British guitarist Jeff Beck, who played in several influential bands of the 1960s and 1970s and is considered one of the most important guitarists in rock history, has died at the age of 78.
«After suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis, he passed away peacefully yesterday. His family asks for privacy as they process this tremendous loss,» his representatives stated Wednesday on his official Twitter profile.
With his powerful arrangements of blues tunes and his guitar and vocal interspersions, the British musician laid the foundations of heavy metal. His big break came when Eric Clapton left The Yarbirds in 1965 and became the band’s guitarist.
In 1967 he formed The Jeff Beck Group with vocalist Rod Stewart, bassist Ron Wood and drummer Aynsley Dunbar, quickly replaced by Mickey Waller, and keyboardist Nicky Hopkins, who joined in early 1968.
The group recorded only two albums, «Truth» and «Beck-Ola». Obsessed with forming a trio with Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice, former members of the American group Vanilla Fudge, and after recovering from a car accident that kept him inactive for more than a year, Beck achieved his goal in 1972.
He went on to record at least three solo albums. Beck’s legendary guitar collaborated with artists such as Tina Turner, Mick Jagger, Roger Waters, Jon Bon Jovi, Rod Stewart, Murray Head, Stevie Wonder, Stanley Clarke and Jan Hammer.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
