With his idol on his side, a guitarist with cancer plays on

Aspiring musician with cancer loses struggle at age 20

Published: Thursday, January 1, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.

PALMETTO - Playing guitar in a jam session this past summer with his hero, former Guns N? Roses lead guitarist Slash, was a dream come true for 20-year-old Heath Sammons of Palmetto.

The aspiring musician and songwriter also hoped that another one of his dreams would come true: beating a rare form of bone cancer.

?He was such a fighter,? Sammons? mother, Karis Meier, said of her son?s nearly three-year battle with osteosarcoma. ?He just believed that he was going to make it.?

Sammons lost his struggle in the early morning hours of Dec. 24.

Meier said the private jam session with Slash last June in Los Angeles not only helped lift her son?s spirits as he coped with rounds of chemotherapy and surgery, but evolved into a friendship with the 43-year-old rock star, who now performs with Velvet Revolver and is featured in the ?Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock? video game.

?It helped him cope because Slash was always just a phone call away,? Meier said. ?Slash saw Heath not only as a young man who had an illness, but as a friend. They grew close.?

So close, in fact, that Slash, aka Saul Hudson, hopped on a plane to pay Sammons a visit at his Manatee County home in September after Sammons? latest surgery.

?It was just amazing the compassion that Slash had for Heath and the friendship between them,? Meier said. ?Heath believed he would be a rock star some day, and now he?s a rock star for Jesus.?

Sammons did not discover his musical aptitude until he took guitar lessons at 14 while attending the Manatee School for the Arts in Palmetto.

He joined his first band, Kashmir, at 15. Other local bands, including Kileva and The Under Construction Band, soon followed. He played music by Metallica, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Eagles and Tom Petty, and also began writing his own songs.

After learning of his cancer diagnosis at 18, Sammons lent his talent to help raise money for cancer research. He played at all five of the American Cancer Society?s Relay for Life charity events in Manatee County in 2006.

?He was a natural performer,? said his stepfather, Jim Meier. ?He was at home on the stage with people watching him.?

Sammons began performing professionally at local venues this past year.

Music helped him temporarily escape from everyday matters, including his illness.

?When I?m playing, it frees my spirit,? he told the Herald-Tribune in July.

During his Los Angeles visit, Sammons shared with Slash some of his original music, which they recorded in a private studio.

?I think I play a lot like him; not on purpose, that?s just how it went,? Sammons later remarked.

Slash later offered some encouraging words on a Web site Sammons? stepfather created for the young musician.

?Having spent a few hours jamming with him & his friend Tommy, I got to know Heath a little better. Not only is he an awesome kid, he?s a good songwriter as well!? Slash posted on www.heathsupdate.blogspot.com.

?He definitely can play the guitar, that much I have witnessed, & pretty damn well too! Having Heath & his family out in LA was a gas,? Slash added.

Jim Meier said his stepson had a promising musical career.

Several of Sammons? performances can be viewed on YouTube. Recollections and condolences can be posted at caringbridge.org/visit/heathsammons.

Some of Sammons? bandmates will pay tribute to him with a concert today at the Manatee County Fairgrounds from 2 to 6 p.m. A celebration of his life that includes a video tribute is planned for 11 a.m. today at First Baptist Church in Palmetto.

In addition to his mother and stepfather, Sammons is survived by his father and stepmother, Gary and Peggy Sammons of Bradenton; a brother, Colt, and a sister, Karissa, both of Palmetto; stepsisters Morgan Mitchell and Aubrey Lioce of Bradenton; and several extended family members.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Joy FM 88.1, 6469 Parkland Drive, Sarasota, FL 34243.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090101/ARTICLE/901010351/2055/NEWS?Title=Aspiring_musician_with_cancer_loses_struggle_at_age_20