Touched By Grace

Suddenly, this skinny, longhaired kid who had been lounging against the wall inside sprang forward to confront me, rolling and popping his eyes, intensely vibing me with his own personal voodoo. He looked electric, on fire—as if he was about to jump out of his own skin. He was the very image of the young Tim Buckley—same sensual, red-lipped mouth, same sensitive, haunted, blazing eyes. He was a beautiful boy: so charismatic, so handsome, his chiseled face both angelic and demonic. This was obviously Jeff Buckley. Touched By Grace is a revealing account by the legendary guitarist and songwriter Gary Lucas of the time he spent working with Jeff Buckley during Jeff’s early days in New York City. It describes their magical first performance together at the Greetings From Tim Buckley concert in 1991, the creation of their landmark songs ‘Grace’ and ‘Mojo Pin,’ their plan to take on the world together in Gary’s band Gods and Monsters—and then the moment when Jeff pulled the plug, opting instead to pursue a solo deal with Columbia Records, the very label that had recently cut short its contract with the original incarnation Gods and Monsters. In this fascinating and revelatory new book, Gary Lucas writes with heartfelt honesty about the highs and lows of this unique creative collaboration, providing an eye-opening insight into a world of music, passion, betrayal, and more.