i've received several phone calls today, and i came home and had received
a few offlist emails.

jeff is missing, and there have been some reports that he has passed away.
i called his management (to confirm validity of this rumor), and they said
that his body has not been found. therefore, it is not confirmed that
jeff is dead.

i'm thinking positive thoughts that jeff is ok, and maybe we all can think
positive thoughts.

gayle

Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 16:34:35 -0500
From: Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen
To: jeff-buckley-eternal-life@mail.usyd.edu.au
Subject: JBEL: I read the news today, oh boy...

This is part of a story that will appear in the online music mag Allstar
later today.

According to a Lt. Maples of the Memphis Police Dept.:

"At this time his body has not surfaced and he is presumed dead, but we
are still searching," says Maples. "We're dragging the river and have
scuba divers and a rescue team out. A missing person report was filed by
his companion, who said they were playing guitar, singing, and listening
to the radio when Jeff decided to go into the river, fully clothed. He
was up to his waist, singing still, when a boat came by and caused waves
in the river. The companion asked him to come back on the bank. There
were no signs of struggle at the time. The companion went back to the
bank to move the radio so it didn't get wet from the waves and when he
turned around Jeff was no longer visible. He searched the river for 10
minutes before calling the police around 9:30 or 10 p.m. last night."

Maples says that the river has a strong undertow and current and that
Buckley could've traveled some distance. "If he had gone further down
and had gotten out, he would've contacted someone. But no one's heard
from him," says Maples.

(end of story)

Stay strong, talk to each other and say a prayer for Jeff.

Eric

Subj: first press release I have seen...
Date: 30 May 1997 17:22:20 EDT
From: Punkeybird

just found this one....

rough draft, allstar magazine, 5/30 (It'll be up later today.)

Jeff Buckley is still missing and has been presumed dead by the Memphis
Police Department, which has been searching for the singer/songwriter in
the Mississippi River since Thursday (May 29) night. Buckley, who was in
Memphis doing pre-production for his next Columbia album, was last seen swimming
with a companion in the Mud Island Harbor area of the Mississippi River in
Memphis, according to Lt. Maples of the Memphis Police Department.

"At this time his body has not surfaced and he is presumed dead, but we
are still searching," says Maples. "We're dragging the river and have scuba
divers and a rescue team out. A missing person report was filed by his
companion, who said they were playing guitar, singing, and listening to
the radio when Jeff decided to go into the river, fully clothed. He was up to
his waist, singing still, when a boat came by and caused waves in the river.
The companion asked him to come back on the bank. There were no signs of
struggle at the time. The companion went back to the bank to move the radio so it
didn't get wet from the waves and when he turned around Jeff was no longer
visible. He searched the river for 10 minutes before calling the police
around 9:30 or 10 p.m. last night."

Maples says that the river has a strong undertow and current and that
Buckley could've traveled some distance. "If he had gone further down and had
gotten out, he would've contacted someone. But no one's heard from him," says
Maples.

not a good day...
Punkeybird

Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 19:02:27 -0700
From: gayle kelemen
To: jeff-buckley-eternal-life@mail.usyd.edu.au
Subject: JBEL: vigil this evening in nyc

tonight at 10pm, there will be an informal vigil in front of 122 st.
mark's place in new york city, the former site of sin-e. if you are able to,
please join us.

Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 23:25:13 -0400 (EDT)
From: Macabby@***
To: jeff-buckley-eternal-life@mail.usyd.edu.au
Subject: JBEL: Jeff

Hi everyone. I hope you guys are hanging in there. I called the Channel 3
news in Memphis and talked to Doug Johnson. He informed me that the search
had been postponed early today (Friday) til Saturday because of the
treacherous weather. He said that the Mississippi River's current was said
to be too swift for any search. Mr. Johnson also informed me that unless they
find a body, the best time for me to call him back would be tomorrow after
6 central time. Another news reporter is putting together a piece on Jeff's
history up to the lastest on his disappearance. Just hang in there guys.
Efia said something to me that made since...It's better to know the worst than
to not know anything at all. Take care, all of you, and just keep praying.

