Be My Valentine and I'll Return Your Hungry Cat ~Jeff Buckley



In 2000, an angel captured my soul. His melodious voice stopped in literally in my tracks. In a matter of hours, I found a voice that I had never heard, a soul that seemed timeless, and an angel lost in the waters of the Mississippi on May 29, 1997.

I cannot tell you why Jeff occupies my soul and my dreams. Maybe it is the sadness in his eyes, his four-octave vocal range, or the sad fairy tale story of both Buckley's: Jeff and his father, Tim. His voice is haunting, his words foreboding:

 And I couldn't awake from the nightmare that sucked me in and pulled me under
Pulled me under

Jeff loved music. It is so evident in the only album he released, Grace. Music shaped his being, his soul, and his dreams. Even the cover of Grace, shot by the talented Merri Cyr, Jeff chose what would become the cover of the album because he could see he was listening to music.

The loss of Jeff left us with so many questions. What would have become of this special man that Bono called  a pure drop in an ocean of noise? Would the popularity destroyed the purity and soul of this chanteur? He experimented horribly with fame when he went out on a date with Courtney Love. It didn't mix well with Jeff. Writing on demand didn't work for him. What did work for him was writing music for Jeff and playing with his band.

We will never know what time would have given us. We can only listen and remember, that purity, that innocence, a life full of dreams lost in an instant. 

With each stroke, Jeff inched more and more into the river. Foti noticed and said, "Come in, you're gettin' too far out." Instead, Jeff began singing Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." Dream Brother ~ David Browne



Courtesy Marie Jerome

When all of this music sounds like you know what you want to say, then it will have been of all worth, ever. You will be something complete unto yourself, present and unique.