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Jeff Buckley’s musical legacy that continues to live on 25 years after his death
The tragic death of Jeff Buckley happened more than 25 years ago, but his music is still very much alive and continues to be a source of inspiration to new listeners all over the globe.
Buckley, also affectionately called “Scottie” by many, was born in California on Nov. 17, 1966. He was brought up by his mother, Mary Guibert. His father, Tim Buckley, was also a musician but after leaving to pursue his own career, he never came back. Jeff later ended up in Manhattan where, as per The New York Times, he made his name in music by playing in small venues.
In 1994, Buckley made his first album Grace, which had the singles “Last Goodbye” and the legendary cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”
Jeff Buckley’s untimely death and the impact he made that lived on
Jeff Buckley flew off to Memphis in 1997 to make his second album. Unfortunately, a few days before he was due to start recording, in May, his life was ended by drowning in an accident at the age of 30.
Besides the tragedy that happened to him, a new documentary, It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley, is an intimate look at the life and career of the late artist. The film had its theatrical premiere and HBO Max came out on Dec. 4.
What happened to Jeff Buckley? And how did he manage to leave such an amazing legacy that people still talk about today? Read on to find out more.
How Jeff Buckley died: an accidental drowning
On the day he was to lay down tracks for his second album, Jeff Buckley made a detour to a tributary of the Mississippi River. Singing along to Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” that was playing nearby, he went into the water with his clothes on and was sober.
As it turns out, the wake of a riverboat that was passing by snagged him under. His body was found by the authorities after six days. A post-mortem examination revealed that he had had one beer and no drugs, thus his death was accidental.
In August 2025, Buckley’s ex-girlfriend, Rebecca Moore, shared with PEOPLE that she thought he hadn’t intended to die that day. “It was a moment of pure joy and one hundred percent a typical Jeff move,” she explained. “I am convinced that his death was an accident and that he was just swimming out in a moment of joy, killing time.”
Girlfriend remembers Jeff Buckley’s last call and his troubled mind
Rebecca Moore, Jeff Buckley’s ex-girlfriend, shared with PEOPLE that they talked for the last time on the phone only a few days before his death and during this call, she noticed that he was struggling mentally.
“We had a last conversation in which I was very worried about him,” she recalled. “It was like our most beautiful conversation ever in our seven years of knowing each other, but at the same time, it was the most disturbing one. It was a conversation that had two parts.”
When Moore talked about his death, she called it a “terrible accident.” However, she also wondered if it could really be considered an accident at all given that he was in a bad psychological state. “What I have to judge is, are things really accidents if someone is showing signs of psychological distress?” she said.
When was Jeff Buckley found dead?
Jeff Buckley passed away on May 29, 1997. His body was found six days after he was reported missing.
The New York Times reported that the body was located with the help of a passenger on a riverboat who saw the body that was floating near Beale Street harbor. That is where it was taken from.
Jeff Buckley was 30 when he died
Jeff Buckley was 30 years of age when he passed away.
In August 2025, his mother, Mary Guibert, talked to PEOPLE about the death of her son, a loss she described as a “terrible loss of a son who wanted to live to an old age.”
“He dreamed of being onstage in a wheelchair,” Guibert remembered. “He saw a future where he could just put his guitar on his shoulder, and the people would want him to sing because he’s the one who could write from his inner most soul. And, that would be all life would ask of him.”
Jeff Buckley’s lasting legacy through music and influence
“It’s never over,” a documentary about Jeff Buckley, shows the singer in an old footage talking about how he wished to be remembered. “Just music. Because when I’m dead, that’s the only thing that will be left,” he said.
Like a testament to his statement, Buckley’s record lives long after the artist’s passing and it is now carried by a few very influential artists such as Lana Del Rey, Adele, and Matt Bellamy, as reported by Far Out Magazine. The artist is also having several releases after his death, like the 1998 album Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk and the 2016 album You and I.
Jeff Buckley remembered for his kindness and lasting impact
Rebecca Moore, the ex-girlfriend of Jeff Buckley, shared with PEOPLE that she mainly thinks about the influence he had apart from his music.
“Other people mourn the loss of the artist. And I do believe his art was a wonderful thing for the world,” she said. “But for me, it was like the arrival of the man… He was just a very lovely, lively, and loving person. And he loved too much, everything.”
Moore also stated, “For me, the point of departure with Jeff is that we learn how each of us is precious and we take better, kinder care of each other.”