Lisa

P.S. a special thanks to Gayle K. for staying on top of this. We all
appreciate what you've created for Jeff. :-)

Date: Sat, 31 May 1997 03:41:09 -0400 (EDT)
From: Macabby@***
To: jeff-buckley-eternal-life@mail.usyd.edu.au
Subject: JBEL: Jeff

This tragedy reminds me of an old legend my Mom told me when I was
younger.
There is a story about two warring Indian tribes living on the Mississippi
River. The daughter of one tribe and the son of the other met and fell in
love. Their love for each other and their secret meetings were soon
discovered by the battling tribes and they were forced to stay apart. But
on one night, because their love was so strong, they met in wedding attire
and began singing to each other. As they sang, they walked hand in hand,
fully clothed, into the Mississippi and disappeared forever. To this day, they
say that you can sometimes hear the young Indian lovers singing on many a
starry night.
I was born in a Mississippi hospital called "Singing River Hospital".....
This devistating tragedy brings more meaning to this legend for me.

I only hope that everyone will spring back from this sad event with a
better outlook on life. Let there be some incintive to continue sharing
Jeff's music with everyone...He lived his life to share his soul with us.

Love to all,
Lisa

Date: Sat, 31 May 1997 05:54:08 -0400 (EDT)
From: Indica@***
To: jeff-buckley-eternal-life@mail.usyd.edu.au
Subject: JBEL: >>>>>>LILAC SUTRA for J BUCKLEY<<<<<<

Way past the hour of the ring of fire, Jeff Buckley said that is
me and began to shine with a mysterious sound.

The green sides of the gorge were silent, save for the sound of the water
below. Beyond the valley, after it rose up across the other bank, the
oracles were silenced after giving utterance to one last cry, Great Pan
initiated natural dances and the river swelled with thunderous current
below
our feet.

Pan was a composite creature, Pan was celebrated as the author and
director of the heavenly streams that snaked through the bottom of the valley.
And he touched me; its deep frantic fingers caressing my soul with breath.

And we'd lost recollection; the phone rang in my childhood living room and
I ran to answer it and it was silent save for the sound of thrashing rivers,
drowning poets like it was nothing, nothing at all. Jeff Buckley, where have
you gone, graced to arms of the sea. Your soul trails back to its source;
the open arms of the sea.

Grass slopes ran up and down both sides of the gorge. It was silent, save
for the sound of the water below. I touched your arms, your little hairs
stood up under my fingers. My hands bony and red from the cold cold cold.

But it wasn't an ordinary dance, because when you danced among them
furiously for many hours, a sound more beautiful than anything we had ever heard
emerged..........

It was no panic terror --,she was changed to a river, where she was
changed to a stand of reeds. Pan finally took some of these, and fashioned them
and with its soft touch came instant oblivion.

For his sorrow.

He searched so long and he landed on the mountain ages ago, And he knew
when Ginsberg and Jeff Buckley died, their souls rose above America, exploded
in a flash of light and sturm und drang and water, and penertated and entered
the souls of every one of my lost brothers and sisters.

Time, whose layers unpeel like an orange only to reveal another orange
inside. And that was something I felt on acidic voyage that took me
someplace I don't know..........on the beach in south java with Maggie &
Joey & Nick, and we sat in the sand (black volcanic ash) and listened to Jeff
Buckley, and Joey berated his sister lovingly for having been anorexic and
she hung her head in sorrowful memory and I wanted nick to understand nick
drake, but you cannpt bring someoen to the edge of the ocean and make them
drink. the world felt like it was going to fall into the sea

We took turns and told each other what we saw. we saw. we saw. we saw.
eyes and were dazzled by them. Ginsberg & Jeff Buckley; Their legend grows.
But we get caught up in eulogising them instead of celebrating ourselves.

We took turns and told each other what we saw. losing its shape in the
eyes that dazzled them. Lets use our astrolab and sail by the light of the
stars. What a concept! Starsailor. Tim Buckey we have not forgotten you,
except those munchkins who think Sarah McLachlan is the bomb.............When
they were able to create what would heal them of their sorrow you can be sure
as shit they wouldn't tell us what it was.

LIFE is this: Life is the spark that holds the atoms together, the
neutrons, protons in its orbit. Life is the absence of death, as heroin is the
absence of life.

