Jeff Healey

What can I say about Jeff Healey that hasn't been already written? A monstrous talent, Jeff was born in Toronto in 1966 and he lost his vision when he was an infant to retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer. The eyes had to be surgically removed, and he was given artificial replacements. Jeff began playing guitar when he was three, developing his unique style of playing the instrument flat on his lap. When he was 17, he formed the band Blue Direction, a four-piece band which primarily played bar-band cover tunes. His first album, was called "See The Light", was spawned the single "Angel Eyes" and "Confidence Man". Jeff, and the Jeff Healey Band also had a major role in the Patrick Swayze movie "Roadhouse". By the year 2000, Jeff had grown weary of the rock world and decided to turn his talents toward his real love, jazz. He performed with his new band, The Jazz Wizards often playing the trumpet. He also hosted his own radio program on CBC radio called My Kind of Jazz, and often featured records from his over 30,000 piece record collection. Over the years, Jeff toured with and sat in with many legendary stars such as Eric Clapton, BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan and many others.
In March 2008, Jeff died of cancer in Toronto. His death came a month before the release of his new album, Mess of Blues, his first rock/blues album in 6 years, and just weeks before his birthday on March 26. He was 41 years old. I miss his music very much, and his death was a huge loss for the music world. RIP Jeff. These videos are some of my favourites.