What Was Jeff Buckley's Net Worth?
Jeff Buckley was an acclaimed American musician and singer who had a net worth of $2 million at the time of his tragic death in 1997. He was famous in the 1990s, primarily known for his only studio album, "Grace," released in 1994. While preparing for his second album, he drowned during an evening swim in the Mississippi River in 1997. Since then, more of his material has been posthumously released, and artists like Leonard Cohen have covered his songs.
Early Life
Jeff Buckley was born on November 17, 1966, in Anaheim, California, to Mary and Tim Buckley. He was raised by his mother and stepfather, Ron Moorhead, in Southern California, along with his half-brother, Corey Moorhead. His father, Tim, was also a singer-songwriter and died of a drug overdose in 1975 after meeting Jeff only once. Buckley's mother was a classically trained pianist and cellist, which influenced his musical upbringing. His stepfather introduced him to iconic artists and bands like Led Zeppelin, Queen, Jimi Hendrix, and Pink Floyd. He began playing guitar at the age of five and by twelve, he knew he wanted to become a musician. Buckley attended Loara High School, where he played in the school jazz band, and later studied at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood.
Career
After his formal education, Buckley worked in a hotel and played guitar in various bands for six years. He toured with the dancehall reggae artist Shinehead and worked with Michael J. Clouse to form X-Factor Productions. In 1990, Jeff moved to New York City to further his music career, performing at cafes and attracting a following. He gained attention after playing at a tribute concert for his father in 1991 and collaborating with musician Gary Lucas.
By 1992, Buckley had signed with Columbia Records and began recording solo material. His debut album, "Grace," was released in August 1994, featuring seven original songs and three covers. Though initial sales were slow, the album eventually achieved gold certification in France, Australia, and the USA, and platinum in Australia. Over the next two years, Buckley toured internationally, performing at various festivals like Glastonbury and Meltdown. In 1996, his drummer, Matt Johnson, left the band. Buckley continued working on new music but unfortunately passed away before his second album could be completed.
(Photo by Mick Hutson/Redferns)
Posthumously, a collection of demo recordings was released as "Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk." In 2015, tapes from a 1993 recording session were discovered and released as "You and I" in 2016. Buckley's song "Hallelujah" experienced a resurgence in the early 2000s, gaining significant popularity after being featured on "The West Wing" and covered on "American Idol." The song reached number one on the iTunes chart and the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart, marking Buckley's first number one hit on any Billboard chart.
Personal Life and Death
Buckley dated artist Rebecca Moore from 1991 to 1993, which inspired his album "Grace." He later dated Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins and then Joan Wasser, known as Joan As Police Woman, to whom he reportedly proposed shortly before his death. On May 29, 1997, while his band was flying to Memphis to join him in the studio, Buckley decided to go for a swim in the Mississippi River. Keith Foti, a roadie, soon noticed that Buckley had disappeared, swept away by the wake of a passing tugboat. His body was discovered on June 4, and his death was ruled an accidental drowning, with no signs of drugs or alcohol in his system.
After his passing, numerous artists paid tribute to Buckley by recording songs inspired by him. These artists include Elizabeth Fraser, Rufus Wainwright, Glen Hansard, PJ Harvey, Chris Cornell, Steve Adey, Duncan Sheik, Pete Yorn, Lisa Germano, Aimee Mann, Lana Del Rey, and Juliana Hatfield. His influence continues to be acknowledged by artists like Adele, Bat For Lashes, Ben Folds, Jonny Lang, and Chris Cornell.
