Jeff Beck, an English guitarist who was one of the most influential guitarists of all time, died at the age of 78. On January 11, his family reported his death through his Twitter account. “We convey the news of Jeff Beck’s death with deep and profound regret on behalf of his family. He died quietly yesterday after developing bacterial meningitis unexpectedly. His family requests privacy as they mourn this tragic death.” Beck died at a hospital near his home in Surrey, England, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Along with his solo career, Jeff Beck performed with various bands.
When Jeff Beck replaced Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds in 1965, he swiftly climbed to popularity. Beck’s stay in the band coincided with Jimmy Page’s transition from bass to second guitar. Beck and the Yardbirds had numerous UK singles, including Evil Hearted You, Heart Full of Soul, and Shapes of Things. Although his contributions to the band helped the Yardbirds build a name for themselves during the late 1960s psychedelic revolution, his unpredictability caused friction with his bandmates.
In an interview with Something Else! in 2015, drummer Jim McCarty stated:
“Jeff was a crazy guy, high-strung and unpredictable. Things were amazing when it worked with him, but he could be challenging.”
In 1966, he was sacked from the band for failing to show up for a countrywide tour sponsored by Dick Clark. Beck went on to have a solo career before forming the Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart and Ron Wood. They recorded multiple Billboard chart-topping singles, including Truth, Beck-Ola, and Jeff Beck Group.
In 1973, he established a band with bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice, and released the album Beck, Bogert & Appice. After the band split up, Jeff Beck pursued a solo career, releasing two chart-topping albums, Blow by Blow and Wired, in 1975 and 1976, respectively. Both albums went platinum, allowing Beck to raise the standard for instrumental rock guitar. Beck’s career graph stayed flat throughout the 1980s and 1990s since he only made three albums that flopped. He worked with various famous performers, including Jon Bon Jovi, Roger Waters, and Kate Bush.
Beck was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 as a member of his former band, the Yardbirds. He didn’t appear proud of it throughout his speech, since he said that the band threw him out. Beck received seven Grammy nominations and was elected into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 2009. He most recently teamed with actor Johnny Depp on an album called 18.
Reactions on Twitter to Jeff Beck’s death
Twitterati paid homage to Beck when his death was reported through his Twitter account. Several famous artists and lifelong friends of the dead paid homage to him on social media, recalling his contributions to the music business.
I met Jeff Beck when I was 17 and I was glad to know a guy like that, a guy who was able to show me how this guitar playing thing should be approached and that’s still very much the case. Jeff was a wondrous soul and we already miss him tremendously.
@jeffbeckmusic #JeffBeck pic.twitter.com/qW8R0b7pCz— Billy F Gibbons (@BillyFGibbons) January 12, 2023
Jeff Beck spending his 78th birthday on the road, surrounded by his friends and being celebrated for the legend he will always be 🥺🖤 pic.twitter.com/OsDJ3dxbrJ
— 🌟🏴☠️ (@GellertDepp) January 12, 2023
