Tom Stephen, Drummer and manager of The Jeff Healey Band has passed away on Monday, February 20, 2023. He has been of aid to an incredible amount of musicians all during the course of his career. He took a considerable amount of pride in both marketing Ayotte Drums and playing them, and as a result, he ordered that the whole logo head be placed on each drum while he was using them in the movie Roadhouse. This was done so that the drums would seem more professional.
Tom Stephen was the drummer in the Jeff Healey Band from its formation in the early 1980s, up to the beloved Toronto native’s death in 2008. Stephen also served as the band’s manager, helping to navigate their international rise to fame in the wake of their multi-platinum selling 1988 debut album, See The Light. He’s chronicled it all in a new book. Best Seat In The House: My Life In The Jeff Healey Band (ECW Press) focuses on the impact of his dual role that often turned on a dime from indulging in the excesses afforded successful rock stars to having to discipline the band for the havoc they caused. Since Healey’s passing, Stephen has done more than anyone to keep his legacy alive (although sometimes at odds with Healey’s widow Cristie), and for any fan, Best Seat In The House is a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of a truly unique Canadian rock and roll story.
Tom and bassist Joe Rockman were introduced to Jeff Healey in the late 80s and together they released 5 albums studio albums, several live records as well as their recording of the soundtrack to Road House – touring across the globe, jamming with some of the greatest rock and blues artists, and beyond the untimely conclusion of the band. Thomas Stephen was born on 2 February 1955 in New Brunswick, Canada. Along with Jeff & Joe he also performed in the movie Road House (1989) and the live dvds The Jeff Healey Band: See the Light – Live from London (1989) and The Jeff Healey Band: Live at Montreux 1999 (2005).