Jeff's Hair

Hiya JBELers!
Mystery hair - that's what Jeff describes it as during the 120 minutes show, right?
The Brit music journalist Caitlin Moran - and a BIG Jeff fan - once described Jeff
as having the hair of someone who just had sex on the floor. Rather nicely put I
thought. ;)
Emmeline xxx

Questions for Mary about Jeff

Q.
i'd like to know what kind of exposure jeff had to other cultures/languages as he
was growing up. obviously, the french influence is there, but anything else?
spanish?
i am half french, half russian and have benefited greatly from even the slight
preservation of european tradition in my family. i think this kind of exposure lends
itself to a sort of "worldliness" (not that *i'm* worldly by any means) that
encourages thought, tolerance, as well as celebration of differences. jeff's music
seems to attract people like that, so that says a lot for the person he is and what
he's inspired to write.
mara
A.
Hello, Mara:
Jeff's cultural background is pretty varied...(he's Irish/Italian on his father's side, of
course, but that's not an influence...). My mother is Greek and my father is part
French, part Panamanian, both my parents were born and raised in Panama, I was
born there, and we all immigrated when I was three...so there was a very strong
Central American family culture. The romantic part is that my father was the
illigitimate son of a French-American merchant marine who abandoned him, his
mother and brother when they were very young. He never knew him until the elder
Guibert returned to Panama to reconcile with his sons when they were grown
men... and only then did my father find out that he was an American citizen. This,
of course, changed his life dramatically. It's how we were able to come to the U.S.
It was my childhood fantasies about the French side of the family (about which I
knew virtually nothing) that prompted me to study French in high school....and it
was in French class that I met the infamous Tim Buckley.
Jeff has always had a VERY good ear for languages - used to imitate his Ceylonese
Montessori teacher when he was three - had her accent down to a "T"...had us in
stitches! From the time he was a tike, he learned little songs and poems in spanish,
but he didn't study French until his late teens when I bought him French lessons on
tape. That was the year we thought he was going to be moving to France to play
music there with some friends. That fell through and he went on to New York a
short time later.
Thanks, so much for your interest in my son's music. I hope, after all this, that I've
actually answered your question.
Best Wishes...
Mary
Q.
I would like to ask her where she had her musical training, formal and informal,
and what formal training jeff had?
Also, were there any hard feelings when Jeff moved to New York?
Lastly, does she speak and French? Because both Tim and Jeff have sung in
French.
That’s all,
Thanks a bunch...
Dana
A.
Hi, Dana:
I studied Piano privately from the age of nine through my late teens. I resumed
formal study on the piano again in my early twenties for a short time. The Cello
was an instrument I picked up in Junior High and played in school orchestras
through high school. I studied privately for a couple of years, sat first chair cello in
the Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra, third chair in the Cal State Long
Beach Symphony Orchestra and fourth chair in The La Mirada Symphony
Orchestra.
Jeff also played the cello one year in junior high, but it just wasn't his instrument.
Though we always had my piano at home and he often plinked around on it, it
became pretty clear when he was around twelve or thirteen that the guitar was
what he wanted. The family chipped in to buy a brand new Les Paul for his
fourteenth Christmas. His only formal training as a youngster was in the school
setting, but he'd made up his mind in his senior year that he was going to
Musicians' Institute in Los Angeles instead of going the traditional college route.
What I remember most is that he'd play different artists albums incessantly and play
along with them until one couldn't tell whether it was Jeff or the stereo playing!
There were no "hard feelings" when Jeff moved to NYC, I just miss him tooooo
much!!!!
It was the best thing he could have done....considering the outcome.
The answer to your French language question is covered in Mara's answer -
however, I think it was Jeff's falling in love with Edith Piaf's music that put French
in his mouth...the French just adore it when we yanks speak their language!
Bye, Dana!
Q.
Randy, when you have your glass of wine with Mary, could this be one of the
questions.. and say hello, she may remember me from NY..
Exactly what time of day was Jeff born?
