Interviews

Judy Buckley Llewellyn - Memories of Tim

Room 109 Interview - Part Two

Which of Tim’s albums are your favorites?

I do like Greetings and Blue Afternoon. His mom and I always thought that Sinatra should have done Blue Melody. “Such a blue….”

It’s still hard for me to listen to Tim’s music, but I have learned to appreciate the lists that people have made that touch on different albums. I wish that it didn’t make me sad. Perhaps that’s why I can listen to “Greetings” because it is more up and I can listen to that.

Which of his songs are your favorites?

Courtesy Judy Buckley Llewellyn
Taylor looks on as Tim ponders the sudden loss of concrete in the immediate vicinity

Song To A Siren… Tim would sing that at home. It is such a beautiful melancholy song. It’s very touching. The strangest thing is that the record company didn’t want it on the album. It’s just a short song, but they didn’t want it.

When it became a song that generated so much interest a few years ago, Donna (Donna Young, long time friend of Judy and Tim, now administrator of Tim Buckley Music) and I looked at each other and said “Hello!” Of any song that had to come through… it’s pretty eerie. This short little song that he really fought for and he really wasn’t much of a fighter.

Were there any personal references to you and Taylor in any of Tim’s songs?

Moulin Rouge. I had told Tim the story that that was the movie I had seen on my very first date and when he was in Paris he bought me a portfolio of Toulouse Lautrec's drawings. It was just a little song, but I didn’t hear it until the project was done. I had never heard him working on it.

How close was Taylor with Tim?

The day that Tim officially adopted Taylor they didn’t want Elaine and I there. It was their day in court. .

Taylor liked being outdoors and Tim found this great school where they had horses and stuff like that. Taylor won a ribbon for horsemanship and we went up to see him get it. Tim and I were standing under a tree and he was looking around, then looked at me and said “I need concrete”. I have a picture of that moment.

Tim had bought this hat. It was supposed to belong to Abe Lincoln, but I don’t think that it really did. It was a beaver top hat in a leather case. A fan had made him a woolen scarf and every time it was washed it got a little longer. He had bought these slippers in Canada made of bear fur. They had the claws on the toes, so when you put them on they looked just like bear feet.

I remember coming back to the house and looking for the two of them and they were on the beach flying a kite. Taylor had the kite, and was saying “Look, Father” and Tim was slowly walking along with his hands behind his back, wearing a thermal underwear shirt, baggy corduroy pants, the bear feet, the neck scarf that hung down to the ground and Lincoln’s hat.

He was probably telling Taylor a story, I could tell by the way his shoulders moved and he always punctuated with his hands. Now Tim didn’t think that any of this was strange at all and neither did Taylor. I’ll never forget that image.

"He was never afraid of anything, but I think that
he would have been an excellent actor, without a doubt.
He would study people all the time..."

How do you feel about the new interest in Tim’s music which I suppose is largely due to the internet, and of course Jeff’s success and unfortunate passing?

I’m happy that Tim is getting the respect that is due. I think that it may have gone both ways, I hope so. I hope that they are getting to know one another.

Did Tim discuss his plans for the future with you, or was he introverted in that regard?

Everything was moving along. He thought that there were options for new record deals and we were looking at homes in the Malibu area. He was in the process of doing Bound for Glory and was enjoying the process of learning about acting. He had no idea if he would like it or not.

He was never afraid of anything, but I think that he would have been an excellent actor, without a doubt. He would study people all the time. He was happy. He was talking about the film, and talking to Donna Young about taking control of his publishing.

Jerry Yester told me that Tim had called him two months before he died and that Tim asked him if wanted to get back together again on his next project. Do you have any idea of what direction Tim wanted to take his music?

I don’t really know, everything could have changed. He loved Al Green and reggae was just starting. We would be at (movie director) Carol Ballard’s place on Third Street where we were staying and he had this amazing sound system.

So, Tim would actually start buying things. Carroll was away making The Black Stallion, so we sublet from him. Tim liked Toots and the Maytals and Yma Sumac! He loved rhythms and voices.

Are there any matters related to Tim’s death that you would like to address?

I feel that it was a horrible, horrible accident and a lot of people lost a good friend, including Richard Keeling.

Tim made me feel loved. Let’s let him rest in peace.

Thank you so much Judy, for sharing such warm and wonderful memories with us.