Death of an icon

The Vancouver Province
Published: Wednesday, March 05, 2008
The following editorial is reprinted from the Vancouver Province.

Guitarist Jeff Healey, who has died of cancer at the age of 41, was a familiar figure on the West Coast, where over the years he had entertained countless fans with his distinctive, highly-skilled playing.

Blinded by a rare form of cancer as a baby, Healey learned to play the guitar as a three-year-old, balancing the instrument on his lap. In 1988, his Grammy-nominated album See the Light included the major hit single, Angel Eyes. In 1990, he earned the Juno for Entertainer of the Year. Healey was a Canadian icon. But he was also known around the world, and had played with such musical greats as B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan.He will be remembered also for his courage in facing a disease that was a constant threat. It is entirely in character that, at his death, he was hugely excited about his new CD, Mess of Blues, due out next month