Family) (2014) – "Once I Was" Bobby Gillespie Presents Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down (Ace) (2015) – "Once I Was" The Best Ever-Time To Relax 2×CD (Rhino UK) (2015) – "Wings" The Best Ever Sixties 2×CD (Rhino) (2015) – "Phantasmagoria In Two" The Best Ever Acoustic 2×CD (Rhino) "Song To The Siren (Take 7)" R-R-Real Rock And Roll-Volume Sweet 16 And Never Been... CDr (Teenage Wasteland) (2016) – "Phantasmagoria In Two" 60 Hits Of The...60s 3×CD (Rhino) (2016) – "Phantasmagoria In Two" 60s-The Collection 3×CD (Rhino UK) (2016) – "Phantasmagoria In Two" American Classics 3×CD (Rhino) (2016) – "Song To The Siren" Summer Of Love 2×CD (Rhino) (2017) – "Morning Glory" Acoustic-The Ultimate Acoustic Anthems 3×CD (Rhino UK) (2019) – "Song To The Siren (Take 7)" Coffret FIP Vol. 3 5×CD (Wagram) (2017) – "Happy Time" Classic Acoustic 3×CD (UMC/Rhino UK/Spectrum) (2017) – "Once I Was" Coming Into Los Angeles (A Taste Of West Coast) (Own Label) (2017) – "Song To The Siren" Smooth 70s 3×CD (Rhino) (2017) – "Song To The Siren" Chilled 70s 3×CD (Ministry of Sound/Sony) (2018) – "Song To The Siren" Where The Action Is! (Los Angeles Nuggets) 2×LP (Rhino) (2019) – "Once I Was" Ultimate Sixties (The Classics) 5×CD (Union Square) (2019) – "Once Upon A Time" Cosmic Cratedigging (15 Tracks Chosen Exclusively For Uncut From The Vaults Of Light In The Attic Records) (Uncut (2)/Light In The Attic) (2020) – "I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain" 5 Ans De FIP 10×LP ([PIAS] Le Label/FIP) (2021) – "Song To The Siren" Heros And Villains 3×CD Box (The Sound Of Los Angeles 1965–68) (Grapefruit/Grapefruit USA) (2022) – "Carnival Song" David Hapworth-Deep 70s 4×CD (Underrated Cuts From A Misunderstood Decade) (Edsel) (2022) – "Move With Me"

Books Once He Was: the Tim Buckley Story (1997) Paul Barrera Thin Wires in the Voice (1999) Luca Ferrari (writer) Dream Brother: The Lives and Music of Jeff and Tim Buckley (2001) David Browne Blue Melody: Tim Buckley Remembered (2002) Lee Underwood Voci da una nuvola – Il segreto di Nick Drake e Tim Buckley (2015) Giampiero La Valle

Tribute albums Sing a Song for You: Tribute to Tim Buckley (Manifesto) (2000) Dream Brother: The Songs of Tim and Jeff Buckley (Full Time Hobby/Rykodisc) (2005)

References and notes