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Legendary British guitarist Jeff Beck has died at the age of 78 after “suddenly” contracting bacterial meningitis.
The rock star, who just weeks ago wrapped up a tour with Johnny Depp, passed away “peacefully” on Tuesday, his agent revealed Wednesday night.
His family shared the heartbreaking news on their Twitter page along with a photo of the star onstage with his signature glasses and guitar.
It comes just weeks after the former Yardbirds star wrapped up a transatlantic tour with Depp while promoting his debut album ’18’.
The pair have become close friends in recent years and were seen drinking together in Britain late last year.
It comes just weeks after the former Yardbirds star wrapped up a transatlantic tour with Depp while promoting his debut album ’18’.
The two performed songs from the debut album they released together, titled ’18’, in New York in October.
A statement from Beck’s agent read: “On behalf of his family, it is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Jeff Beck.
‘After suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis, he passed away peacefully yesterday. His family requests privacy as they process this tremendous loss.’
Beck first rose to fame as a member of the Yardbirds and then struck out on his own in a solo career that incorporated hard rock, jazz, funky blues, and even opera.
He was known for his love of improvisation, harmonics, and the whammy bar on his favorite guitar, the Fender Stratocaster.
“Jeff Beck is the best guitarist on the planet,” Joe Perry, Aerosmith’s lead guitarist, told The New York Times in 2010. “He’s head and shoulders above the rest of us, with the kind of talent that comes along only once a generation or two.’
Beck was among the pantheon of rock guitarists of the late ’60s that included Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jimi Hendrix.
Beck won eight Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, once with the Yardbirds in 1992 and again as a solo artist in 2009.
He was ranked fifth on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the ‘100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time’.
Beck played guitar with vocalists as varied as Luciano Pavarotti, Macy Gray, Chrissie Hynde, Joss Stone, Imelda May, Cyndi Lauper, Wynonna Judd, and Buddy Guy.
He made two records with Rod Stewart, 1968’s “Truth” and 1969’s “Beck-Ola,” and one with a 64-piece orchestra, “Emotion & Commotion.”
‘I like an element of chaos in the music. That feeling is the best there is, as long as you don’t have too much. It has to be in balance.
“I just saw Cirque du Soleil and it just seemed like complete organized chaos,” he told Guitar World in 2014. “If I could turn that into music, it’s not too far from what my ultimate goal would be, which is to delight the public.” people with chaos and beauty at the same time.’
Beck’s career highlights include teaming up with bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice to create the power trio that released ‘Beck, Bogert and Appice’ in 1973, tours with Brian Wilson and Buddy Guy, and a tribute album to the late guitarist Les Paul, ‘Rock `n´ Roll Party (Honoring Les Paul).’
Geoffrey Arnold Beck was born in Surrey, England, and attended Wimbledon Art College.
His father was an accountant and his mother worked in a chocolate factory. As a child, he built his first instrument, using a cigar box, neck frame, and string from a radio-controlled toy airplane.
He was in a few bands, including Nightshift and The Tridents, before joining the Yardbirds in 1965, replacing Clapton, but giving way to Page only a year later.
During his tenure, the band created the memorable singles ‘Heart Full of Soul’, ‘I’ma Man’ and ‘Shapes of Things’.
Beck’s first hit single was the 1967 instrumental ‘Beck’s Bolero’, which featured future Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, and future Who drummer Keith Moon. The Jeff Beck Group, with Stewart singing, was later booked to play the 1969 Woodstock music festival, but their appearance was cancelled. Beck later said that there was unrest in the band.
“I could see the end of the tunnel,” he told Rolling Stone in 2010.
Beck was friends with Hendrix and they performed together. Before Hendrix, most rock guitarists concentrated on a similar style and technical vocabulary. Hendrix blew that apart.
“He came in and reset all the rules in one night,” Beck told Guitar World.
Beck teamed up with legendary producer George Martin, also known as ‘the fifth Beatle’, to help engineer the genre-fusion classic ‘Blow by Blow’ (1975) and ‘Wired’ (1976).
He teamed up with Seal on the Hendrix tribute “Stone Free,” created a jazz-fusion group led by synth-slinger Jan Hammer, and honored rockabilly guitarist Cliff Gallup with the album “Crazy Legs.” He released ‘Loud Hailer’ in 2016.
Beck’s guitar work can be heard on the soundtracks of movies like ‘Stomp the Yard,’ ‘Shallow Hal,’ ‘Casino,’ ‘Honeymoon in Vegas,’ ‘Twins,’ ‘Observe and Report,’ and ‘Little Big. League’. .’
Beck’s career never reached Clapton’s commercial highs. A perfectionist, he preferred to make critically well-received instrumental records and left the spotlight for long periods, enjoying his time restoring vintage automobiles.
He and Clapton had a strained relationship early on, but became friends later and toured together.
“Because we were all trying to be big bananas,” Beck told Rolling Stone in 2010. “Except I didn’t have the luxury of hit songs that Eric has.” Beck is survived by his wife, Sandra.