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.

Kevin DuBrow, the spandex clad lead singer of the 1980’s heavy metal glam band Quiet Riot, has died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to TMZ.com. The Clark County coroner’s office was examining the body to determine the cause of death which is unknown as of yet.

Quiet Riot hit No. 1 with their infamous “Metal Health” album in 1983 driven by the group’s cover of Slade’s “Cum on Feel the Noize,” which hit the Top 40. Quiet Riot was one of the first generation of spandex clad glam metal bands that came barrelling out of the Los Angeles club scene in the early 1980’s. The band formed in the mid-1970s behind DuBrow and guitarist Randy Rhoads, who later joined Ozzy Osbourne’s band and died in a fatal tour accident when a plane collided with the tour bus. After several years, during which time the band disbanded, regrouped and built an audience, everything came together for “Metal Health,” which put Quiet Riot in the vanguard of the Los Angeles heavy metal movement.

Quiet Riot catapulted to stardom and their crowning moment was playing 1983’s mammoth US Festival which featured acts such as U2, Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, The Scorpions, Van Halen, The Pretenders, Stevie Nicks, David Bowie, INXS, The Stray Cats, Men At Work, and The Clash. Upon the release of their second album “Condition Critical,” Quiet Riot didn’t do as well, and DuBrow started taking shots at other L.A. bands, such as Motley Crue and Ratt. The following years weren’t kind to Quiet Riot and found them back into the club scene, no longer a headlining arena band, they were washed up and considered a triviality by most music fans.

“I’m at a loss for words. I’ve just lost my best friend,” Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali told CNN. “Out of respect for both Kevin and his family, I won’t comment further. There’s going to be a lot of speculation out there, and I won’t add to that. I love him too much.”

Here’s an early picture of the band Quiet Riot with the legendary Randy Rhoads.

And here’s Quiet Riot’s most legendary video that rocketed them to stardom “Cum On Feel the Noize” !!!

I saw them two times in 1983 when they were touring with Iron Maiden at the old Hollywood Sportatorium in Hollywood, Florida and those shows were totally sold out. People crammed and scammed their way in the arena to see that show. Half my high school had the tour shirts the next day at school (wow, that was back when the days after a concert everybody wore their tour shirts).

RIP Kevin DuBrow