Although Jeff Buckley barely knew his biological father, singer/songwriter Tim Buckley, his life would take after him in more ways than just music. Tim Buckley left the world at the tragically young age of 28 because of a heroin overdose, and a freak drowning accident stole the life of Jeff Buckley when he was barely into his 30s. Also like his father, Buckley left a stunning legacy of music that is still influencing other artists to this day.

Buckley was born in Orange County, California in 1966. Ironically, it would be his stepfather Ron Moorhead and not Buckley's father who helped spawn his love of music by giving him an album by Led Zeppelin. He performed with cover bands throughout high school before and attended the Los Angeles Musicians institute before heading to New York in 1990. He performed in a tribute to his father in 1991 and ignited his career. He played with the band Gods and Mosters before trying his hand at a solo career. The club scene of New York City put Buckley through the gauntlet of avant-garde music and left him standing above all others in the genre.

Buckley nailed a recording contract in 1993 with Columbia Records and released an EP called Live and Sin-e. He soon released his debut album in 1994 called Grace, which had a mix of songs written by Buckley as well as covers. The album made its way onto the Billboard charts and announced that Buckley had arrived. Buckley soon started working on his sophomore release, My Sweetheart the Drunk, but his accident happened before he could finish it. His mother stepped in and helped release it posthumously as Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk. Other albums have been released since his death and many others have been influenced by his work.