Jeff Healey dies at 41.
Moderator: bclaire
Legendary blues and jazz guitarist Jeff Healey has died, his publicist said Sunday. The Canadian musician had battled cancer his entire life.
"It was something he fought with considerable bravery," his publicist, Richard Flohil, told Newsnet late Sunday.
Healey, 41, had lost his eyesight to a rare form of the disease, Retinoblastoma, at the age of one.
The musician had performed with such acclaimed guitar players as B. B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins and George Harrison.
His full name was Norman Jeffrey Healey and he passed away Sunday in the city of his birth, Toronto, at St. Joseph's Hospital.
Healey first began playing guitar at the age of three and formed his first band while still a teenager, according to his website. He played with a very distinctive style, laying his guitar on his lap.
"Visually, Jeff was an intriguing player to watch, because he played guitar -- by any conventional standard -- all wrong, with it flat across his lap," said Flohil. "But he was remarkable, a virtuoso player."
One of his best-known songs, "Angel Eyes," came from the Grammy-nominated album See the Light.
His blues band, simply called the Jeff Healey Band, has sold more than 1 million albums in the United States. But along with rock and blues music, Healey was also an accomplished jazz musician.
In his final years he had hosted a jazz program on Jazz-FM in Toronto, playing rare tracks from his vast collection of more than 30,000 78-rpm records.
He had also been touring with a group called the Jazz Wizards, playing American jazz from the 1920s, 1930s and early 1940s.
They had been planning to perform a series of shows in Britain, German and Holland in April.
Healey leaves behind his wife, Cristie, 13-year-old daughter Rachel and three-year-old son Derek.
"It was something he fought with considerable bravery," his publicist, Richard Flohil, told Newsnet late Sunday.
Healey, 41, had lost his eyesight to a rare form of the disease, Retinoblastoma, at the age of one.
The musician had performed with such acclaimed guitar players as B. B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins and George Harrison.
His full name was Norman Jeffrey Healey and he passed away Sunday in the city of his birth, Toronto, at St. Joseph's Hospital.
Healey first began playing guitar at the age of three and formed his first band while still a teenager, according to his website. He played with a very distinctive style, laying his guitar on his lap.
"Visually, Jeff was an intriguing player to watch, because he played guitar -- by any conventional standard -- all wrong, with it flat across his lap," said Flohil. "But he was remarkable, a virtuoso player."
One of his best-known songs, "Angel Eyes," came from the Grammy-nominated album See the Light.
His blues band, simply called the Jeff Healey Band, has sold more than 1 million albums in the United States. But along with rock and blues music, Healey was also an accomplished jazz musician.
In his final years he had hosted a jazz program on Jazz-FM in Toronto, playing rare tracks from his vast collection of more than 30,000 78-rpm records.
He had also been touring with a group called the Jazz Wizards, playing American jazz from the 1920s, 1930s and early 1940s.
They had been planning to perform a series of shows in Britain, German and Holland in April.
Healey leaves behind his wife, Cristie, 13-year-old daughter Rachel and three-year-old son Derek.
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- Orange Master
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That's very sad, I didn't know he was so unwell, although I am a big fan of his music and his guitar playing. One of the best gigs I was ever at was when he played at the Garage in Glasgow, a reasonably intimate venue and I was right at the front. I had heard his music before and went along expecting to enjoy the gig but his playing was much more amazing than I expected. My eyebrows were raised and I was really impressed. I first saw him in the film Roadhouse playing behind the chicken wire! He achieved much even without taking into account his blindness. I'm still working on learning a few of his songs. Sad day for rock and blues.
RIP and a big fat thank you. Jeff Healey got me into the blues when I was a teenager and first started playing.
mmmmmm drop
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by bassdrop</i>
<br />RIP and a big fat thank you. Jeff Healey got me into the blues when I was a teenager and first started playing.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
+1...That is sad news for me. Mr. Healey introduced me to the blues I love so dearly. I can pinpoint my introduction to blues to him. Thanks Jeff..you will be missed.
I dont think I will ever forget the way he could make that strat SCREAM for mercy:(
<br />RIP and a big fat thank you. Jeff Healey got me into the blues when I was a teenager and first started playing.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
+1...That is sad news for me. Mr. Healey introduced me to the blues I love so dearly. I can pinpoint my introduction to blues to him. Thanks Jeff..you will be missed.
I dont think I will ever forget the way he could make that strat SCREAM for mercy:(
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Retired from the forum because of the intolerance of supposed "tolerant" people.... good night
Retired from the forum because of the intolerance of supposed "tolerant" people.... good night
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I saw that concert as well..it was very very cool...man I really loved him back in the day..he was a big user of Evans pickups..noiseless single coils, very good sounding pickups..
He tore it up every time I did catch a show. I also saw him one time with Sayce on 2nd guitar..that kid tore it up as well, and Jeff gave him all the room in the world to reach out to the people. I am very bummed he has pasted on...
He tore it up every time I did catch a show. I also saw him one time with Sayce on 2nd guitar..that kid tore it up as well, and Jeff gave him all the room in the world to reach out to the people. I am very bummed he has pasted on...
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