EXCLUSIVE: Tim Buckley's Biggest Torments Revealed — 50 Years After His Heroin and Morphine Overdose Robbed World of 'Misunderstood and Angry' Musical Genius
Fifty years after his fatal overdose, Tim Buckley’s deepest torments were revealed.
Aug. 15 2025, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
Tim Buckley died 50 years ago following a heroin and morphine overdose at 28, and RadarOnline.com can reveal how he lived a life of torment, as he remains a figure of musical obsession and myth for millions of fans.
Before his tragic demise, the late 1960s and early '70s saw Buckley push boundaries.
'Song to the Siren' Legacy
Tim Buckley died from a heroin and morphine overdose at 28.
Collaborating with Larry Beckett on his album Starsailor, he overdubbed 16 vocal tracks, harmonizing with himself and experimenting with tape manipulation, while Lee Underwood's guitar and John Balkin's bass guided his improvisations.
"He was in complete control. Any question he was asked, he had the answer," Beckett said.
The album's centerpiece, Song To The Siren, became the definitive marker of Buckley's experimental legacy.
Even as Buckley toured small jazz clubs with his Starsailor ensemble, audience reactions were often muted. Beckett remembers him greeting the crowd: "'Good evening, lobos.'"
He meant these people had no brains, and they were not going to like this music.
He had only contempt for them.
Buckley's Life Falls Apart
He overdubbed 16 vocal tracks on the album’s centerpiece, 'Song To The Siren.'
By 1970, Buckley had married Judy Sutcliffe and attempted a quieter domestic life, stepping back from the public eye while continuing to explore soundscapes that defied popular conventions.
But it hid his inner demons, which eventually destroyed him.
On June 29, 1975, after completing a short tour, Buckley died from a heroin and morphine overdose in Santa Monica, California.
He was found unresponsive by his wife, Judy, and despite attempts to revive him, he was pronounced dead at 28 – 12 months short of joining the infamous '27 club' of doomed musicians, including Jimi Hendrix and Amy Winehouse, who died aged 27.
The coroner's report attributed his death to "acute heroin/morphine and ethanol intoxication due to inhalation and ingestion of overdose."
A source said: "Tim was always a tortured soul, and the way he was underappreciated for experimenting with his music basically drove him mad and into addiction before his death."
Born on February 14, 1947, in Washington, D.C., Buckley was introduced to music at an early age through his family's diverse musical influences.
Buckley’s music influenced countless artists after his passing.
He began his musical journey by teaching himself the banjo at 13 and later formed a folk group inspired by The Kingston Trio.
His debut album, Tim Buckley (1966), showcased his folk roots, but he soon began to experiment with other genres, leading to the release of Starsailor in 1970.
The album is still considered a masterpiece of avant-garde music, though it was initially a commercial failure.
Despite his musical talents, Buckley's personal life was tumultuous.
He married Mary Guibert in 1965, but the relationship ended in divorce before their son, Jeff Buckley, was born.
Jeff later described his father as a figure he never truly knew, which profoundly impacted his own identity and music.
Jeff Buckley's Tragic Death Details
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His son, Jeff Buckley, also became a celebrated musician before his tragic death.
In 1970, Buckley remarried Judy and adopted her son, Taylor Keith Sutcliffe.
As his fame grew, so did his challenges.
Buckley struggled with depression and substance abuse, including heroin addiction.
These issues affected his relationships and his ability to maintain a consistent musical output.
Buckley's music continues to influence artists across various genres, and his son, Jeff, also became a celebrated musician – though he too faced personal struggles and died young.
On the evening of May 29, 1997, Jeff's band flew to Memphis to join him in his studio to work on his new material.
Later that evening, Jeff spontaneously went swimming fully dressed in the Wolf River Harbor, a slack water channel of the Mississippi River, singing the chorus of Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love under the Memphis Suspension Railway.
The music star's autopsy showed no signs of drugs or alcohol, and the death was ruled an accidental drowning.
The official Jeff Buckley website published a statement saying his death was neither mysterious nor a suicide.
