31 Facts About Tim Buckley

Timothy Charles Buckley III was an American musician.

Tim Buckley began his career based in folk rock, but subsequently experimented with genres such as psychedelia, jazz, the avant-garde, and funk paired with his unique five-octave vocal range.

Tim Buckley left behind one biological son, Jeff, who himself was a highly regarded singer who died young, as well as an adopted son, Taylor.

Tim Buckley was born in Washington, DC, on Valentine's Day, February 14,1947, to Elaine, an Italian American, and Timothy Charles Buckley Jr.

Tim Buckley spent his early childhood in Amsterdam, New York, an industrial city about 40 miles northwest of Albany.

At five years old, Tim Buckley began listening to his mother's progressive jazz recordings, particularly Miles Davis.

Tim Buckley's grandmother introduced him to the work of Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday, his mother to Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland and his father to the country music of Hank Williams and Johnny Cash.

Tim Buckley said that the injury prevented him from playing barre chords.

Tim Buckley cut classes regularly and quit football, focusing most of his attention on music.

Tim Buckley befriended Larry Beckett, his future lyricist, and Jim Fielder, a bass player with whom he formed two musical groups, the Bohemians, who initially played popular music, and the Harlequin 3, a folk group which regularly incorporated spoken word and beat poetry into their gigs.

Tim Buckley played Orange County coffeehouses such as the White Room in Buena Park and the Monday-night hootenannies at the Los Angeles Troubadour.

Cohen saw potential in Tim Buckley and landed him an extended gig at the Night Owl Cafe in Greenwich Village at West 3rd and MacDougal.

Under Cohen's management, Tim Buckley recorded a six-song demo acetate disc which he sent to Elektra records owner Jac Holzman, who offered him a recording contract.

Tim Buckley's voice had developed since his last release and the press appreciated both his lower register and falsetto in equal measure.

Holzman had faith in Tim Buckley and rented advertising space for the musician on the Sunset Strip, an unusual step for a solo act.

Tim Buckley distanced himself from comparisons to Bob Dylan, expressing an apathy toward Dylan and his work.

Buckley's higher profile led to his album The Best of Tim Buckley being used as a soundtrack to the 1969 film Changes.

Tim Buckley performed "Song to the Siren" on the final episode of The Monkees.

Tim Buckley was wary of the press and often avoided interviews.

Tim Buckley selected eight songs for Blue Afternoon, an album similar to Happy Sad in style.

Unable to produce his music and almost broke, Tim Buckley turned to alcohol and drug binges.

In 1970, Tim Buckley disbanded his Starsailor ensemble and assembled a new funk band.

In 1975, Tim Buckley engaged the press regarding a live album comeback.

Tim Buckley began performing revamped versions of material drawn from his career, except Starsailor and Lorca, in response to his audience, which he had spurned in the past.

On June 28,1975, Tim Buckley completed a short tour with a show in Dallas, playing to a sold-out crowd of 1,800 people.

Tim Buckley celebrated the end of the tour with a weekend of drinking with his band and friends.

Tim Buckley's friends took him home and, seeing his inebriated state, his wife Judy laid him on the living-room floor and questioned his friends as to what had happened.

Beckett recalled how Tim Buckley took chances with his life, including dangerous driving, drinking alcohol, taking pills and heroin.

Tim Buckley died in debt, owning only a guitar and an amplifier.

Jeff Tim Buckley said not being invited to his father's funeral "gnawed" at him, and prompted him to pay his respects by performing "I Never Asked to Be Your Mountain" in 1991 at a memorial tribute to Tim Buckley in Brooklyn.

When Guibert became pregnant, Tim Buckley decided he was unable to cope with fatherhood.