Jeff Healey Dies of Cancer at 41

My heart aches. So many years ago I played my first ever open mic at the Upper Lip at Yonge and Wellesley. I had to follow some bind kid from Etobicoke...Jeff Healy!!! I always credited myself for continuing to play music after that truly humiliating experience. Years later I had a house gig upstairs at Chicago's on Queen St. W. and Jeff had the house gig downstairs. He occasionaly used to come up and jam with me between his sets. He was a sweetheart of a person and an unbelievable musician. I know he was into jazz but I'm a blues guy and it was the thrill of my music life to get to say I played with Jeff Healy. I'm so sad. Spenny

How very sad. I loved his music and wish that I could have heard him in concert. Cancer has taken so many great people, people who have contributed much to Canadian culture. He will be greatly missed. My prayers for his family.

I've only seen Jeff Healy once and that was at Wonderland just north of Toronto about 20 years ago. He performed "With a Little Help From My Friends", with the Ringo Starr Allstar Band. It was an amazing evening.

Heaven is a rockin Place. Music and Canada is a bit darker today

I'm only sixteen and i am lucky enough to have seen Jeff Healy perform twice. The first time i saw him perform was at his bar in toronto. My dad was telling me all about him and that he was going to be playing some jazz, being 15 at the time and listened to nothing but rock'n'roll i was quite optimistic. By the end the show i was entranced in the music it was absolutely the best. Then just this past summer i watched him perform, this time he was playing some blues, it was at my city's Water Front Festival i brought about six of my freind's as soon as i heard that Jeff Healy was going to be playing. Also like me friends didn't listen to another other kind of music but rock'n'roll, i told them that that's what he was going to be playing but really i knew that he was going to be playing blues. As soon as my friends heard it they all sighed and said they hated blues, and i told them to just wait and listen a while. In the end my friends ended up enjoying themselves. That night he played AC/DC's Thunder Struck and played it with a blues twist, and made it that much better. Jeff Healy really opened up my eyes to other types of music other than just rock'n'roll. Then just this winter my band played a show at a local bar, some of my band memebers were there that day,in the summer, and we played two of Jeff Healy's songs that night in our set. Today is truly a sad day in the world of music to lose such a great musician, and for my friends aswell as me a great insperation. He will be greatly missed. My prayers for his family.

Well its sad for his family and friends but, I'm certain Heaven is rejoicing !! We're not from Canada, but that still didn't keep us from enjoying his music. You have to take ya hat off, to the push, want to, and determination Jeff had. Very soulful player and writer. We need to rejoice as the scriptures states, to rejoice at ones passing, and to mourn at ones birth !!! thanks

I heard the news of his passing at lunchtime. It is especially poingant because we had been looking forwards to seeing him play again over here in London in April. We knew that he was unwell but had hoped for his sake that he would come through the treatment. I first heard his music about six years ago, but had no idea that we would be lucky enough to see him play live last year. It was a magical evening. It was with a twist of irony that today, about 5 hours after I heard of his passing, the tickets for the April show were delivered.

Wow, I am at a loss... The world is less one helluva artist.. RIP Jeff Healy.

Jeff Healy will be sadly missed. Saw him perform once at Tipitina's down here in New Orleans and was very impressed. As a blues lover and having seen some of the best of our time, I knew I was in the presence of greatness. He will live on in his recordings. Thanks for all the great music Jeff!

I could not believe it when I heard it on the radio this morning. I was sad. Jeff Healey was one of the most awesome jazz musicians to come out of Canada. I saw him in concert twice, some 25 years ago. Our school band (Skule Stage Band at University of Toronto) had invited the stage band of the York Mills Collegiate Institute (high school) for a joint concert. There was a rumour that they had this unbelievably great blind guitarist. There he was, front and centre with his guitar on his lap. He absolutely blew us away (That was quite a feat because we had Warren Hill on saxophone before he decided to quit engineering school and become a famous musician). Jeff's fingers flew back and forth over the struts creating some of the most beautiful jazz guitar music I had ever heard. (This was probably before he started shaving). His performance was the highlight of the show both times we invited York Mills CI. His music over the years was just as inspiring, and I'm glad he made it big. I'll miss him, but every time I listen to a Jeff Healey song, his memory will live on.

It broke my heart to hear of Jeff's passing. I have had the privilege of attending many of his concerts, while witnessing the joy his fans experienced during his performances. His music gave me goosebumps, while some songs would make me cry. Only a warm and caring person, could please so many people for so many years the way Mr. Healey's art and humanity did. He was special and will be missed. My best wishes goes out to his family. God bless!

Jeff Healey was a great musician. He came to my hometown for a music festival, called Crab Fest. He stole the show when he appeared on stage last year, he was very inspiring to a lot of people who attended. His talents are heavens gain, Im quite sure that he is rejoicing with his music talents where no pain can strike him anymore. The movie he starred in with Patrick Swayze was an awesome show, his untimely death will be felt all across canada, and especially at Crab Fest 2008

This man was an idol of mine for many years and both himself and his talent for music and song writting will be sadly missed.

Who is Jeff Healy?