Jeff ‘Big Jeff’ Johns – the much-loved, Bristol-based prolific gig-goer – has been seriously injured in a fire at his home.
A statement shared by his representatives said: "Jeff Johns, known to all as Big Jeff, has been very seriously injured in a fire at his home in Bristol. He is in a specialist burns unit in Swansea in a stable condition.
"His family have asked for people to keep Jeff in their thoughts and prayers at this very difficult time. His friends have set up a playlist on Spotify, ‘Play A record For Big Jeff’."
Johns is often seen at gigs around his base of Bristol, and was known to often attend a show each night of the week before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down live music for an extended period. Such is his dedication to attending gigs and other events that he was the first non-musician to become an ambassador for Independent Venue Week.
In 2021, he presented his first art exhibition, Welcome To My World, with much of the work inspired by his music-loving endeavours. Speaking to tQ’s John Doran about his approach to painting and art last year, he said: "I find painting to be very constructive. It literally changes my mood sometimes. It will take me from a depressed, anxious space to a feeling of, ‘No, I’m putting my energies to good use actually’. It’s like meditation. It is a release from anxiety and it is a release from stress."
