JEFF BUCKLEY'S BODY FOUND IN MEMPHIS HARBOR
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, JUNE 4
SINGER WAS MISSING SINCE THURSDAY NIGHT, MAY 29
Memphis authorities have reported that the body of musician Jeff Buckley was found in the Memphis
Harbor on Wednesday afternoon, June 4. The 30-year-old singer had been missing since Thursday, May 29,
but had been presumed drowned by his family, friends, and close advisors.
Memphis police reported that passengers aboard the American Queen riverboat first saw the body near
the southern tip of Mud Island at approximately 4:30pm; American Queen crew members rode a rubber
dinghy to the location of the body and brought it ashore at the foot of Beale Street in Memphis.
Memphis Police Lieutenant Willie Lemons said that while there were no identification papers found on
the body, a positive identification had been made by Gene Bowen, a close friend of Buckley's who had
acted as the artist's tour manager for the last three years. Bowen had gone to the Shelby County Medical
Examiner's Office Wednesday night to identify the body.
While the official cause of death will be determined pending an autopsy, Lt. Lemons has stated that there
were no obvious indications of any cause other than accidental drowning.
Buckley's disappearance last Thursday night occurred after the musician and a friend, Keith Foti, 23,
went to the Memphis Harbor shore, where Buckley had swum on previous occasions, to sing and play music.
Buckley had gone swimming, fully-clothed, in the harbor, while Foti remained on the shore. According
to Foti, a passing towboat created a wash on the shore and Foti lost sight of Buckley when he turned
away from the water to move a portable stereo away from the waves. After calling out and searching for
the singer, Foti reported Buckley's disappearance to the Memphis police at 9:22pm.
An extensive search of the area began at 10pm that evening and continued throughout the weekend with
Memphis authorities utilizing boats, horse and foot patrols, helicopters, and scuba divers in an attempt
to locate Buckley.
Jeff Buckley had gone to Memphis with his band in late February of this year to begin rehearsals in
preparation for the recording, scheduled for June 30, of a new album. As of March 31, Buckley had
performed in a series of regular Monday night solo performances at Barrister's nightclub in Memphis.
His last show was on Monday, May 26, 1997.
Memorial services for Jeff Buckley are being planned and appropriate details will be released when
available.