Sunday, Canadian rocker Jeff Healey has lost his battle with cancer.
He was 41.
Healey lost his sight when he was one year old, due to retinoblastoma, a rare cancer of the eyes which he suffered from throughout his life and which ultimately killed him. His eyes had to be surgically removed, and he was given artificial replacements. He began playing guitar when he was three, developing his unique style of playing the instrument flat on his lap.
The blind star who mastered playing the guitar despite his disability died at Toronto's St Joseph's Hospital on Sunday - just one day before his new album 'Mess of Blues'his first in eight years was to be released in North America.
An official statement posted on his website reads: "Following a lengthy struggle with cancer Healey passes away on the eve of the release of a new blues rock album."
But Healey didn't allow his loss of sight to hinder his musical ambitions - going on to form the Jeff Healey Band with bassist Joe Rockman and drummer Tom Stephen.
Their work spawned the 1988 Grammy-nominated album 'Angel Eyes'.
Paying tribute to the late star Healey's publicist Richard Flohil says: "Visually Jeff was an intriguing player to watch because he played guitar - by any conventional standard - all wrong with it flat across his lap. But he was a remarkable virtuoso player."
He is survived by his wife Christie and their two children: Rachel, age 13 and Derek, age 3.
As My Guitar Gently Weeps ~ You will be missed Jeff
14 comments:
This is the first for me to hear the news...I love that song..have a good week! Hugs,TerryAnn
It is a shame that such a talent should be gone so early, but I'm sure he is playing for Jesus right now! Linda
It is sad news!!
Missie
rip jeff!
Jeff Healy will be missed.... :(
Hugs,
Carol
Awe, I hadn't heard about his passing - yes, he will be missed.
xx
Lisa
So sad....I hadn't heard.
how sad
He was an amazing artist...
be well,
Dawn
http://journals.aol.com/princesssaurora/CarpeDiem/
I don't really know him but wasn't he in the film Roadhouse??
Jenny
http://journals.aol.co.uk/Jmoqueen/MyLife
He was a great talent, and what a great voice!
Lori
He will be missed.........
Sunny
http://journals.aol.com/blazensun/ishallovercome/
http://journals.aol.com/blazensun/dearkyle/
Oh my... I'm truly sad. Lump in the throat and everything... I really enjoyed his music. I wasn't aware that he was ill. So very sad. ;) C.
I greatly enjoyed Jeff's music ~ to me he was a virtuoso. I remember his music being in Eddie and The Cruisers... it (the music) wailed at me, made me feel. Yes, he will be greatly missed and I will look forward hopefully to his newest recordings. Hugz, Teresa
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