“Safe from the worms”: the tale of Jeff Buckley’s touching memorial service
“Not all of me is dust. Within my song, safe from the worm, my spirit will survive.” These prophetic words from the Russian romantic poet Alexander Pushkin, in many ways, could find no more sincere moment of resonance than on a humid summer evening in 1997, when crowds of mourners gathered to celebrate the life of Jeff Buckley at his memorial service in St Ann’s Church in Brooklyn, New York.
But true to Buckley’s form, this was no ordinary event of remembrance. The guitar great created such a profound impact on the fabric of music in his short lifetime that to his grieving family, it almost seemed remiss not to acknowledge those who had provided him with such a sweet taste of fame. That was why, alongside family and friends who loved Buckley personally, a selection of his fans were also in attendance at the service to say their final goodbyes.
One fan recounted how “it was one of those nights that makes a difference in your life”, speaking to the touching profundity of an evening filled with cherished anecdotes, loving sermonising, and, naturally, music and lyrics. All of it stood as a testament to the man—a gentle soul whose utmost passions included caring for those closest to him as well as producing sonic magic. Ultimately, it proved that the night he tragically drowned in the Mississippi River was one where the world lost its greatest-ever musical light.
Appropriately to that end, Buckley’s signature Fender Telecast guitar sat keeping watch beside his urn while friends, including bandmates Michael Tighe and Parker Kindred, alongside Nathan Larson and Joan Wasser of Mind Science of the Mind, took to the stage to perform an instrumental piece in tribute to him. Other performances included one from Rebecca Moore, his former girlfriend, who spoke of how all Buckley truly wanted was for there to be love in the world.
Among readings of poems by Lou Reed and Buckley himself, mourners were reminded that they must not lose sight of the fact there is beauty in everyone and everything and to use the singer as the beacon of that when they may forget.
Above all, it was Buckley’s family who sent the most resounding message that there was equal grief and joy to be found under the circumstances. His mother, in particular, urged the audience to “commit ‘random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty’ […] to repair the damage done to this lowly little world by the untimely passing of this gentle minstrel”.
Of course, there is arguably no better medium to express that positivity into the world than via the kazoo, which each attendee was provided with to perform three renditions of ‘You Are My Sunshine’ – in the fan’s words, “Once for practice, once quietly, and once to blow the roof off.” Filing out of the church, the streets of New York were all at once filled with a cacophony of raspy, neutered singing. In one striking moment, the legacy of Jeff Buckley was defined by love, joy, beauty… and kazoos.
