About Lord Buckley
by Martha Cinader
copyright ©1999

Every passing moment was a cause for celebration in the life of Lord Buckley. He swung every minute of every day of his life. He found thrills and vicarious thrills and if he couldn't find them he created them. But the biggest thrill of all, for Lord Buckley, was to tell you a story you thought you knew until you heard him tell it.

His early experiences in show business, as an MC for dance marathons, gave him the ability to riff continuously, while everyone in earshot became his most willing followers, the most immaculately hip aristocrats of the twentieth century. No subject was beyond his non-stop humor.

Jesus became "the Nazz", Abe Lincoln became "Lanky Link" and according to Lord Buckley "Willy the Shake" wrote a speech in "Anthony and Cleopatra" that begins with "Hipsters, Flipsters and Fingerpoppin' Daddies knock me your lobes..."

All kinds of people dug Lord Buckley and still do today if they can get there hands on his recordings. My good friend and member of the inner court, Oliver Trager, is writing a book about him with quotes from all kind of famous and infamous people who knew the man and hung on every last word that rolled off his tongue. Oliver told me this story about Lord Buckley.

"The notorious Chicago gangster Al Capone thought that the funniest man he ever met ought to have his own nightclub to perform in every night. So Al Capone opened a club called Chez Buckley. So along comes Big AL on opening night. He's got a beautiful woman hanging off of each arm, dripping in jewels and fur, and all his buddy cats fall in behind him, and each of them has their own beautiful trophies hanging on their arms. They all know they're going to have a good time, and hoping they're not going to die laughing, because big Al has already warned them that Lord Buckley is the funniest guy in the world.

Lord Buckley steps out on the stage and says his little thank yous and gets them all warmed up with a few giggles and smiles from the beautiful ladies, which makes their men proud, knowing that these ladies are with the hippest, slickest cats around.

So then Lord Buckley asks each of these sweet flowers for their fur coat, and each of them hands their fur coat over, knowing that Lord Buckley is the funniest guy in the world and he's going to do something really hip now that's going to make them all feel even jollier than they're already feeling.

Lord Buckley gets the very last one from a big, buxom, blonde with cherry lips, and she gets up and gives him a little kiss while she hands him her mink, she just couldn't help herself. He was that kind of guy. Then he gets up on the stage, puts all the coats in a big pile, pours a can of gasoline over them, sets the whole heap on fire, runs backstage and catches the next train out of Chicago.

Of course if Big Al had thought about it from Lord Buckley's point of view he would have known right away that no one could own him or control him. He was a phenomenon unto himself, and the fact that Big Al laughed the whole thing off and never sent any goons after him is proof positive."

I discovered Lord Buckley when I moved in with my first true love. His old girlfriend had left behind a few of Lord Buckley's records. Some people say they have to listen to him a few times before they can understand what he's talking about. Not me. I understood him from the front. But every time I listen to him I appreciate a little more than the last time. When she finally came back and claimed her records (I guess I can't blame her now, but I didn't feel so charitable at the time) I was already converted. Even though I didn't get to hear his voice again for a long long time, it inspired my work in the years to follow.

Providence put Oliver in my path a few years ago. Because of his diligent work, I have since had the opportunity to hear almost everything Lord Buckley ever recorded. I hope that one day you get the chance to hear him too. His spirit lingers in the pages of this little book.