Karrie Lee V.

O'Leary, Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island Provincial Heritage Fair

Jeff Healey: The Life, The Legacy

Jeff Healey: The Life, The Legacy chronicles the life and the legacy of Jeff Healey. Part one of this project informs you about Jeff's diagnosis and his early life. Part two tells you about the music and part three tells you about the man behind the music and his death.

 

 

What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?

The most interesting thing I learned was just a collection of facts about Jeff's personal life because as humans we have a habit of separating celebrities from normal people and it was because of my interview with a close friend of Jeff's that I was able to take Jeff off of the pedestal that is being a celebrity and see him as he was, a human being. Some of the things that I learned about were; Jeff's love of Cheetos, fuzzy slippers, vintage jazz records and staying home with his family.

What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?

If Canadians walk away only remembering one thing from my project I would want it to be that you can overcome anything. Jeff Healey was blind but he didn't let that stop him or effect how he lived his life, he didn't even consider it as a disability, just an inconvenience.

How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?

Jeff Healey only died eight years ago so the fundamentals of life are still the same but the main difference between Jeff and most of us is that we can see and he couldn't. Also during Jeff's younger years(1960's,1970's,1980's) it took hard work, dedication and talent to make it in the music business but now all it takes is a camera and a computer.