For astrological reasons..
thanks, Nicholas
A.
I DO REMEMBER YOU QUITE WELL...I won't reveal that information
Q.
I think Jeff's real name is Scott Morehead or Moorhead or something.
Actually his name is Jeffery Scott Buckley, but until he got older (or something
like that) he was called Scott. He said that he was teased about it Scotty, potty,
snotty. Then he wanted to find out who he really was, looked at his birth certificate
and it said Jeffery Scott Buckley, and that was what they called him. But the
teasing didn't stop, now it was Buckley, Fuckley, Butt lick. That's the story about
the name.
-Ali
A.
Hi, Ali:
OK! He's the REAL scoop on Jeff's name. (Now, keep in mind that I was only 18
years old...there is no deep underlying meaning). I'd had a friend named Jeff (he
spelled it "Geoff") and I thought it was a groovey name. John "Scotty" Scott was
our next door neighbor and a childhood hero, who'd been killed in an accidental
fall the year before my son was born. I'd wanted to call my son Scotty, but Scott
Jeffrey didn't sound as good as Jeffrey Scott. So we just called him "Scotty"
anyway. Moorhead is his stepfather's name and when Scotty was enrolled in
kindergarten, I was allowed to indicate a "preferred name" - my husband and I
thought it would spare him confusion, especially since his biological father was
completely out of the picture. Everyone knew him as Scotty Moorhead. Jeff chose
to change his registered name after Tim Buckley died. The circumstances
surrounding that decision are entirely too private and personal to share here, but I
was totally supportive of this choice. As for being teased about his name....I think
that's just a normal part of childhood. Good question!
Thanks, Ali.
P.S. Jeff strongly objects to anyone but his immediate family calling him by his
childhood nickname. Just thought you should know.
Q.
I guess my question would have to be, what was Jeff really like as a teenager. He
describes himself as sort of an outcast, a loner, and kind of a geek. Well, is that the
truth or what? Because, I am just curious if everyone has a distorted view of
themself one way or the other.
-Ali
A.
Hey, Ali...another good question!
I think his description of himself is pretty accurate. I wouldn't use the word
"outcast", geek is a bit harsh. I think you're right about the way we hyperjudge
ourselves as young adults. Jeff was strapped with a lot of extra responsibility as a
kid - he always had to stay home taking care of his younger brother while I
worked, that tended to isolate him. By the time High School came around, he was
so absorbed in his music that it tended to separate him from the "crowd". He was a
very introspective and sensitive guy - especially for a teenager (I mean that in the
nicest possible way, of course!!)
Thanks again,
Mary
Q.
What the hell???!?! I sure wouldn't. She tried to get Trent Reznor first and now
she jumps on JB's lap. Shes crazy.
Andrew
A.
OK, friends,
I feel compelled to respond to the CLC issue, and have Jeff's permission to do so.
Regardless of what she'd like you all to think - their one and only meeting was a
horrible flop! The Love-less-one turned Jeff off BIG TIME!! He described the
evening in detail to me and I was thoroughly shocked and disgusted...and it takes a
lot to do that. In Jeff's words, "I should have known that she was as shallow as her
lyrics." He cut the evening short, she got pissed....that was that. If he ever thought
anything of her before, he no longer does. I think she's scum.
'Nuff said!
Mary
- Someone asked about Liz and Jeff
I'm not sure who's asking this question, but I thought I'd answer it, since my
response will fill you in on my position on the issue. Jeff has known Liz for a
couple of years and they have been linked in the European press. He says they're
just friends. However, I have made a solemn vow to respect his privacy when it
comes to his "love life". I don't ask, but he often shares his experiences with me. I
WON'T be sharing those confidences with anyone, period. However, he has
promised me that if he is genuinely involved with someone, that I'll be the first to
know - then, and only then, will I tell you, my friends.
Oh, yeah....the clocks and keys and other such flotsam on the liner notes of Grace
are not significant of anything in particular - just part of the creative expression of
the graphic artists in consultation with Jeff. From what I understand, they just
assembled different elements until they were happy with the results.
Has anyone seen or heard the new JB promo recording of Lost Highway? Shades
of Robert Johnson.
My favorite cut of all the recordings is "Live at Bataclan", The Way Young Lovers
Do.
It's been fun....big hugs and kisses to you ALL!!!!!
Let's do this again some time!
Mary G.