By . Cindy Tran for Daily Mail Australia . It's been 22 years since she worked with America's legendary musician Jeff Buckley, but photographer Merri Cyr says she's still amazed by the incredible legacy that the music legend has left behind worldwide. With the 20th Anniversary of Buckley's hit album Grace approaching, the American photographer is currently displaying her exclusive collection of one of the world's most mysterious musical legends in Australia. The 50-year-old said she reminisces about the years she spent working with the promising artist at his Florida recording studio near Miami Beach and shooting him on his roof top in New York City in 1992. Merri Cyr said her friendship with Jeff Buckley started from a work project and later was personally selected by the musician himself to shoot his album cover Grace . Ms Cyr said her friendship with Buckley started from a work project, then she was personally selected by the musician himself to shoot his album cover and document his life on and off stage during his tour. ‘I met Jeff during an assignment I had to shoot for Paper Magazine – a style magazine in New York City,’ she told Daily Mail Australia. ‘I photographed him a lot and all my photographs reminded me of the moments we worked and spent together or shooting around his home – it was a bookmark of all the time I spent and worked with him. ‘He was definitely not camera shy and I guess being a performer, he loved being in front of the cameras a lot and was very seductive'. When asked whether she had a favourite photo of Buckley, she said it was too hard to chose. ‘I can’t choose a favourite because I’m attached to the experience I had with him and when I look at the photographs, it brings back memories of what we did on that exact day – like what we did, where we had lunch and things like that.’ Merri Cyr said the photograph she shot of Jeff eating the banana, taken in New York City 1993, reminded her a lot like Leonard Cohen's 'I'm your man' single cover . The charismatic singer, songwriter and guitarist died in May 1997 after he drowned in a river in Memphis, Tennessee, United States at the age of 30. ‘I’m amazed by his popularity from around the world since his death. People really embrace Jeff as a musician. He travelled to Australia a lot as part of his career and it’s great to see so many fans interested and the popularity growth,' she said. ‘It was interesting to see him work on his studio album, Grace because I had never heard him perform prior to his photo shoots. I wanted to watch him play as well as taking photographs around the studio. ‘He was quite hands on and knew what he wanted from the sounds. You can definitely see his passion and he wrote all his music in a very pacific way. 'Music was everything to Jeff – every aspect of creating music or supporting music – he was a perfectionist.' Buckley on the couch listening to a mix of his song Eternal Life on December 3, 1994 at a recording studio in Miami . One of the most memorable pictures Ms Cyr took is the photograph of Jeff eating the banana, because it reminded her a lot of Leonard Cohen's 'I'm your man' single cover. ‘He was just hungry and started eating a banana when we were in the middle of shooting his cover album Grace. 'I think in a weird way, the photo visually reminded me of Leonard Cohen’s single cover where he is also seen eating a banana. I don't think Jeff did it intentionally but that's just what I think. ‘He was very excited by the photographs I took of him and we subsequently scheduled to shoot more often after that. It was very collaborative – an equal participant and something we did something together. Buckley was photographed under a chandelier in the bathroom during the Grace album cover shoot, Williamsburg, Brooklyn at Arcadia studios in 1993 . 20 years of Grace: A special Jeff Buckley exhibition by Merri Cyr is currently on at the Blender Gallery in Sydney until September 20. The gallery will feature 25 of Cyr's images of Buckley with some of the photographs never before printed or exhibited. A Blender Gallery spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that the 'Jeff Buckley with the banana' photograph is among one of the 'never before seen shots'. ‘I’m really excited to share my experiences and photographs at the exhibition for the 20th anniversary for my friend, Jeff,’ she said. Buckley lying on a portable white bed doing interviews in a hotel conference room in Orlanda Florida on December 5, 1995 .
Merri Cyr, 50, said she was personally selected by the musician himself to shoot his album cover Grace and document his life on and off stage of his tour .
Music fans can now see never before seen pictures of Jeff Buckley at an exhibit in Australia to celebrate 20 years since the release of his album Grace .
A Gallery spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that the 'Jeff Buckley with the banana' photograph is among one of the 'never before seen shots'
20 years of Grace: A special Jeff Buckley exhibition is on at the Blender Gallery in Sydney until September 20 .
