Canadian blues-rock-jazz guitarist Healey was a phenomenon. He was blind from eight months old – suffering from retinoblastoma, his eyes had to be surgically removed, and he was given artificial replacements.

Nevertheless, Healey taught himself to play guitar aged just three.

Healey developed a unique style of playing his Fender Strat ‘over the top’, flat on his lap, allowing his fretting-hand to produce wildly strong vibrato and odd chord voicings, best heard on his Grammy-nominated debut See The Light.

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Albert Collins were fans, as were Buddy Guy, BB King, ZZ Top, Steve Lukather, Eric Clapton, all of whom he played with.

Healey died from cancer in March 2008, but his finest work evinces one of the Stratocaster’s most singular and determined talents.

Next page: Billy Corgan