- Joey Stuckey, a blind guitarist, producer and disability advocate, suffered a fatal heart attack while on tour in Madison, Wisconsin
- His wife Jennifer revealed he was teaching and performing right up until his final moments, just days before a new EP was set to drop
- Stuckey had recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of his Shadow Sound Studio in Macon, marking a career spent overcoming extraordinary odds
Beloved American musician and recording engineer Joey Stuckey has died at the age of 53 after suffering a heart attack while on a music tour in Madison, Wisconsin.
His wife, Jennifer Stuckey, confirmed that her husband of 23 years died doing exactly what he had always said he wanted to do.
Source: Instagram
"When I have to go, I want to go out making music," she recalled him saying. He was in the middle of a teaching and performance engagement when his heart gave out.
The timing of his passing made the loss even more painful for those closest to him. Stuckey's death came just days before the scheduled release of his "King of Strings" EP on Friday, and only three weeks after the Macon community gathered to mark the 30th anniversary of his Shadow Sound Studio on Third Street, during the eighth annual Joey Stuckey Alive Day on 29 September.
A life built against the odds
Born in Green Cove Springs, Florida, Stuckey lost his sight as a toddler following surgery to remove a brain tumour that had affected the optic nerves in both eyes.
Rather than allowing that experience to define him as a victim, he channelled it into a lifelong mission. He moved to Macon as a teenager and enrolled at Mercer University at just 16 years old, later returning to teach music technology there as a professor.
Over the decades, he built an extraordinary career as a guitarist, songwriter, sound engineer, podcast host, radio host and music columnist.
His family noted that he shared stages with James Brown and Bad Company at various points in his career. He also served as a member of Atlanta's Grammy board.
Jennifer described how her late husband treated every day as bonus time, earned from surviving his childhood illness.
"Sound was his whole universe," she said, adding that he was always capturing sounds around him, from ocean waves to the hum of passing traffic.
Source: Instagram
Georgia photographer Matt Odom, who worked with Stuckey for more than 12 years shooting album covers and photoshoots, remembered him as quick-witted, funny and consistently positive.
"A lot of times people become victims to their condition, but Joey never let that hold him down," Odom said. "He always wore a smile."
Former Macon Mayor Robert Reichert, who declared 29 September "Joey Stuckey Alive Day" in 2017 to honour the anniversary of Stuckey's tumour removal, said the musician had "a wonderful talent" and "a wonderful sense of overcoming."
Jennifer said her husband wanted to be remembered for "living a successful life of intention and purposefully choosing joy every day." Friends, fellow musicians and fans flooded social media following the news, honouring his legacy across Macon and beyond.
Hollywood icon James Handy dies at 81
Legt.ng earlier reported that renowned actor James Handy was announced dead after a frightening incident in his home.
Handy was known for his iconic appearances on Top Gun: Maverick, Logan, Jumanji, The Rocketeer and Arachnophobia.
Details surrounding the death of the veteran star left both fans and celebrities in shock as they mourned him.
Source: Legit.ng