quote:

Originally posted by RavingLunatic:
I've never heard Jeff Buckley, but I'm curious: how did he die and how old was he?

quote:

Originally posted by RavingLunatic:
I've never heard Jeff Buckley, but I'm curious: how did he die and how old was he?

quote:

Buckley was due to begin working up material for his long-awaited sophomore effort at Memphis's Easely Studios on Thursday, the day he disappeared. Former Television leader Tom Verlaine was originally down to produce the project, but that partnership was scrapped in March when Buckley decided he needed more time to come up with material for the album. Recording with Andy Wallace - who produced Buckley's phenomenal debut - was scheduled to begin at the end of June. The not-yet-titled album was set for early 1998 release.

Although Buckley already had more than two-dozen songs finished, he wanted to spend the next month preparing himself for the production of the album. Buckley most recently appeared on a track featuring Inger Lorre on Rykodisc's Jack Kerouac tribute, 'Kicks Joy Darkness'. He was also going to contribute a song to Hal Willner's forthcoming Edgar Allan Poe tribute alongside Lou Reed, Diamanda Galas and Leonard Cohen; and was to appear on the 'First Love, Last Rites' soundtrack.

The facts then as they are: On the night of Thursday, May 29, Buckley was hanging out with a friend at the Mud Island Harbour marina, half a mile inland off the Mississippi River in Memphis, Tennessee. He and the friend were listening to a stereo and playing a guitar when Buckley waded, fully clothed, waist-high into the water. He started singing and laid back on the water, when a boat went by causing waves to come in to the shore.

The friend on shore turned his back to move the stereo away from the incoming waves and when he turned around, he couldn't see Buckley. After a 10-minute search, the friend called local police. The Memphis police department began dragging the waters that night and continued to do so - weather permitting - for the five following days. They also checked on the chance of him having wandered out the water. Friends were contacted and people in the area of the marina questioned. They came up with nothing. Jeff Buckley simply vanished.

Finally, the news came through at about 7pm on June 4: the body of Jeff Buckley had been found. Police said that a passenger on the American Queen river boat spotted the body at the foot of the city's famous Beale Street. The body had a pierced navel - like Jeff's - and was in the same clothes he was described as wearing when he disappeared. His body was subsequently identified by friends and taken to the local morgue awaiting an autopsy. The waiting was over and the tears could finally flow unchecked for a beautiful spirit, tragically gone.

quote:

Originally posted by J.T.:
I thought this was a "general music" discussion. With the exception of Marvin Gaye, all these lists contain alt rock singers. While I agree Perry Farrell is an excellent singer, the best pop vocalists of all time imho are Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, and Nat Cole. Confining your list to best rock singers is like having a list of the best fry cooks at McDonald's. Rock singing is not that hard. I think any honest rock singer would tell you that. I love rock, but don't delude yourself it's great art. By the way, do you know how much singer's voices are altered at the mixing board? Going by recordings it's almost impossible to accurately compare one singer to another.

quote:

Originally posted by J.T.:
I thought this was a "general music" discussion. With the exception of Marvin Gaye, all these lists contain alt rock singers.

quote:

Originally posted by J.T.:
While I agree Perry Farrell is an excellent singer, the best pop vocalists of all time imho are Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, and Nat Cole.

quote:

Originally posted by J.T.:
Confining your list to best rock singers is like having a list of the best fry cooks at McDonald's.

quote:

Originally posted by J.T.:
Rock singing is not that hard. I think any honest rock singer would tell you that. I love rock, but don't delude yourself it's great art. By the way, do you know how much singer's voices are altered at the mixing board? Going by recordings it's almost impossible to accurately compare one singer to another.

quote:

Originally posted by J.T.:
I thought this was a "general music" discussion. With the exception of Marvin Gaye, all these lists contain alt rock singers. While I agree Perry Farrell is an excellent singer, the best pop vocalists of all time imho are Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, and Nat Cole. Confining your list to best rock singers is like having a list of the best fry cooks at McDonald's. Rock singing is not that hard. I think any honest rock singer would tell you that. I love rock, but don't delude yourself it's great art. By the way, do you know how much singer's voices are altered at the mixing board? Going by recordings it's almost impossible to accurately compare one singer to another.

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I'm not sure that I agree that rock singing is any less hard than singing pop standards. Maybe the opera singers can give attitude here, but I'm not sure why Sinatra could make a case for his style of singing being "harder" than Perry Farrell or Jeff Buckley or Thom Yorke.

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Originally posted by Biggles:
He drowned in his late 20s, I think.