Blind Guitar Legend Jeff Healey Dies
AP
Posted: 2008-03-03 09:03:24
Filed Under: Star Obituaries, Music News
(March 3) -- Blind rock and jazz musician Jeff Healey has died after a lifelong battle against cancer. He was 41.
Healey died Sunday evening in a Toronto hospital, said bandmate Colin Bray, who was in the room with Healey's family when the guitarist died.
Very sad I had always wanted to see him play one day
http://news.aol.com/entertainment/music/...S00010000000001
I'm stunned. What a loss.
Thank you for sharing the news. Somehow, these kinds of blows are softened somewhat when I can share them with our community here.
I have always been a big fan. I saw him play at Seattle's (~3,000 seat) Paramount Theatre many years ago; it was perhaps his first, big headline tour after "See The Light" became so successful. It was a very memorable show - one where you are just constantly amazed for a couple hours. I vividly recall being blown away by his interpretation of "White Room".
My life is richer because of Jeff. RIP.
I might even fire up "Roadhouse" tonight.
I was gonna say...isn't that the guy from "Roadhouse"?
I was gonna say...isn't that the guy from "Roadhouse"?
Said it twice, or 'twiced' as my dear Dad from Dallas would say.
I wrote this elsewhere on this site last night...
I met him and his wife at a record show ages ago. He was buying 78s. He would pull them out of the sleeve and feel the grooves all the way around. It was incredible to watch. He was a very nice guy. Sad loss.
Sad news. Very much under-appreciated, and a true renaissance man who mastered many styles and many instruments. I found an old clip of him jamming with SRV on youtube. The guy holds his own against the best. (sorry, audio and video on this source are pretty bad).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqU9RZqvFKY
Maybe this thread should be combined with
yesterdays thread posted by Mapatton ... this is beginning to look like a rerun.
Maybe this thread should be combined with
yesterdays thread posted by Mapatton ... this is beginning to look like a rerun.
Oops. Fair play.
He used to play twice a week at a club in Toronto (aptly named "Jeff Healey's Roadhouse.") Sad to say I never made it down to see him live.
Have to share this with you guys...
I only had the privilege of seeing Jeff perform once, but it turned out to be one of my best concert memories, of all of the dozens of big and small shows I've attended.
The show was at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, and it was a triple bill with The Robert Cray Band, then Jeff's band, and finally Colin James' band. About 8,000 in attendance, and my wife and I were sitting centre stage, second row. I couldn't have been more than 15 or twenty feet away from Jeff and Robert when they were playing their sets. Colin was a lot more mobile.
Jeff was simply amazing. I remember thinking at the time that this was what it felt like to watch Hendrix play in person.
Rock on Jeff... I'll be picking up his upcoming album, to support his family if nothing else. Though I'm sure I'll enjoy it, envisioning Jeff ripping it up.
That's a shock to me,.......I had not heard.
I was lucky enough to see him on the "See the Light" tour, at Janus Landing.......in St.Petersburg Fl.
As an encore, he played "Hey Joe"...one of my favourites.
I'm glad you posted.
I think I'll pull out some of my Jeff Healey CD's....as well.