In shock news today, the music world was informed that British guitar legend Jeff Beck had died at age 78 on January 10. A message on his official website and Facebook page read:
“On behalf of his family, it is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of Jeff Beck’s passing. After suddnely contracting bacterial meningitis, he peacefully passed away yesterday (January10). His family ask for privacy while they process this tremendous loss”
Beck recently released a new album in mid 2022 titled 18, a collaboration with actor/musician Johnny Depp, which was toured in America last year. The final date of the tour was November 12 in Reno Nevada.
Jeff Beck rose to fame as a member of British rockers The Yardbirds, replacing Eric Clapton as the band’s guitarist. The band enjoyed a sling of hits including ‘Heart Full of Soul’, Evil Hearted You’ and ‘Shapes of Things’. He then went on to form his own band The Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogart & Appice, before releasing solo albums under his own name, the most famous being Blow by Blow (1975) and Wired (1976).
Rolling Stone magazine voted Beck in the top 5 of their 100 greatest guitarists of all time list, a pioneer of jazz rock and fusion. He released 17 studio albums and won 8 Grammy Awards. In 2014 he received the British Academy’s Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. He was inducted into the Rock and roll Hall of Fame twice: as a member of the Yardbirds (1992) and as a solo artist (2009).
Jeff Beck was regarded as ‘the guitarist’s guitarist’, adored by other guitarists worldwide who marvelled at the sounds he could produce with just his fingers and minimal effects, using the guitar’s whammy bar and volume control to create his magic. His track ‘Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers’, from his acclaimed 1974 album Blow by Blow written by Stevie Wonder, will go down as one of the greatest rock instrumentals ever recorded.
Musicians worldwide have taken to social media to express their shock and to pay tribute to the late great guitar god.
Steve Stevens
“The greatest guitarist on the planet has left us”
Jimmy Page
“The six stringed Warrior is no longer here for us to admire the spell he could weave around our mortal emotions. Jeff could channel music from the ethereal. His technique unique. His imaginations apparently limitless. Jeff I will miss you along with your millions of fans”
Paul Stanley
“WOW. What awful news. Jeff Beck, one of the all time guitar masters has died. From The Yardbirds and The Jeff Beck Group on, he blazed a trail impossible to follow. Play on now and forever”
Mick Jagger
“With the death of Jeff Beck we have lost a wonderful man and one of the greatest guitar players in the world. We will all miss him so much”
Brian Wilson
“I’m so sad to hear about Jeff Beck passing. Jeff was a genius guitar player, and me and my band got to see it close up when we toured with him in 2013. One of the highlights we did was “Danny Boy” – we both loved that song. Love & Mercy to Jeff’s family”
Tommy Emmanuel
“Jeff Beck was an original, an artist of the highest order, the finest guitar player that could not be copied, only enjoyed and appreciated!! Thank you for all your dedication, love of good songs and totally adventurous spirit!! Big big big respect! Tommy cgp.”
Joe Satriani
“Jeff Beck was a genius, a stunning original. He was an astounding guitar player with more ways to make you go, “WTF was that?” than anybody else. He was profoundly talented, and never stopped innovating on the instrument.
He had an enormous impact on my guitar playing, my musicianship and my soul. When I was a beginner, I would spend hours trying to jam along with his solo albums. I found his approach to the instrument so inspiring. I was fascinated with his unusual arrangements and his aggressive guitar tones. He always stood out as a unique player: He was always, purely “Jeff Beck”.
His solo albums were all groundbreaking, “ahead of their time”, and paved the way for me and so many other guitarists around the world. And they were fun to listen to, over and over again.
I had the pleasure of saying hello to Jeff a few times, once when Chickenfoot went to see him play at the Fox Theater in Oakland, and a second time when we were all playing at the BosPop Festival in The Netherlands. We all had a fun jam backstage that day.
Unfortunately, I didn’t ever get to really know him. I hope he knew how much I admired, revered and respected him. When I finish writing this I will go and listen to Jeff’s “Where Were You” a few times and thank him for giving us so much beautiful music.
My deepest condolences to his family and close friends. R.I.P. Jeff”
Brian Ray
“My forever guitar hero has gone.
I can’t even begin to tell you all how much his music inspires me and millions of others.
Beck was the king, a man who spoke a language no one else could speak, but one we all understand.
All of my love to his family and loved ones.
in this photo, he’s casually looking over his shoulder, but I assure you there’s no one like him coming up from behind”
Monte Pittman
“One of the greatest and most unique guitar players of all time. He made a guitar sound ways no one else could. – I saw this as a rumor last night and was hoping that’s all it was. (On Rod Stewart’s birthday too. And a day after Jimmy Page’s. Weird)”
Mike Portnoy
“Absolutely stunned to hear of the passing of Jeff Beck. One of the Greatest Of All Time! His groundbreaking style created some of my favorite fusion albums like There & Back and Blow By Blow…and his Live at Ronnie Scott’s DVD (w Vinnie Colaiuta & Tal Wilkenfeld) is an absolute master class”
Adrian Belew
“OH NOOOOOO!!! this the biggest heartbreaker.!!!
my friend, my hero!!
the best we had.
I don’t have words to say how much jeff meant.
I feel sick. crying my eyes out
I loved him so much”
Eric Johnson
Hearing about Jeff Beck is a shock. He was one of the most original guitarists I ever heard. He never conformed to status quo guitar or conventional playing, always reaching for a new dimension which he achieved multiple times. He was the most expressive lyrical storytelling guitarist there ever was and that’s why non musicians loved him. He garnered more affection from audiences than other guitar heroes because he had such a musical poetry to his playing.
I believe that he and Jimi Hendrix were the most inventive and original rock guitarists there ever was. I had the gift of being able to visit with Jeff a few times and that is a treasured memory in my life. The guitar world will go on but it won’t be the same without the most inventive six string visionary we have been graced with on this planet.
Joyous wishes to you, Jeff, as you soar on to your next magnificent adventure. Thank you for teaching me and inspiring me to want to play guitar”
Check out this classic Jeff Beck interview from the 70s courtesy of respected American journalist Steven Rosen. READ IT HERE
Rest in Peace Jeff Beck and thank you for the music and inspiration.