We have some sad news to report today. Canadian blues guitarist Jeff Healey died Sunday in a Toronto hospital after a lifelong battle with cancer. He was 41.

Healey had been in the hospital for a week fighting advanced lung cancer.

Healey had undergone numerous operations in recent years to remove tumors from his lungs and leg.

When he was only one year old, Healey lost his eyesight due to retinoblastoma, a rare form of retinal cancer.

He began playing the guitar at the age of 3 and developed a unique style of playing the instrument flat on his lap.

Healey was discovered in a Toronto bar at 15 by the late Stevie Ray Vaughan. When he was 17 he formed the band Blue Direction and later found fame with his trio The Jeff Healey Band.

Healey recently completed work on his first studio album in eight years, 'Mess of Blues' which is being released in Europe on March 20, and in Canada and the U.S. on April 22.

Healey leaves behind his wife, Cristie, 13-year-old daughter Rachel and three-year-old son Derek.