Originally Posted by
GuitarGeek
I haven't heard any of his recent work. I have the two Cacophony albums, and Perpetual Burn, Jason's first solo album. Those are really the only material of his I know.
In case you've never heard Cacophony, that was the band he and Marty Friedman were in, circa 1987. THey made two albums for Shrapnel Records, with Jason and Marty each doing a solo album at the time, also for Shrapnel. Cacophony broke up because Jason was offered the chance to play with David Lee Roth, in effect, replacing Steve Vai. It was while working on the Roth solo album that Jason started feeling the early symptoms of Lou Gehrig's Disease. I remember Guitar Player running article at the time, which ended that just as they were going to press, he got his diagnosis.
He eventually got where, as the OP said, Jason couldn't play guitar anymore, and was eventually bedridden. Eventually, the disease attacked his respiratory system, so he has to be on a ventilator, which makes him unable to speak. So he communicates using some sort of system where he uses his eyeball movements to point out letters on a chart. This is also how he continues to compose music. He was actually featured on a That Metal Show episode, where his mother basically translated, if you will, for him, speaking his responses to their questions. Amazing person, Jason is!
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