A guitar virtuoso who pushed the boundaries of blues, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll, Jeff Beck has died. He was 78. His representatives said in a statement Wednesday that Beck died Tuesday after “suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis. Beck influenced generations of shredders along the way and becoming known as the guitar player’s guitar player. Beck first came to prominence as a member of the Yardbirds and then went out on his own in a solo career that incorporated hard rock, jazz, funky blues and even opera. He was known for his improvising, love of harmonics and the whammy bar on his preferred guitar, the Fender Stratocaster.
“I like an element of chaos in music. That feeling is the best thing ever, as long as you don’t have too much of it. It’s got to be in balance. I just saw Cirque du Soleil, and it struck me as complete organized chaos,” he told Guitar World in 2014. “If I could turn that into music, it’s not far away from what my ultimate goal would be, which is to delight people with chaos and beauty at the same time.
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 boy, he built his first instrument, using a cigar box, a picture frame for the neck and string from a radio-controlled toy airplane. Beck’s first hit single was 1967’s 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 canceled. Beck later said there was unrest in the band.Beck was friends with Hendrix and they performed together.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Guitar God Jeff Beck Dies at 78Jeff Beck, one of the greatest guitarists of all time who rose to fame in the English rock band The Yardbirds, has died at 78:
Read more »
Jeff Beck, guitar god who influenced generations, dies at 78Jeff Beck, a guitar virtuoso who pushed the boundaries of blues, jazz and rock 'n' roll, influencing generations of shredders along the way and becoming known as the guitar player's guitar player, has died. He was 78.
Read more »
Jeff Beck, guitar god who influenced generations, dies at 78Beck died Tuesday after “suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis,” his representatives said in a statement released Wednesday.
Read more »
Jeff Beck, guitar god who influenced generations, dies at 78Beck first came to prominence with the Yardbirds and then went out on his own in a solo career that incorporated hard rock, jazz, funky blues and even opera.
Read more »