Well, oh so sad news to start the year with news of the passing of guitar legend Jeff Beck.
The word “legend” gets bandied about describing this person and that person but Jeff Beck attained legendary status in the world of rock and all its genres.
The British guitarist passed away this week after contracting bacterial meningitis at a hospital in England. He was aged 78.
Beck was just a guitar player but an innovator creating his own technique and an inspiration to many top line players to rank amateurs.
“I was interested in the electric guitar even before I knew the difference between electric and acoustic. The electric guitar seemed to be a totally fascinating plank of wood with knobs and switches on it. I just had to have one.” Jeff Beck
A Reader’s Digest history – Jeff Beck rose to by replacing Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds, all part of the British Invasion of the 60’s. That was followed by The Jeff Beck Group with up and comers Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood. Beck Bogart and Appice and seemingly endless incarnations after that to the present including playing on Ozzie Osbourne’s most recent album.
While he didn’t receive the massive acclaim that his co-horts like Clapton and Jimmy Page received Beck was an ever popular live attraction and was revered by mostly all in the rock world.
Many of rocks top names have paid tribute to Jeff Beck.
“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” Jimmy Page
“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.” Sir Rod Stewart
I could go on but let’s enjoy some of the truly unique style of the late Jeff Beck.