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Jeff Beck

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Jeff Beck was an English guitarist, born in 1944 in Wallington, Surrey. As a child he sang in a church choir and built his first guitars himself from a cigar box and a fence post. After school he studied at the art college in Wimbledon. He played in various bands and in 1965 joined the Yardbirds, as the successor to Eric Clapton. Jimmy Page had recommended him.

Music and breakthrough

He stayed with the Yardbirds for twenty months. In that time they recorded most of their hits, and the group made the album Roger the Engineer. He was dismissed because during an American tour he often failed to turn up, and because of his perfectionism and tantrums. He then founded the Jeff Beck Group and later Beck, Bogert and Appice.

Influence

In 1975 he chose instrumental music with an emphasis on an innovative guitar sound. The albums Blow by Blow from 1975 and Wired from 1976 were successful. His work extended into blues rock, hard rock, jazz fusion and a mixture of guitar and electronics. Beck won eight Grammys in total and was inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: as a member of the Yardbirds and as a solo artist. He often ranked high on lists of the best guitarists and was called a guitarist's guitarist. He died in 2023.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to an instrumental track from Blow by Blow and notice how the guitar tells the whole story without a singer, with bending notes and a singing tone of its own.

Discography

Studio albums

Mentioned in other articles

See also

Categories: Artists