42-year-old Perige, who is considered one of the most respected guitarists in the country, struggles for his life due to severe brain injury • Dana International: "Always given a sense of security on stage"

• Jonathan Freige

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  Coco

Very sad: Guitarist Jonathan Freig died (Sunday) at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv after struggling for his life following a serious brain injury. Perig, 42, was one of the most respected guitarists in the Israeli music industry.

"What you are to me I can't describe," Maimon wrote last week, after Frege was hospitalized. "I don't remember when I last looked in the mirror and saw that my eyes were so sad. It's my Johnny."

After learning about Freij's passing, singer Dana International mocked him: "Beyond being a gifted guitarist, the sudden death of such a vibrant, creative and talented man. I always gave him a sense of security on stage."

Last week, with the guitarist's hospitalization, musical producer and composer Doron Medley wrote: "You know that Facebook is full of requests for prayers for the health and healing of a precious person to someone but we have no way to contain all this sadness so we go past these posts, mostly ignored, I might just ask, for me, a minute of reading and a minute of action.

"Johnny is in serious condition. If you've ever heard Israeli music or seen a stage or television show - you've probably come across this handsome man with the guitar, in the background sounds he does so well, in his beauty, in the rare talent of the man with the guitar.

"Johnny is always there in front and without us we have no music. You have no idea how many people you know and love, people who make music in Israel, just sit at home for the last few days and pray. Send him energy of teddy bears I shout at him from afar - come on "Balance! There's Jonathan! We just can't! Without him, we're not ready! It's too much to contain."

Perige is survived by his wife, Shirley Nob, and their two 6 and 3 year old children.