A brief overview of Jeff's musical life

Jeff Beck was born on June 24, 1944 in Wallington, Great Britain. At the beginning of his career he earned his money as a session musician.

In 1965, the Yardbirds were looking for a new lead guitarist to replace Eric Clapton, and he formed a legendary lead guitar duo with Jimmy Page until the end of 1966, when he left the group. In 1967 Jeff Beck founded the Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart, Ron Wood, Micky Waller and Nicky Hopkins. The joint albums "Truth" and "Beck-Ola" made the guitarist and his style known worldwide and are considered milestones of rock music. Due to tensions within the group, it finally fell apart in 1972.

In 1975, Beck released a very jazz-inspired instrumental solo album titled "Blow by Blow," which was highly acclaimed by critics.

In 1976, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry visited his hero Jeff Beck backstage at the Providence Civic Center in Rhode Island. That same night, Beck came on stage at an Aerosmith concert - this was a birthday present for Perry. Jeff Beck had never celebrated such commercial successes as Eric Clapton or Jimmy Page, yet he is considered a pioneer of rock music and a guitar legend. He has received six Grammy Awards for his rock instrumentals: 1986 for Escape, 1990 for Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop with Terry Bozzio and Tony Hymas, 2002 for Dirty Mind, 2004 for Plan B, 2010 for A Day in the Life, and 2011 for Nessun Dorma. At the turn of the millennium, Beck made the following quote, "I consider technology a friend, because there's no point in fiddling with enemies." A willingness to experiment, unusual for a musician active since the 60s, yet an inevitable step. "When you're not singing, you have to focus on what people are hearing. Sound is everything."

In 2011, Rolling Stone listed him fifth among the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.

In 2019, he recorded the song, "Welcome to the Bushwackers" with the Hollywood Vampires, which was released on the album "Rise".

Already a few years earlier, namely in 2016, the paths of Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp crossed. Both understood each other right away, not least because of their irrepressible love for music. After a few appearances by Depp at concerts with Beck, they went on a European tour in mid-2022, including two concerts in Germany. This was followed in the fall by a major tour of the U.S., during which they both performed some new songs from their record "18", released in July 2022.

On January 10, Jeff Beck dies at the age of 78 as a result of a meningitis infection. 

Besides 2 tribute concerts in May 2023 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, among others with Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Eric Clapton and Johnny Depp, Hollywood Vampires dedicate a tribute to Jeff Beck on their current tour, consisting of a slide show with photos from Jeff Beck's eventful life, underlaid with an instrumental version of "Rumble" and "Beck's Bolero". 

Videos Jeff Beck & Johnny Depp - 2022