LIFE came to me in a flash at 5 am talking to my chum ten million minutes
ago.....I buried my head in hands and I saw it.....death was an eternal
line of ones and zeros, like binary code, just dark and black and inert and
massive. Life was us dancing on top of it.....there is no music in death,
remember that.

All hail the Great God Pan............he weeps too, you know.

Date: Sat, 31 May 1997 06:06:41 -0700
From: gayle kelemen
To: jeff-buckley-eternal-life@mail.usyd.edu.au
Subject: JBEL: a vigil in nyc

hello. this is gayle; i'm here with patti and audrey, and we're all going
to write a little bit about the vigil, what we're feeling, etc.

as i write this, the sun is coming out and daylight hits again. the vigil
we went to was in front of the former sin-e; it started at 10pm and we
left at about 4:45am. it really was what i needed to try to make sense of all
of this...hanging out with fellow jb fans and telling people about his music.

we lit dozens and dozens of candles, had a wooden cross centerpiece, and
brought dozens of flowers. people brought more flowers, candles, letters,
photos, etc. there were fans who knew about the vigil and friends of jeff
from the neighborhood who stopped by.

the entire vigil was very powerful for me, but i can also say that
whenever the song grace came on, i was especially moved (we played his music the
entire evening). with many of us singing the words about acceptance of
one's life (and future death), we formed a serious bond -- with jeff and
his music, with each other, and with our own feelings.

jeff buckley and brainiac are my two favorite bands, and earlier late last
week timmy taylor from brainiac died. in memphis this week, jeff asked me
"are you upset that one of your favorite musicians have died? i hope you
are. that's why i make music." i can't tell you what the memphis trip
was like combined with this recent turn of events. seeing everything elvis,
having jeff say that to me...it was like my public sadness was ok. not
that i needed an ok, but perhaps it helped me out a little bit.

jeff's music has moved me like no other music i have ever heard. his
music -- what we have -- will live forever. on cd, on tape, in my heart. jeff,
wherever you are, thank you for everything -- for the music, for your
honesty, and for helping me make this a lot easier. i hope you're ok.
and i now know what green's is. i went sunday. that's what life *is* all
about.

gayle

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

hi, it's patti here. Gayle's last paragraph summed up almost everything
perfectly. I can only hope that the huge hole in the middle of my chest
will stop hurting someday. I know it won't be soon, but the pain haS been
unbearable. I thank god for this list, for all of you, for being in nyc
and being able to attend this vigil. i know that all of you were there with us
in spirit, and it is one of the few comforting thoughts I can conjure. I
don't know what else to say -- from euphoria to desperation in 5 short
days... it isn't right, it isn't fair, i'm not sure what being I was praying
to today for Jeff's safe return, but I am mad as hell that this is
happening, and the question "why?" can never be answered. I don't know
what else to say, except be strong, and always remember that Jeff will live
forever through his words and music, and that we are truly blessed that he
chose to share his gifts with us.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

it'a audrey. in front of sin-e tonight, all sorts of people paid homage
to JB. a young man came with his wife and their child- all the way up from
Red Bank, NJ. he was enthused, to say the least. people who lived in the
apartment building next to sin-e came out, and with drooping jaws said
"what?!" people came and held my hand. photogrpahers donated
photogrpahs they took of JB, in years past. some said they knew his mother, father,
but everyone had a beautiful remark about the man. one person walked by,
prancing down the street, with a rose in his hand. when he asked us what
we praying for, we explained. the blood ran from his face, and as though the
sun set for him, the rose spilled from his hand, onto the growing pile.
grace- over and over. a kind owmen next door brang us coffee, and there
were numerous passersby who gave us fleeting looks of their own
heartbreak. a man who spends his nights giving y'all remixes of those
"blockrockingbeats" blessed us, and the silence ran through the street.
comfort, and understanding was provided by all. the saddest part is that
i have not come to believe that any of this is true. the tears aren't real,
i hope they never have to be.

don't EVER forget what has provided- and whether his music brought you
comfort, a cathartic release, a relived pain- don't you ever forget what
jeff buckley gave to you.

