The blind Canadian rock and blues musician Jeff Healey has died of cancer on the eve of a new album release.

The famous guitarist, who played with his instrument flat on his lap, died of cancer in a Toronto hospital on Sunday, a spokesperson said.

The 41-year-old was diagnosed with a rare cancer, retino balstoma, at birth, and the disease claimed his eyesight when he was aged 1.

Last year, Healey had surgery to remove cancerous tissue from his legs and later from both lungs. He also underwent courses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy but the cancer continued to spread.

Healey began playing the guitar when he was 3, formed his first band at 17, and rose to fame with The Jeff Healey Band in 1988, when they released the hit single Angel Eyes and the Grammy-nominated album See the Light. The record sold more than one million copies in America.

He won a Juno award for Entertainer of the Year in 1990 and went on to play with some of the biggest names in blues, including B.B King and Stevie Ray Vaughn. He also recorded with George Harrison, Mark Knopfler, and the late Jimmy Rogers

But an array of original rock albums, live and ‘best of’ albums that he released during the Nineties failed to sell as well as See the Light and he returned to recording jazz.

Before he died, he had completed his first rock-blues album, Mess of Blues, in eight years and was planning a tour of Britain and Germany. He was also scheduled to appear on Later with Jools Holland.

A spokesperson confirmed that the album release would go ahead, coming out in America in March, and in Europe in April.

He leaves his wife, Cristie, daughter Rachel, 13 and son Derek, 3.

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