Photo by Hideo Oida.

[Closing paragraph from the eulogy Jeff’s mother gave at the memorial service held at St. Ann & The Trinity Church, Brooklyn NY, on July 31,1997]

Golden Promise

Clearly, this young man touched countless lives with his vitality and humanity. The absence of this being from our little planet is a tragic loss for everyone, if we consider his musical talent alone. Thank God we have the music and his recordings to console us. What we have lost by way of his tenderness and soulfulness is beyond measure, and cannot be replaced…unless, perhaps, each of us makes a Golden Promise to act on his behalf from this day forward.

A Golden Promise is one that must never be broken. It is made in one’s heart to another heart that’s just departed this life. Look into your soul and find a Promise you can keep that would make this world a better place, even if just for a moment. Commit “random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty”… demonstrate the courage to follow your bliss.And if, when you go to that silent, certain place in your heart, you find there a Promise you can make that gives you a higher purpose in life, then make the strongest vow you’ve ever made and maybe, just maybe, together we’ll be able to repair the damage done to this lowly little world by the untimely passing of this gentle minstrel.

LINKS:

Road Recovery
Dedicated to helping young people battle addiction and other adversities by harnessing the influence of entertainment industry professionals who have confronted similar life crises.

The Memphis Zoo
Memorial Dedicated To Jeff Buckley at Tiger Exhibit

Future Of Music Future Of Music
The Future of Music Coalition is a not-for-profit collaboration between members of the music, technology, public policy and intellectual property law communities.

Sweet Relief
Sweet Relief provides assistance to all types of career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems.

Old Town School of Music in Chicago  Providing youth scholarships for music and arts education in Chicago

Smile Train
An international charity that provides cleft lip/palate surgery to those in need , as well as providing training to doctors.

UNCF
An educational assistance organization with 40 private, historically black, member colleges and universities.

Heifer International
Ending Hunger, Caring For The Earth

Kingdom For A Kiss
A website dedicated to Jeff Buckley By Russ & Becky Fuller