AUdrey

Date: Sat, 31 May 1997 10:46:22 -0700
From: bgf10072@***
To: jeff-buckley-eternal-life@mail.usyd.edu.au
Subject: JBEL: Thoughts on Jeff Buckley's earlier days

Thoughts on Jeff Buckley

When I met Jeff he was 16 years old a living with his mom in
Anaheim, California. I met I was introduced to him from a drummer
friend of mine, Paul Derich. I remember him as a very funny guy
who enjoyed emulating cartoon charaters with his voice. One thing
that left a strong impression with me was his intense love for
music. He had only been playing 2 1/2 years when I met him and
he was playing better than guys I knew who had been playing three
times as long. He enjoyed guitarists like Jimmy Page, Steve Howe,
and Alex Liefson. He was a person with much more musical depth and
spirituality. He also plays piano.

Paul Derich and I were heavily influenced be the band "RUSH". When
Jeff, Paul and I got together, we had no intentions of forming a band
but just to play for the sake of playing. No commitment or practice
schedules. No egos or arguements. Just 3 guys playing because they
love to play. This was the ultimate environment for us because it
allowed us to grow musically. We could break from the bands we were
currently working in for some good clean fun.

We worked on RUSH tunes like "La Villa Strangiato", "Natural Science",
Spirit of the Radio","Limelight", "Red Barchetta" and "Hemispheres".
I still have some old garage tapes of us back then but they are of poor
quality.

Jeff wasn't into singing back then(although he sounds more like Getty
Lee than I ever did). I always figured he would be a studio
musician. I would have never figured that he would have became so
successful as a vocal artist. He hadn't finished puberty yet and he was not that
confident about singing.

Jeff never knew his dad. I remember when his mom told us that he
inherited his talent from his dad (TIM BUCKLEY). Back then he was not into his
dads music and hated the thought of being like his dad. He wanted to be his
own person and felt no connection to his father.

I lost touch with Jeff and went my own way. My buddy Paul would call me
about once a year to tell me how Jeff was doing. He told me that he was
touring with his own band and was having lots of success in the music business. He
said "Jeff is singing his own stuff now". I said "Jeff? Singing? Frontman? You're
kidding right?

Paul invited me to go see him play when he was in town. He offered me a
backstage pass for me and a guest. I turned it down do to other commitments but now I
sure regret it.

I have what may be the first multitrack recording he did on a SONY
reel-to-reel I borrowed to do some over-dubs. You can hear the Steve Howe influence
with a very funky feel. One bass track with 2 guitar tracks overlayed on mono and
mastered to a stereo cassette with the left and right tracks delayed to create a
stereo effect. There are no vocals because he didn't really sing as much as play.

Date: Sat, 31 May 1997 17:36:57 -0400 (EDT)
From: Efia Ruth Miles
To: Jeff Buckley <jeff-buckley-eternal-life@mail.usyd.edu.au>
Subject: JBEL: I feel nothing but...

I can't imagine how I should feel right now. I have so many weird
emotions. One minute, I'm crying and saying to myself, no, Jeff, it
wasn't your time. The next minute, I'm thriving on the memories of my
time with him in Memphis and wishing like hell I could go back and relive
it. Then I'm smiling and grooving to Cake or Bjork and not even worrying
about Jeff--because I know he's really okay somewhere; they just haven't
found him because he doesn't want to be found.
Like a lot of other people, I just want to wake up and find out that this
was the worst nightmare of my life. I dreamt last night that I was
getting dressed and I couldn't get ready fast enough. Then I heard a car
speeding off and I didn't catch it. My interpretation tells me that
there's no way to get ready for someone to leave you. You just have to
accept it and, as much as it hurts, move on even if your existence seems
futile and meaningless for a while.
Jeff came into my life and rearranged all my musical beliefs and
ambitions. I thank God that I had the chance to meet him almost a month
before this happened and that I had a chance to know him in a way that
made me love the man--not just the music.

He will live on in my heart and my soul. I listened to Grace all the way
through last night in bed, in my favorite setting--complete darkness--
and his words took on a whole new meaning. I could swear that Last
Goodbye was written not for a long-lost love, but for all of us who didn't
really know him at all.

For those of us who have some shred of belief in the phony disappearance
theory, keep hope alive. :) I'll believe he found that unconditional,
limitless love that he's been wanting and she was waiting for him on
horseback downstream for him to ride off into the night...if it means he's
not dead.

Someone has to give me the okay to start accepting this because I don't
right now.

Efia