Legendary Blues and Jazz Guitarist Jeff Healey Dead at 41

Canadian rocker Jeff Healey has lost his battle with cancer. He was 41.
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 Web site reads: "Following a lengthy struggle with cancer, Healey passes away on the eve of the release of a new blues rock album."
Healey had been suffering from retino blastoma, a rare form of cancer, since birth and the disease claimed his eyesight when he was just one-year-old.
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, 13, and Derek, three.
Jeff performed with such acclaimed guitar players as B. B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins and George Harrison. He was one of the world's best blues/rock guitar players.



I saw him with Randy, Sully and Debbie at Hammerjacks in Baltimore 1991, unbelievably, a free concert. The place was friggin' packed to the rafters! One of the best shows ever! We had been into Jeff since the "See the Light" album came out, so it was an awesome treat and highly anticipated show for us, plus it was free at that!



So today I am sharing my Westwood One PreFM CD Show #96-31 for broadcast the week of July 29, 1996. Commercials cut out. It's a fairly short show, and the version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is Smokin'!!!



No doubt he will be missed!
May he rest in peace.




1) Baby's Lookin' Hot (4:25)
2) House That Love Built (5:08)
3) Lost in Your Eyes (5:58)
4) Cruel Little Number (4:19)
5) While My Guitar Gently Weeps (5:26)
6) Angel Eyes (6:34)
7) Roadhouse Blues (5:54)

75MB, MP3@320, 38 Minutes

http://rapidshare.com/files/96849021/Jeff_Healey_Westwood_One.rar

More info:
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/theampersand/archive/2008/03/02/guitarist-jeff-healy-dies-at-41.aspx