Legendary Guitarist Jeff Beck Dies At 78

Iconic British rock guitarist Jeff Beck has been confirmed dead at the age of 78. Beck recently completed a tour supporting his collaborative album with Johnny Depp, 18.

Confirmed on Jeff Beck’s official social accounts, a statement read, “On behalf of his family, it is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of Jeff Beck’s passing. After suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis, he peacefully passed away yesterday. His family ask for privacy while they process this tremendous loss”.

Ranked in the top five by Rolling Stone of “greatest guitarists”, Beck rose to prominence in the late 1960’s after replacing Eric Clapton as the guitarist for The Yardbirds. His time with the band saw him release a number of groundbreaking tracks, including “Heart Full Of Soul”, “Evil Hearted You”, and “Shapes of Things”. Soon after, Beck formed his own band, Jeff Beck Group, with British singer-songwriter Rod Stewart and fellow guitarist Ronnie Wood (The Rolling Stones, Faces).

Stewart shared his Beck tribute: “Jeff Beck was on another planet . He took me and Ronnie Wood to the USA in the late 60s in his band the Jeff Beck Group and we haven’t looked back since. He was one of the few guitarists that when playing live would actually listen to me sing and respond. Jeff, you were the greatest, my man . Thank you for everything . RIP“

In 1992, Beck was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with the Yardbirds and was inducted again in 2009 for his solo work. As an eight-time Grammy winner, Beck earned his first in 1985 for “Best Rock Instrumental Performance” for his track, “Escape”. He went on to win the accolade five more times within that category, with the latest one being in 2010 for his track “Hammerhead”.

Last year, Beck toured with Johnny Depp, after the pair recorded a cover album together titled 18. Beck also featured on two tracks from Ozzy Osbourne‘s album, Patient Number 9, which was released on 24 June 2022.

RIP.