Son of avant-folk legend Tim Buckley, Jeff may have made his public debut as a solo artist at a tribute to his father, but it didn’t take long for his arresting, elegiac voice to gain him to gain a buzz of his own. Following a live EP recorded at Sin-E, his NYC haunt of choice, Buckley released his debut full-length Grace in 1994, an immediate critical smash that featured a minor hit in the Robert Plant-esque “Last Goodbye,” but failed to make him a star. It’s reputation grew of the years, and following his sudden death in 1997, it now stands as the only album he ever completed (not that you can’t buy everything else he ever worked on). While his originals are adored by his ever-growing fanbase, it’s his cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” that has been most influential. Inspired itself by John Cale’s simplified arrangement, it’s since been covered by dozens of artists, often in tribute to Buckley. Aptly titled, Grace represents a voice that would have been entrancing and enigmatic even if it hadn’t been cut short.

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“Amazing Grace” documentary
Jeff Buckley Videos