Jeff Beck, One of the Guitar Masters of the Rock Era, Dies at 78

Variety ^ | 01/11/2023 | Chris Morris

[Drew68]

Jeff Beck, among the most innovative and certainly the most unpredictable of ’60s guitar heroes, has died. He was 78.

A fleet, imaginative soloist, Beck brought formidable instrumental firepower to British band the Yardbirds, which he joined in 1965 as a replacement for Eric Clapton. Entirely at home with the group’s blues roots, he burnished their pop hits with an adventurous and virtually unprecedented use of feedback, sustain and fuzz.

[The Fop]

From 1966. Way ahead of his time!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=T3js5Zn4uDM&feature=shares

[Alas Babylon!]

Damn!

The #s of my personal favorite singers and musicians keep going down.

As the Righteous Brothers once sang,

“If you believe in forever,
Then life is just a one-night stand.
If there's a rock and roll heaven,
Well you know they've got a hell of a band, band, band."

[HandyDandy]

RIP Jeff Beck.
Shooting from the hip, and from memory: Jeff was a car collector from way back in the late sixties. He got in a bad accident in one of his cars and was laid up quite a while. They had to reset his arm to position it so that he could play guitar. While hospitalized, he wrote the songs for his next album. After rehab and all he hit the ground running with my all-time favorite album by him, “Rough and Ready”. He plays his best angry guitar work on that album. It snarls and bites, growls and hollers. In other places it soars and ducks and dives. He plays non stop inventive creative licks throughout, often in the background, then leaping to the fore. To repeat, it’s my personal favorite. Thanks Jeff for many hours spent with with you in my headphones.

[StAnDeliver]

‘89 what a show, maybe too much “Guitar Shop” but got 3 sweet covers and wow, he was relaxed and in perfect form.

[Right Brother]

Absolutely. I have been a guitarist for over 40 years. In the rock world, no one could touch him.

[Robert DeLong]

Jeff Beck & Beth Hart - I'd Rather Go Blind - Live 2017 - The Hollywood Bowl

[StAnDeliver]

"His former lead singer, Rod Stewart turned 78 yesterday.."

Rod could have invited Beck out for that 2014 tour instead of Santana. I saw that and it was an embarrassment (sorry not sorry have seen Stewart five times, it was a good show until that 2014 debacle); Santana would be far-gone into one of his onanistic breaks; and Rod would look back at the band and count in once the solo bars were supposed to be over, and they would move on without Carlos. Sad.

Never happen in a million years with Beck, the perfectionist.

[Golden Eagle]

One thing we’ve proven. Jeff Beck was not selfish about keeping the stage, or the glory, to himself. He deserves to be celebrated, for that, alone. Thanks.

[Orosius]

One of the first bands I saw live was the Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart. I think it was 1969. RIP.

[newfreep]

Rick Beato discussing the passing of Jeff Beck with Tim Pierce and their interactions with JB....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2IWnGNF80I

[Lurker]

An incredible talent. I saw the Blow by Blow tour. He blew Aerosmith off the stage.

L

[Robert DeLong]

Jeff Beck ft Beth Hart - Goin' Down

[Gasshog]

It used to be when rock stars died it was from drug overdoses, plane crashes, murders, suicides & assassinations.

Or like Clapton they lived despite addictions and auto accidents

RIP Jeff

[Golden Eagle]

After watching all these videos, one thing I can assert, that I’m pretty confident about, without question, is that NO ONE was better at playing guitar with their THUMB, than Jeff Beck!

Talk about a trademark/signature talent, he had it!

[hellinahandcart]

That’s not Brian Setzer, it’s Darrell Higham from Katmen. Another killer rockabilly guitar player (though I say Brian Setzer’s better).

I also love Brian Setzer’s cover of “Sleepwalk.”

[aspasia]

People Get Ready

[Robert DeLong]

Does he ever sing a song? I can’t remember a song he did the vocals on, can you think of one?

[dfwgator]

After watching all these videos, one thing I can assert, that I’m pretty confident about, without question, is that NO ONE was better at playing guitar with their THUMB, than Jeff Beck!

Maybe other than Wes Montgomery.

[Golden Eagle]

People Get Ready

Beck's signature piece, IMO. (watery eyes)

Made me weak, every time I heard it.

[Golden Eagle]

“You don’t need no ticket, you just Thank The Lord! WOOOO HOOO!”