RIP Buddy Miles and Jeff Healey

Note: both of these talented musicians passed away in the last couple of weeks, so a paragraph or so for each...

The 'legendary' BUDDY MILES, 1947-2008



The legendary Buddy Miles was a physically imposing figure. With his gregarious personality, his American flag glitter jacket, his hulking presence, and his soulful drumming and singing, the legendary Buddy Miles was a fixture in 60's and 70's rock. Most notable for his collaborations with others, the legendary Buddy Miles was the definition of a supportive and collaborative musician. He worked with Jimi Hendrix as drummer and singer in Hendrix's shortlived rock/soul experiment Band of Gypsys. He then worked with Michael Bloomfield in the shortlived supergroup Electric Flag. The legendary Buddy Miles also collaborated with Carlos Santana, and had his own solo hit with "Them Changes". Years ago I attended a benefit in Aspen, Colorado which featured the legendary Buddy Miles performing and singing. He was great on the drums, but I wished he would have laid off the guitar. I remember him hawking a photo of him with Hendrix for charity. RIP the legendary Buddy Miles.

JEFF HEALEY, 1966-2008



Jeff Healey was one of those rare wunderkind talents. Blind from birth, he learned to play guitar in a rather unorthodox fashion (see photo above). When Healey first hit the scene with his excellent debut See the Light, he was hailed as an up and coming great. His guitar skills were unquestionable and thrilling, but he suffered from a lack of good songwriting. Healey's popularity peaked when he appeared in the Patrick Swayze classic 'Roadhouse'. His best songs were usually covers, and his subsequent work never quite caught fire like his debut, but he continued to record and tour successfully. Healey was also an avid record collector, accumulating over 25,000 early jazz 78's. He hosted a radio show in his home country of Canada which featured classic jazz music. In his later years, Healey released albums that alternated between blues/rock and traditional jazz. He just completed his latest record, Mess of Blues, right before the cancer that blinded him finally took his life. Mess of Blues will be released posthumously next month. RIP JH.