Credit: Roy Tee

Jeff Buckley’s home in Memphis set to become Airbnb

Wed 25 September 2024 15:46, UK

The former Memphis home of the late Jeff Buckley has been purchased by a real estate agent, who hopes to turn it into an Airbnb for fans to stay at the property.

Despite only releasing one album, 1994’s Grace, Buckley has iconic status in the music industry, and his sole LP has sold over two million copies worldwide. Sadly, in 1997, the singer-songwriter tragically lost his life far too prematurely, just as his career remained in its infancy.

Prior to his untimely death, Buckley had moved to Memphis in 1997 and began a new life for himself in Tennessee. He started performing on a weekly basis in the downtown region of the city, worked on new material, and lived at 93 North Rembert Street.

Now, the modest property has been purchased by developer Eric Goode and real estate agent David Lorrison. Although it has been regularly visited by fans of Buckley over the years, it has been unhabitated for the last 12 months before it was bought by Goode and Lorrison for $143,800.

At this stage, the property is currently being renovated but should be completed by November. However, in a statement, Lorrison told Commercial Appeal, “I want this to be in homage to him, but not like a hipster’s Graceland.”

Lorrison continued: “Nobody in Memphis was paying attention to the house. But when you look online, you see people are coming here from all over. They drive for miles to make videos of the house and trace Jeff’s steps in Memphis.”

While he plans to fill the property with cherished items connected to Buckley, this could prove difficult as the artist wasn’t fond of possessing many material items.

Speaking to the same publication, Buckley’s friend Andria Lisle recalled of his Memphis home: “The house was really spare. It was a tiny, wonky, Midtown house, typical for that neighborhood. He borrowed a gorgeous Victorian couch from David [Shouse of the Grifters] and [Shouse’s wife] Tammy, but other than that he kind of just had a phone, an answering machine, and a mattress. He always had a pile of books and CDs. He moved from room to room, following the sunlight.”

Homes relating to famous musicians available on Airbnb

Recently, the Casbah Coffee Club, where an early incarnation of The Beatles played many live shows, was listed on the website. The venue closed in 1962, but a pre-fame Fab Four played the Casbah on over 40 occasions. Notably, it was owned by Mona Best, the mother of their original drummer Pete Best, who has been involved in restoring the property.

The accommodation is Beatles-themed, and each of the five suites is named after a member of the legendary band. Guests can stay in rooms named after John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, as well as their original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe, and Best. Prices start at £150 per night for the newly-opened rental property.

Meanwhile, in the United States, the property featured on the album cover of the self-titled debut American Football album is also now available to rent on Airbnb. Located on 704 West High Street in the town of Urbana, the house was once owned by Charles Webber, whose great-great-grandchildren ended up working at Polyvinyl Records – the label that released American Football.

When the house went on sale in 2002, American Football teamed up with Polyvinyl to purchase the property to prevent it from getting knocked down. The cost for renting out the iconic Illinois property is a fairly steep £150 per night on weekdays, and £229 per night on weekends, with a two-night minimum stay.