Tim Buckley is known as one of the most unique singers of his generation. Blessed with an impressive five-octave vocal range, Buckley started out in the folk rock genre in the mid-1960s before experimenting with psychedelia in numerous forms, as well as avant-garde music. His 1969 album Happy Sad was a huge commercial success, and a lot of people are still digging the cult appeal of his follow-up, Starsailor.
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Sadly, Buckley’s career and life would not last long. He tragically died at only 28 years old on June 29, 1975, from an overdose of h*roin and m*rphine. His estranged son, the similarly massively talented Jeff Buckley, would die at just a few years older than his father in 1997 by drowning.
It’s always heartbreaking to hear of truly talented artists losing their lives so young. But when it comes to Buckley, at least we have some amazing music to remember him by. And for 1,800 people who attended his final concert on this day in 1975, they got to experience the legend in person.
Tim Buckley’s Final Concert Was One for the Books
Tim Buckley’s final performance would take place on June 28, 1975, just one day before his untimely passing. Despite researching as much as I could, I can’t find any footage of the concert itself. It seems this final concert will only live on in the memories of those lucky attendees who got to witness it.
The concert in question punctuated the end of a short tour that Buckley completed in Dallas. The show was sold out, with about 1,800 people in attendance. To celebrate the end of the tour, Buckley went on a weekend bender of drinking with his band and some friends. It ended when Buckley’s friend, Richard Keeling, offered Buckley drugs. He was later taken home in a very dazed state, and his wife Judy questioned his friends about it. She would check on him soon after and find that he had stopped breathing.
Despite attempts to revive him, Tim Buckley was pronounced dead at a hospital soon after. Keeling would later be charged with involuntary manslaughter. Nearly 200 people would attend Buckley’s funeral.
Tim Buckley’s legacy lives on in his amazing works. Happy Sad and Starsailor remain his most well-loved works. However, his self-titled 1966 debut and his final album Look At The Fool are also standout releases.
Photo by Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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