Jeff Headley, the Canadian musician who overcame his blindness to play the guitar in a unique way, passed away Sunday evening in his native Toronto. He was 41.

Jeff Headley had been battling cancer for years when he succumbed Sunday, March 2, in a Toronto hospital. He was surrounded by friends and family when he died. He was only 41.

He is survived by wife Cristie, daughter Rachel and son Derek, as well as his father, stepmother and two sisters, a message posted on his official website informs. Funeral and memorial arrangements are pending.

Healey had been battling cancer since the tender age of 1, when he lost his eyesight because of a rare form of retinal cancer called retinoblastoma. He overcame life’s plights though, becoming a critically appreciated rock and jazz musician.

He taught himself to play guitar in a unique manner, by laying the instrument across his lap and soon became a virtuoso. He was in his mid-teens when he formed his first band. He later formed the trio which would make his a star: the Jeff Healey Band.

In 1988, his band released the Grammy-nominated album “See the Light,” which spawned the hit “Angel Eyes.” Two years later, Healey won a Juno Award (Canada’s most prestigious music awards) as Entertainer of the Year.

The Jeff Healey Band enjoyed great record sales and released more rock albums in the following years.

Healey also performed with some of the world’s best-known musicians, such as B. B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan and George Harrison.

Later in life, Healey turned to his true love, jazz music. He took on disc jockey duties for a CBC Radio series and on a Toronto radio station, playing jazz music from his extended collection of over 30,000 vinyl records.

Healey also turned to performing jazz and released a series of three albums of early jazz, his website informs. The most recent of those was “It’s Tight Like That,” recorded live at Hugh’s Room in Toronto in 2005, with British Jazz Legend Chris Barber as guest star.

Healey was preparing to release his first rock album in eight years when he passed away. Although he had undergone numerous operations over the past few years to remove tumors from his lungs and legs, he still managed to record music.

“Mess of Blues” is scheduled for a North American release on April 22.