The Life of Jeff Healey

Norman Jeffery Healey was born on March 25^th, 1966 and died March 2^nd, 2008. He was known professionally as Jess Healey. He was a blind Canadian Blues-Rock and Jazz guitarist as well as a vocalist.

Jeff was born in Toronto, Ontario as the son of a firefighter. When he was just a year old, Retinoblastoma, a rare cancer of the eyes, took his eye site. They were surgically removed and replaced with artificial ones.

At the age of three he started playing the guitar. He learned the instrument, by laying it across his lap and playing. This would latter become a new guitar technique, as well as his trademark.

When Jeff was six years old, he was singing and playing for the public. At fifteen he was a music specialist at the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. By this time he had went through many genres of music and played in several bands.

At the age seventeen, Jeff formed the band, Blues direction. This four piece band played at the local clubs in Toronto. In 1985 a new band appears, The Jeff Healey Trio, was formed.

The Trios first appearance was at the Birds Nest in Toronto. Soon after the band received a write up in the Toronto's 'NOW' magazine, and were playing almost every night at local clubs including, 'Blue Club' , Albert's Hall and 'Grossman Tavern'.

Jeff and his band were featured in 'Road House', the movie and they released a 'single', under their own record label. Their rising stardom soon led to a contract with Arista Records.

At the 1986 Vancouver Expos in the Toronto's Albert Hall, Jeff shared the stage with Stevie Ray Vaughen and BBK. Sunday night jam sessions at Grossman's Tavern gave him the opportunity to play with Robbie Robertson, Downchild Blues Band, Dylan ,Stevie Ray Vaughen and others.

In 1988 Jeff Healey Trio released their first album, 'See The Light', featuring the hit single "Angel eyes". The album sold over 300,000 copies in Canada, and went Platinum in the United States. Jeff was nominated for a Grammy Award for best Instrumental in the song "Hideaway".

The next few years consisted of writing and recording a new album, tons of touring (including with Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, ZZ Top, Ringo Star and little feat), radio and press interviews and talk shows. In 1990 the band won the "Entertainer of the Year" Juno Award.

The album "Hell to Pay" featuring George Harrison, Paul Shaffer, Mark Knopfler and Bobby Whitlock, was also released in 1990. Over 200,000 copies were sold in Canada and went Gold in the United States, selling two million copies worldwide.

On entering the 21^st century, Jeff changed his direction. He learned to play the trumpet and started to lean toward Jazz of the 1920s and 1930s. In 2002 he released classical jazz album "Among Friends" and in 2004 "Adventures in Jazzland" was released.

Jeff opened his own club called "Healey's" in Toronto. On Thursday nights he would play with a rock band and on Saturdays with his jazz band, "Jeff Healey's Jazz Wizards'.

Jeff later moved his club to a bigger location and renamed it, 'Jeff Healey's Roadhouse'.

The Jeff Healey band performed on New Years Eve 2002 at Niagara Falls. The show was broadcasted throughout North America by both CNN and NBC.

In Jan. 2007, Jeff had surgery to remove cancerous tissues from both of his lungs. In previous months he had two sarcomas (cancer of the supporting or connective tissue), removed from his legs.

Jeff passed away on March 2^nd 2008 at St Joseph's Health Center in Toronto, at the age of 41yrs. He died of Retinoblastoma, the cancer he had been fighting all of his productive life.

Sources:

news yahoo.com
www.jeffhealeysband.comwww.cmt.com