By . Cindy Tran for Daily Mail Australia . It's been 22 years since she worked with America's legendary musician Jeff Buckley, but photographer Merri Cyr says she's still amazed by the incredible legacy that the music legend has left behind worldwide. With the 20th Anniversary of Buckley's hit album Grace approaching, the American photographer is currently displaying her exclusive collection of one of the world's most mysterious musical legends in Australia. The 50-year-old said she reminisces about the years she spent working with the promising artist at his Florida recording studio near Miami Beach and shooting him on his roof top in New York City in 1992. Merri Cyr said her friendship with Jeff Buckley started from a work project and later was personally selected by the musician himself to shoot his album cover Grace . Ms Cyr said her friendship with Buckley started from a work project, then she was personally selected by the musician himself to shoot his album cover and document his life on and off stage during his tour. ‘I met Jeff during an assignment I had to shoot for Paper Magazine – a style magazine in New York City,’ she told Daily Mail Australia. ‘I photographed him a lot and all my photographs reminded me of the moments we worked and spent together or shooting around his home – it was a bookmark of all the time I spent and worked with him. ‘He was definitely not camera shy and I guess being a performer, he loved being in front of the cameras a lot and was very seductive'. When asked whether she had a favourite photo of Buckley, she said it was too hard to chose. ‘I can’t choose a favourite because I’m attached to the experience I had with him and when I look at the photographs, it brings back memories of what we did on that exact day – like what we did, where we had lunch and things like that.’ Merri Cyr said the photograph she shot of Jeff eating the banana, taken in New York City 1993, reminded her a lot like Leonard Cohen's 'I'm your man' single cover . The charismatic singer, songwriter and guitarist died in May 1997 after he drowned in a river in Memphis, Tennessee, United States at the age of 30. ‘I’m amazed by his popularity from around the world since his death. People really embrace Jeff as a musician. He travelled to Australia a lot as part of his career and it’s great to see so many fans interested and the popularity growth,' she said. ‘It was interesting to see him work on his studio album, Grace because I had never heard him perform prior to his photo shoots. I wanted to watch him play as well as taking photographs around the studio. ‘He was quite hands on and knew what he wanted from the sounds. You can definitely see his passion and he wrote all his music in a very pacific way. 'Music was everything to Jeff – every aspect of creating music or supporting music – he was a perfectionist.' Buckley on the couch listening to a mix of his song Eternal Life on December 3, 1994 at a recording studio in Miami . One of the most memorable pictures Ms Cyr took is the photograph of Jeff eating the banana, because it reminded her a lot of Leonard Cohen's 'I'm your man' single cover. ‘He was just hungry and started eating a banana when we were in the middle of shooting his cover album Grace. 'I think in a weird way, the photo visually reminded me of Leonard Cohen’s single cover where he is also seen eating a banana. I don't think Jeff did it intentionally but that's just what I think. ‘He was very excited by the photographs I took of him and we subsequently scheduled to shoot more often after that. It was very collaborative – an equal participant and something we did something together. Buckley was photographed under a chandelier in the bathroom during the Grace album cover shoot, Williamsburg, Brooklyn at Arcadia studios in 1993 . 20 years of Grace: A special Jeff Buckley exhibition by Merri Cyr is currently on at the Blender Gallery in Sydney until September 20. The gallery will feature 25 of Cyr's images of Buckley with some of the photographs never before printed or exhibited. A Blender Gallery spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that the 'Jeff Buckley with the banana' photograph is among one of the 'never before seen shots'. ‘I’m really excited to share my experiences and photographs at the exhibition for the 20th anniversary for my friend, Jeff,’ she said. Buckley lying on a portable white bed doing interviews in a hotel conference room in Orlanda Florida on December 5, 1995 .
personally selected by the musician himself to project, then she was personally selected by the musician himself to shoot his album cover and document his life on and off stage during his studios in 1993 . 20 years of Grace: A special Jeff Buckley exhibition by Merri Cyr is currently on at the Blender Gallery in Sydney until Blender Gallery spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that the 'Jeff Buckley with the banana' photograph is among one of the 'never before seen