The “basics” about Jeff’s life are as follows:
When and where he was born: March 25, 1966, Toronto, Ontario. Why he was blind: retinoblastoma in his first year of life. How he died: metastases from the original cancer, which became pretty much a lifelong struggle.
Since Jeff’s talents encompassed several styles of music, from jazz to blues to soft rock to harder rock, it is reasonable to expect that his fans come from a similarly broad demographic. Yet from young kids to those older than Jeff, the comments are universally adoring. Read the stories told by those who’d met him in person, and it’s obvious that he was deeply and widely loved.
Some praise his music: amazing…outstanding talent…one of the best.
Some his character: nice and genuine…a true gentleman…a great human being…a true Canadian hero.
And some capture the whole man: an inspiration to all of us…a beautiful song, a beautiful voice, a beautiful man.
One repeated theme in the comments is “I didn’t know he was blind.” Well, the complete mastery he has over not only his instrument but also his physical space is something to behold. Sure, lots of blind people become accomplished musicians; many come to mind. But the way Jeff moves around onstage is utterly captivating. You can enjoy his performance even with the sound turned off!
I read that once someone in the audience threw him a glass of water and he caught it. His being blind doesn’t make that amazing. It just makes it more amazing.
And then there are the mellow love songs like “Angel Eyes.” Jeff was a mere 22 years old when this song was recorded, but in songs like this you can really appreciate the beauty of his voice. Not all rock musicians can really sing, but Jeff could. And that angelic face—are there any girls in the audience who don’t wish he were singing directly to them?