Jeff Healey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeff Healey
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Jeff Healey & Tom Lavin (Powder Blues Band)
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Norman Jeffrey Healey |
| Born | March 25, 1966 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | March 2, 2008 (aged 41) Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor |
| Instruments | Guitar, trumpet, vocals |
| Years active | 1981–2008 |
| Labels | Arista, BMG, Sony, Eagle, Sensation, Healey-O-Phonic, Stony Plain, Convexe Entertainment, Provogue, CBC, Arbor |
| Associated acts | The Jeff Healey Band, The Jazz Wizards (aka Jeff Healey's Jazz Wizards), Jeff Healey's Blues Band (aka The Healey's House Band), Blue Direction |
Norman Jeffrey Healey (born March 25, 1966 – died March 2, 2008) was a talented Canadian musician. He was a singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Jeff Healey became very popular in the 1980s and 1990s. He was known for playing blues, rock, and jazz music. His song "Angel Eyes" reached number 5 in the U.S. He also had top 10 hits in Canada. These included "I Think I Love You Too Much" and "How Long Can a Man Be Strong."
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Jeff Healey was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He grew up in the western part of the city. Jeff was adopted when he was a baby. His adoptive father was a firefighter. When he was almost one year old, Jeff lost his eyesight. This was due to a rare eye cancer called retinoblastoma. Doctors had to remove his eyes. He then used artificial eyes.
Jeff started playing guitar when he was only three years old. He developed a special way of playing. He would lay the guitar flat on his lap. When he was nine, his musical skills were shown on a TV show. It was a children's program called Cucumber.
Forming Early Bands
At 15, Jeff formed a band called Blue Direction. They mostly played cover songs in clubs. The band included Jeremy Littler, Graydon Chapman, and Rob Quail. They played in Toronto clubs like the Colonial Tavern.
Jeff also hosted a jazz and blues radio show. It was on CIUT-FM. He was known for playing music from his huge collection of old records. These were called 78 rpm gramophone records.
Soon after, he met bassist Joe Rockman and drummer Tom Stephen. They formed a trio called the Jeff Healey Band. Their first show was at the Birds Nest in Toronto. They quickly became popular. They played almost every night in local clubs. Famous guitarists Stevie Ray Vaughan and Albert Collins discovered them at Albert's Hall.
Rising to Stardom and Film Work
In 1988, the band signed with Arista Records. They released their first album, See the Light. It became very popular in 1989. This album had the hit song "Angel Eyes." Another song, "Hideaway," was nominated for a Grammy Award.
While making See the Light, they also worked on a movie. They filmed scenes and recorded music for the soundtrack of Road House. Jeff had many acting scenes with Patrick Swayze. His band played as the house band in the movie's bar. In 1990, the band won a Juno Award. This award was for Canadian Entertainer of the Year.
More Hit Albums
The albums Hell to Pay and Feel This followed. They gave Jeff 10 hit songs in Canada between 1990 and 1994. One famous song was a cover of The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." It even featured George Harrison and Jeff Lynne singing and playing guitar.
Later Career and Jazz Music
Around the year 2000, Jeff started focusing more on jazz music. He released three albums of traditional American jazz. This music was from the 1920s and 1930s. Jeff had been playing with jazz bands in Toronto since he started his music career. Even though he was famous for guitar, he also played the trumpet in live shows. His main jazz group was called Jeff Healey's Jazz Wizards.
Jeff loved collecting old records. He had over 30,000 78 rpm records! He hosted a radio show about early jazz. It was on CIUT at the University of Toronto. Later, he had a national show on CBC Radio called My Kind of Jazz. He played records from his huge jazz collection.
Healey's Club and Collaborations
For many years, Jeff toured North America and Europe. He also performed at his own club in Toronto. It was first called "Healey's" and later "Jeff Healey's Roadhouse." He played with his blues band on Thursday nights. He also played with his jazz group on Saturday afternoons.
Jeff toured and played with many famous musicians. These included The Allman Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, BB King, ZZ Top, Steve Lukather, and Eric Clapton. In 2006, he appeared on Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan's album Gillan's Inn.
Jeff also helped other musicians start their careers. Some of these artists were Terra Hazelton, Amanda Marshall, Shannon Curfman, and Philip Sayce.
Awards and Tributes
In 2009, Jeff's album Mess of Blues won an Independent Music Award. It was for Best Blues Album. Also in 2009, Jeff was added to the Terry Fox Hall of Fame.
In June 2011, a park in Toronto was renamed Jeff Healey Park. This was done to honor him. In 2014, Jeff was added to Canada's Walk of Fame. In 2016, he was inducted into the Mississauga Music Walk of Fame. After his death, two albums of unreleased music were put out. These were Heal My Soul and Holding On in 2016.
Personal Life
Jeff Healey married Krista Miller in 1992. They had a daughter together. They later divorced in 1998. In 2004, he married Cristie Hall. They had a son.
Illness and Passing
On January 11, 2007, Jeff had surgery. Doctors removed cancer tissue from his lungs. In the year and a half before that, he had two tumors removed from his legs. On March 2, 2008, Jeff Healey passed away from cancer. He was 41 years old. He was buried in Etobicoke, Ontario. His death happened just a month before his new rock/blues album, Mess of Blues, was released.
Discography
Jeff Healey released many albums throughout his career.
Albums with The Jeff Healey Band
- 1988: See the Light
- 1990: Hell to Pay
- 1992: Feel This
- 1995: Cover to Cover
- 2000: Get Me Some
Solo Albums and with The Jazz Wizards
- 2002: Among Friends
- 2003: Live at Healey's
- 2004: Adventures in Jazzland
- 2006: It's Tight Like That
- 2008: Mess of Blues
- 2009: Songs From The Road
- 2010: Last Call
- 2016: Heal My Soul
- 2016: Holding On: A 'Heal My Soul' Companion
- 2020: Heal My Soul: Deluxe Edition
Live Albums
- 1993: Live in Belgium (CD & DVD)
- 2005: Live at Montreux 1999
- 2011: Live at Grossman's 1994
- 2013: As The Years Go Passing By: Live in Germany 1989-1995-2000
- 2013: Live From NYC
- 2014: Live at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern, 1993
Compilation Albums
- 1998: The Very Best of Jeff Healey
- 1999: Master Hits
- 2004: The Platinum and Gold Collection
- 2008: Super Hits
- 2008: Legacy: Volume One
- 2013: Playlist: The Very Best of the Jeff Healey Band
- 2013: House on Fire – Demos & Rarities
- 2015: The Best of the Stony Plain Years
Filmography
- 1989: Road House as Cody
- 1999: Live at Montreux
- 2004: See The Light
- 2013: As The Years Go Passing By: Live in Germany 1989-1995-2000
Images for kids
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Healey performing on August 31, 2002
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Jeff Healey live in 2007 with the Jazz Wizards
See also
In Spanish: Jeff Healey para niños
- Canadian blues
- Canadian rock
- Music of Canada
