-submitted by Pascal:
I first learned about Jeff Healey like many others, by watching the movie “Road House“. I bought the movie soundtrack and started to track Jeff right away.
I am a blues fanatic, and his music appealed to me. It was really love at first “sight”.
In 1993, a “Cafe Concert” opened just off “Les Champs Elysees” in Paris, rue de la Boetie. They featured American artists and live music. It became my home base right away. Thanks to that place, I discovered many guitar players I have never heard about before, including Neal Black and Poppa Chubby.
For the 1994 year end, Jeff Healey was going to be the main act, and I could not let this opportunity escape. I immediately booked a table, and counted the days to the show.
Jeff did not disappoint. What a show! The only part I did not really like was when he threw is guitar on the floor! It was a Les Paul though. He was playing it on a stand.
After the show, he was at the bar, five feet away from our table. I got up and went to speak to him. He was very accessible and very kind. I complimented him, and told him that I would never forget this magic moment. And the fact is, it is still very vivid in my mind.
And because Fender has not done it, I am going to get a luthier to make me a Jeff Healey signature. My only dilemma is which one should it be. I always associate him with the Black Squire with the Red Evans pickups, even if his latest guitars were different. I always wondered what happened to the Squire guitars that he used in his early days.
To make me feel miserable, I had taken my AE1 Canon that night, and I did take plenty of photos, including of his gear. Unfortunately, those photos are lost somewhere in Paris, and I am uncertain I will ever be able to recover them.
Glad to have found this site.
Every Friday we share stories from fans about their experiences with Jeff and his music in our Fan Scrapbook feature…
(If you’d like to share your story, make sure you’re logged in and head HERE)