RIP Jeff Healey

We last saw Jeff play at the Long Beach Blues Festival a few years back, as he'd cut back on touring in the past few years to spend more family time. He always put on an amazingly high energy show and was an amazing player, especially considering his unconventional style. He'd battled cancer his whole life, having lost his sight to retinal blastoma when he was a baby, and had who knows how many operations over the years. Through it all, he was playful, warm, giving, and just a really nice guy. I got to talk to him a couple of times when he was using equipment made by the company I was working for. In recent years, he'd been playing more jazz (and playing as much trumpet as guitar). His new album, the first blues and rock recording he'd done in a while, is scheduled to be released later this month. I think the best tribute we can make is all go out and buy a copy when it come out.