Getting Gruntled

This past weekend, Jeff Healey lost his lifelong battle with retinal cancer. Those of us who were around for the 80’s remember him fondly. The cancer that took his life was very rare, and took his sight at age 1. He taught himself to play the guitar using his own unique form at the age of three, holding the guitar across his lap.
This skill and spectacle, combined with talent, drew large crowds after the platinum album See The Light was released in 1988 as well as the band’s appearance in the Patrick Swayze movie “Roadhouse”. He and his band were nominated for Grammy awards. After starting a family, he went on to play the trumpet and record Jazz albums, but did not tour as much, preferring to stay home, close to his children.

The band was best remembered for the hit single Angel Eyes.

Stop Breakin’ Down

The band had just released their first Rock/Blues album in eight years titled Mess of Blues. Here’s to the continued health and happiness of his family and friends, and a celebration of his life and works.

Another artist and song that I discovered on Amie Street:

This week’s song is by Ford Turrell.

Listen to your Heartbeat is a song about sitting quietly, watching the sunset with a lover who is completely wrong for you, and realizing it. Listening to your heartbeat allows you to examine the lies you tell yourself, and maybe even forestall some of the heartache from hasty decisions.

His hands were what you laid your world in,
But they fell on you in stinging cold.
Oh love, they say, is all you’re ever gonna need.
Tell me, tell me, tell me, do you believe?
Listen to your heartbeat (3)
Let it roll you down this tired, aching street.

Turrell originally hails from Michigan, but now abides in the Nashville area, where he pens and performs. Ford’s acoustics are dead-on, the production values are clean, and the vocals are right in line with Ray LaMontagne, David Gray, and Ryan Adams. I’m going through the rest of his tracks at AmieStreet right away!

Here’s a video too!