No one witnessed Jeff Buckley’s death.
On May 29, 1997, in Memphis, Tennessee, the singer who is now famous for his rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” waded fully clothed into a channel of the Mississippi River.
What was Jeff Buckley singing when he died?
Just six weeks shy of his 31st birthday, Buckley was found dead on June 4 — spotted by a passenger on a riverboat called American Queen.
He had drowned in the perilous waters of the Mississippi River, cutting short a promising career as a soulful singer who surely had a bright future ahead of him. But in the aftermath of Jeff Buckley’s death, questions lingered.
Had Buckley been drunk or high when he went into the water, ignoring his roadie’s warnings? Or had the pressure of producing a second album as acclaimed as his 1994 debut, Grace, led him to drift dangerously far from shore?
From rumors of erratic behavior before his demise to the surprising results of his autopsy report, this is the true story of how Jeff Buckley died.
