During Alter Bridge’s December 9 show at L’Olympia in Paris, frontman Myles Kennedy paid tribute to Jeff Beckley with a solo performance of Hallelujah, which he played on Buckley’s famous 1983 Fender Telecaster electric guitar.
The ’83 Fender Tele, which features a mirrored pickguard and a Seymour Duncan Hot Lead Stack in the bridge position, resides at Paris-based Matt’s Guitar Shop, which loaned it to Kennedy for the performance.
The Tele was Buckley’s primary guitar over the course of his short career, and, according to a statement accompanying the video, Kennedy’s performance was “the first time this song was played on this guitar in public” since his passing in 1997.
Said Kennedy at the start of the performance, “This song was played here over 20 years ago by a gentleman that is probably one of my biggest influences and a number of other people’s as well. We owe a great debt to Mr Jeff Buckley.”
The Leonard Cohen classic became closely associated with Buckley after he recorded it for his 1994 debut, Grace. It later appeared on Buckley’s posthumous live album, Live À L'Olympia.