How a blind guitarist redefined the blues with a flat-on-the-lap style
In short: After losing his sight to cancer as an infant, Jeff Healey developed a revolutionary technique, playing the guitar flat across his lap. This unique approach helped propel him from Toronto's club scene to the Billboard charts and international stardom.
Born in Toronto in 1966, Jeff Healey faced a life-altering challenge when he was less than a year old. A rare eye cancer called retinoblastoma forced surgeons to remove his eyes, necessitating the use of ocular prostheses. Rather than limiting his musical potential, this challenge contributed to his signature playing style: holding the guitar flat on his lap rather than in a traditional upright position.
Healey's ascent began in the Toronto club circuit, performing at venues like the Colonial Tavern and Grossman's Tavern. His talent was recognized by legends like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Albert Collins at Albert's Hall. By 1988, he signed with Arista Records, leading to the 1989 release of 'See the Light.' This album featured the hit 'Angel Eyes,' which reached number five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and the Grammy-nominated instrumental 'Hideaway.'
Throughout the 1990s, Healey achieved significant success, winning the Juno Award for Canadian Entertainer of the Year in 1990. He additionally earned accolades at the World Music Awards, taking home Best-Selling Canadian Artist in 1990 alongside Best-Selling Canadian Group in 1991. While he became a blues-rock icon, he remained a dedicated scholar of the genre, amassing a collection of over 30,000 vintage 78 rpm gramophone records and hosting jazz programs on radio stations like CIUT-FM and CBC Radio.
Healey's career was marked by both immense collaboration and personal struggle. He performed with artists ranging from Eric Clapton to Bonnie Raitt, and appeared in the 1989 film 'Road House.' Despite his success, he battled cancer, undergoing surgery in 2007 to remove metastatic tissue from his lungs. He passed away in Toronto on March 2, 2008, at the age of 41, due to sarcoma.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Jeff Healey
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