Mick Jagger is devastated by the passing of Jeff Beck, the guitar music icon who died suddenly at 78. Known for pushing musical boundaries, Beck’s family announced his peaceful passing due to bacterial meningitis. Beck’s innovative techniques, like feedback, influenced rock music significantly, notably during his time with the Yardbirds and the Jeff Beck Group. Jagger and Jimmy Page paid heartfelt tributes, recalling Beck’s immense talent and influence. Beck’s legacy in music is unparalleled, leaving an indelible mark on the industry. May he rest in peace.
FILE – Guitarist Jeff Beck performs in concert at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 18, 2010 in New York. 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, died Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, after “suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis,” his representatives said in a statement released Wednesday. He was 78. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File)
CLEVELAND, Ohio– Legendary guitarist Jeff Beck’s death shocked the music industry after being announced on his official Twitter account on Wednesday. The musician died on Tuesday, at 78, after “suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis.”
The Grammy-winning guitar player, whose real name was Geoffrey Arnold Beck, rose to prominence in the 1960s with the London rock band the Yardbirds before fronting his own groups, the Jeff Beck Group, and later Beck, Bogert & Appice.
He would later be inducted twice into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and ranked fifth in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”
“Two-time Inductee Jeff Beck’s dynamic, feedback-drenched guitar shaped the sound of rock and roll in the 1960s and beyond,” the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame said in a recent statement. ”From the Yardbirds to the Jeff Beck Group to fame as a solo artist, his dazzling fretboard technique, mastery of atmospheric effects, and volcanic, expressive musical phrasing were unmatched. Beck’s unique mix of improvisation, innovation, and continued musical exploration throughout his career made him one of the most beloved and influential musicians of all time.”
Other legendary artists like Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, and more have also been reacting to the English guitar virtuoso’s passing.
Rod Stewart posted a photo of him and Beck on Twitter, calling him “the greatest.”
“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,” Stewart wrote. “He was one of the few guitarists that, when playing live, would actually listen to me sing and respond.”
Mick Jagger, iconic Rolling Stone frontman, said that “with the death of Jeff Beck, we have lost a wonderful man and one of the greatest guitar players in the world,” the singer wrote on Twitter.
Ozzy Osbourne, who had just worked with Beck on his recent album, “Patient Number 9,” said he was “saddened” to hear the news about his passing.
“What a terrible loss for his family, friends & his many fans. It was such an honor to have known Jeff & an incredible honor to have had him play on my most recent album, #PatientNumber9. ” he tweeted.
Other renowned musicians like Nile Rodgers, David Coverdale of Whitesnake, Gene Simmons, and Led Zeppelin founder and guitarist Jimmy Page also offered their condolences to Beck and his family.
