Canadian musician Jeff Healey ailing

[Jazz]

Blues guitarist Jeff Healey recovering from lung cancer surgery
Last Updated: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 | 5:45 PM ET
The Canadian Press
The Toronto-based blues-rock musician Jeff Healey is recovering from surgery to remove cancerous tissue from both lungs.

Healey's publicist said the celebrated blind guitarist underwent a major operation Thursday and is recuperating in a Toronto hospital with family at his side.

Richard Flohil said Healey was diagnosed with lung cancer in December but chose to keep the news private until now.

He said doctors report a successful operation, and noted they caught the disease early due to regular testing.

Flohil said Healey is in good spirits and eager to return to the stage soon.

Healey, an occasional smoker, lost his eye sight to retinoblastoma, a rare form of cancer that left him blind in both eyes by age one. In the past 18 months, he's also undergone two operations to remove two sarcomas in his left leg.

Continue Article

"He varies like anybody in this situation between grumpy and depressed about it to being very positive," Flohil said of Healey's mood. "Most of the time he's pretty positive."

"As Jeff says, 'I've had 40 good years, you get a bump every now and then.'"

The operation comes just days after Healey celebrated the opening of a new blues club in the heart of Toronto's Entertainment District. He performed at a gala opening of Jeff Healey's Roadhouse on Jan. 9, an opening that was originally scheduled for Jan. 10 but moved up to allow time to prepare for surgery on Jan. 11.

Flohil said Healey was eager to play guitar again with his blues-rock outfit The Jeff Healey Band and his classic jazz group, Jeff Healey and the Jazz Wizards, with whom he plays trumpet and guitar.

It wasn't clear how the most recent operation would affect Healey's ability to play trumpet.

[Abitaman]

Watched road House last night, isn't he in that movie?-ERIC

[styxfanNH]

yes he is.

Hope things get nbetter for you Jeff.

[Abitaman]

Never have really heard him outside of Road House. But i do hope he has a speedy recover-ERIC

[LordofDaRing]

He is the only real actor in Road House, certainly the only good singer (Swaze - She' s like the wind). Get well soon Jeff! My wife has one of his CD's around here, I remember it was very good. He does a great While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

[johnroxx]

He is the only real actor in Road House, certainly the only good singer (Swaze - She' s like the wind). Get well soon Jeff! My wife has one of his CD's around here, I remember it was very good. He does a great While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

Yeah...and George Harrison actually played guitar on the track.

;^)

[Moon Beam]

He is the only real actor in Road House, certainly the only good singer (Swaze - She' s like the wind). Get well soon Jeff! My wife has one of his CD's around here, I remember it was very good. He does a great While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

Good ears ya got there Sir!
That's my fave version of that song.
Yup I like even more than the original.
I have always like Healey, hope he recovers fully.

Thanks for posting this Jazz.

[styxdudebrandon]

Jeff, played in my city on New Years eve, damn was he good!

[stmonkeys]

He is the only real actor in Road House, certainly the only good singer (Swaze - She' s like the wind). Get well soon Jeff! My wife has one of his CD's around here, I remember it was very good. He does a great While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

Good ears ya got there Sir!
That's my fave version of that song.
Yup I like even more than the original.
I have always like Healey, hope he recovers fully.

Thanks for posting this Jazz.

Speaking of WMGGW, have you heard the newest version on the LOVE cd? it's amazing- just george, a guitar & an orchestra! chills, believe me!!!!

[styxfanNH]

The Love Cd is a nice addition to the catalog.

[Moon Beam]

Good ears ya got there Sir!
That's my fave version of that song.
Yup I like even more than the original.
I have always like Healey, hope he recovers fully.

Thanks for posting this Jazz.

Speaking of WMGGW, have you heard the newest version on the LOVE cd? it's amazing- just george, a guitar & an orchestra! chills, believe me!!!!

I have heard it, I have that cd on my pod.
Sadly I don't feel the same way.
When first listening to it, I thought it was a
whole different song.
Peeved me off that they slowed it down even more
and it just doesn't sound right to me.

Glad you enjoyed it though, thnaks for adding your thoughts
about a classic tune!

[stmonkeys]

Good ears ya got there Sir!
That's my fave version of that song.
Yup I like even more than the original.
I have always like Healey, hope he recovers fully.

Thanks for posting this Jazz.

Speaking of WMGGW, have you heard the newest version on the LOVE cd? it's amazing- just george, a guitar & an orchestra! chills, believe me!!!!

I have heard it, I have that cd on my pod.
Sadly I don't feel the same way.
When first listening to it, I thought it was a
whole different song.
Peeved me off that they slowed it down even more
and it just doesn't sound right to me.



Glad you enjoyed it though, thnaks for adding your thoughts
about a classic tune!

interesting.... what martin did was take george's demo version of him & his guitar, and added an orchestral score behind it. so that's basically how the song was "born". And when i heard the extra verse, i was just blown way. i think it added much more emotion and sense of urgency to the song... yes, i do miss clapton's heartfelt solo, but i thought the new version really fit the message behind the song. in some cases, i would say its wrong to mess around with perfection, but what the LOVE cd does is give us a bit of a different prespective on the beatles classics. i REALLY enjoyed listening to ALL the songs, but since this one had the most radical change, i found it to be the most refreshing... make sense?

[styxfansite]

This might be interesting while on the subject of WMGGW and Martin. During the Barrett Jackson Car Auction Martin auctioned off 3 Beatles items. It was something different for a Car Auction. One of the items that was sold was the original score of WMGGW.

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/carlist/cardetails.asp?In_AuctionID=221&In_LotNumber=1296.1 Sold For $60,000.00

Two other items were sold, one was one of John Lennons' Piano's and the other was a George Harrison guitar that he used on the White Album. Here is the listing for them.

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/carlist/cardetails.asp?In_AuctionID=221&In_LotNumber=1295.1 Sold For $345,000.00

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/carlist/cardetails.asp?In_AuctionID=221&In_LotNumber=1296 Sold For $51,750.00

All proceeds went to George Martins Fundraiser which is to raise money for the Island of Montserrat, which was devestated by a Volcano.

Thanks