Jeff Buckley "Ring of Fire"

Scour the internet as much as you like, you will not find the classic song "Ring of Fire" by Jeff Buckley. Although "Ring of Fire" has been done by at least a hundred artists since it was written by June Carter (the future wife of Johnny Cash) and Merle Kilgore, Jeff Buckley did not record a version. This does not mean that Jeff Buckley never sang the song. He just never recorded it.

So why even bring up the subject? Because American Idol judge Randy Jackson brought it up. On the American Idol results show on Wednesday evening, when Ryan Seacrest was down to the last two finalists left to decide which one would join the other two contestants on the chopping block (one would be eliminated from the three), he asked for comments from the American Idol judges about Adam Lambert's rendition of "Ring of Fire" the night before. That's when Randy Jackson mentioned Jeff Buckley in relation to the song.

Although Jeff Buckley never recorded "Ring of Fire," it is easy to understand why Randy Jackson would bring up the name. Randy Jackson is not on American Idol for just his good looks. He's also a hot producer and musician himself. He has a very good ear for music. He prides himself on his ability, which is why he often uses the term "pitch problems" or "pitchy" when referring to a performance.

Randy Jackson was comparing Adam Lambert to Jeff Buckley, at least on a vocal level. Adam Lambert's version of "Ring of Fire" was done the way Jeff Buckley would have done it. And with the same amazing vocal control as well. And perhaps just as haunting. If one were to surf one's way to YouTube and click up "Grace," "Forget Her," Or "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley, Randy Jackson's words start to make a lot more sense.

It really is a shame that the world lost Jeff Buckley. He was an amazing talent.

Randy Jackson's observations and expressions might sometimes seem overladen with modern slang and repetitious, but more often as not the big man has something to say and it is worth listening to. On Tuesday night's American Idol show, Jackson disagreed with Simon Cowell's critique of Adam Lambert's "Ring of Fire," which Cowell had referred to as "horrific." But Jackson noted that it was done much the way it might have been done if "Nine Inch Nails were doing a country song." This may have been an unconscious or a direct reference to the fact that Johnny Cash, the legendary country singer who took "Ring of Fire" to No. 1 on the country charts in 1963, recorded the song "Hurt," which was composed by Nine Inch Nails. "Hurt" was a video hit just before Johnny Cash died and was nominated for the MTV Video of the Year and six other video awards in 2003.

So there seems to be a little more to American Idol judge Randy Jackson that first meets the eye.

But there is no version of "Ring of Fire" by Jeff Buckley (that I am aware of).

But there is by Adam Lambert, and it is the next best thing.

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There is one interesting note: On the Phil Stacey (American Idol Season 6 alumnus) blog in the Los Angeles Times, a comment posted by exsinger states: "His version reminded of what Jeff Buckley might have done with it vocally, had he lived (minus all the theatrics that typify Adam)." It was posted at 10: 20 p.m. on March 17.

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"American Idol," Fox Television

Billboard.com

LATimes.com