Remembering Jeff Buckley and His Plethora of Female Musical Influences

It has been 28 years since Jeff Buckley‘s death. He accidentally drowned in Memphis’ Wolf River Harbor on May 29, but his body wasn’t found until June 4, 1997. Buckley’s influence has since rippled through many bands and artists who were inspired by his unique vocal talents and songwriting skills.

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Long after his tragic death, Jeff Buckley has influenced many artists from unexpected genres and backgrounds. He was also influenced in his career by musicians who you might not expect. Buckley was a unique performer whose loss was keenly felt, but his legacy lives on in those he inspired.

Musicians Who Were Influenced By Jeff Buckley

Of the many people who took inspiration from Jeff Buckley, two prominent artists are Thom Yorke of Radiohead and Matt Bellamy of Muse. In 1995, Radiohead recorded “Fake Plastic Trees” after seeing Buckley perform at a club in London.

“He just had a Telecaster and a pint of Guinness. And it was just f—ing amazing, really inspirational,” said Radiohead bassist Colin Greenwood in a 2016 interview. Additionally, Buckley’s vocal style influenced Yorke to feel comfortable singing falsetto.

Often, Buckley took his voice to incredible heights, such as on “Corpus Christi Carol.” He sang the entire song in falsetto, making room for a higher-register, gentler voice in rock. This, subsequently, influenced Bellamy.

In 2021, Bellamy revealed that Jeff Buckley’s penchant for high register vocals made him confident in his own voice. Speaking with Rolling Stone, Bellamy shared that, until he heard Buckley’s album Grace, he didn’t think his own voice would fit the rock genre. That album proved that “a high-pitched, softer voice can work very well,” he said.

Bellamy also bought Buckley’s guitar, a 1983 Fender Telecaster. According to Bellamy, it “has a sound like nothing I’ve ever heard.” He added that he didn’t buy the guitar to “hang it on the wall,” but “to actually attempt to use it and integrate it, and keep this guitar part of music. I’d like to believe that’s what [Jeff Buckley] would have wanted.”

Who Influenced Buckley?

Jeff Buckley’s influences came from unlikely places. According to the singer-songwriter, many of his inspirations were women. Among them were Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Patti Smith, and Siouxsie Sioux, according to the 2008 book Jeff Buckley: Mystery White Boy Blues.

He was also influenced by a variety of guitar styles, from rock to jazz to blues. Specifically, he used a bluesy fingerpicking style for his famous cover of “Hallelujah.” Additionally, Buckley often utilized distorted rock guitar and even country style playing.

Photo by Frans Schellekens/Redferns