It is with great sadness that I write this post about blind blues musician, Jeff Healey, as he unfortunately succumbed to a cancer on March 2nd. Healey was only 41 years old. Many knew Healey best from his appearance as Cody in the movie Road House (famous line: “I thought you’d be bigger”), so this sad news was compounded when Road House star Patrick Swayze revealed this week that he has (possibly terminal) cancer himself.

Healey lost his sight when he was eight months 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.

Here’s a nice tribute to Jeff Healey that was posted on YouTube

Here’s another touching tribute

I had the opportunity to meet Jeff Healey in the early 1990’s in toronto when a promoter friend of mine who had worked with Jeff wanted to introduce me to him. Although my bands have always been experimental punk/metal/hardcore/psychedelic, my playing style was always rooted in Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn more than the metal guitarists and Jeff Healey always impressed me with his innovative approach to the instrument. Upon meeting him, I felt Jeff was one of the most honest, sincere and nicest people ever to grace the stage. I hung out with him for hours and we even did a cover of Hendrix’s “Little Wing” that was more than impressive. Over the years, while my bands were on tour, I’ve met all my guitar heroes, including Clapton, Santana, Jerry Garcia, Alex Lifeson, Dickie Betts, Johnny Marr, John Frusciante and tons of other guitarists but Jeff Healey was the most “down to earth”, humble, respectful professional musician I’ve ever met in person.

RIP Jeff. Our sympathies go out to his wife Christie and two children who he left behind.