Straphangers rescue Jeff Golub moments before train enters W. 66th St. and Broadway station. Golub says he fell on tracks because he thought he was entering train car.

A blind professional jazz guitarist who has played with the biggest names in music, was lucky to be alive Monday morning after falling on the subway tracks and being briefly dragged by a No. 1 train Wednesday morning, police said.

Good Samaritans pulled up Jeff Golub, 57, just as the train entered the W. 66th and Broadway subway station about 10:15 a.m., police and sources said.

“I was being dragged along the platform,” the visually impaired artist said. “I was thinking about my wife and two boys. I was yelling ‘Stop!’ I could see the [train’s] light coming.”

Golub said he had fallen on the tracks because he thought he was entering the subway.

“I thought I was going in [an] open door,” he said.

Golub’s trusted seeing-eye dog, a 2-year-old black lab named Luke, watched from the platform as straphangers pulled Golub up. Golub said he still loves the dog and was concerned that the pup was OK.



He was brought to New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center with minor injuries. Luke, who was unharmed, accompanied him in the ambulance.

Golub, who has played with Rod Stewart and Billy Squier, has several upcoming tour dates set. He says he doesn’t plan to cancel a single one.

“I’m just glad it’s a happy ending. I know this won’t stop him either,” said his wife Audrey Stafford.


A BRIEF ABOUT JEFF GOLUB


Jeff Golub is a contemporary jazz guitarist with 11 solo albums and 3 CD's as the leader of the instrumental band "Avenue Blue". Before becoming an instrumentalist, Golub worked as a sideman to a number of very successful rock and pop artists.

He's arguably best known for his work with Rod Stewart, whom he played with from 1988 until 1995 performing on 4 albums and 5 world tours as well as recording the live DVD "One Night Only" live at Royal Albert Hall.

Born in Copley, Ohio, outside of Akron, Jeff started playing by emulating 60's blues rock guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, etc...Then, following up on the artists that these musicians cited as their inspiration, he delved deeper into the blues listening to Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, and anyone named King --B.B., Albert, and Freddie.

Golub was in his teens when he first heard a Wes Montgomery record. This moment set him on a whole new course which led him to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston. While in Boston he played in The James Montgomery Band. From Boston Jeff moved to New York in 1980 where his first major gig was with rocker Billy Squier. Jeff appeared on 7 albums and 3 world tours with Billy. He released his first solo recording, "Unspoken Words" for Gaia Records in 1988 but really embraced his role as band leader and instrumentalist with the release of "Avenue Blue" in 1994 for Mesa Bluemoon/Atlantic records.

Golub was a member of Dave Koz & The Kozmos, the house band of The Emeril Lagasse Show.

In June 2011, Golub became blind due to collapse of the optic nerve.


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