i heard there was a secret chord

I didn't think it was possible to be any more in love with Jeff Buckley than I am already. Then, I entered his name in the search field on YouTube.com. I had tears rolling down my cheeks before I even played any of them. The video below is sincerely one of the most beautiful performances of any song you will ever hear.



The performances I found on the site are amazing -- they're incredible because they are the same performances I've downloaded off the Internet during the last five years and listened to on my iPod, only I had never seen them. There's something so surreal about that. It's like remembering a dream you had hours into the next afternoon.

There used to be a cool record store on the corner of International Drive and Sand Lake Road in Orlando that sold tons of bootlegs. Right there in tourist central, amidst the neon and rental cars, there was this tiny place, nearly hidden in the middle of a strip mall. Betamike and I went only a few times between the day we discovered it and the day it quickly closed. But I found a total treasure there -- a bootleg of Jeff Buckley's full performance at the 1995 Glastonbury Festival. I was thrilled because in 1995, I recorded part of the set they broadcast over the radio on my cassette player. Two years later, I had the CD of the entire performance! I found a video of part of that performance on YouTube, and I think I died a little.

I didn't get the chance to see Jeff Buckley play live before he drowned in Memphis in 1997, even though he played two of my favorite clubs -- the Howlin' Wolf in New Orleans and the Sapphire Supper Club (today, it's the Social) in Orlando. Unfortunately, I was in Orlando when he played NOLA and in NOLA when he played Orlando. My timing always stinks -- it's like the x-factor of my bad luck.

I collect as much "stuff" as I can that Jeff has touched -- I have CDs, CD singles, guitar picks, posters, magazine covers, postcards, and even a program from his memorial and a holiday card his mom sent to me. (I'll save that story for another post.)

I can't say enough about Jeff Buckley. When he sings -- or even just speaks -- he's mesmerizing. He's the definition of beauty -- in his voice, his heart, his songwriting, his gentle nature, his sensitivity, his playfulness, and his spontaneity. And of course, the man is simply gorgeous.

I'll post a few more of the videos I found in the next few days. I'll leave you with this video of an interview because it's an excellent introduction to the man behind the angelic voice and all of the reasons why I truly, tragically adore him.