Rod Stewart hails Jeff Beck as 'the greatest' after guitar legend's death at 78

12.01.2023 - 11:41 / dailyrecord.co.uk

Scots rocker Sir Rod Stewart has led tributes to Jeff Beck following the rock veteran's death at the age of 78.

In online tributes he and Ronnie Wood, who conquered the US in the late 60s with Jeff Beck and The Jeff Beck Group, said Beck had been "on another planet" and that they had made "groundbreaking" music together.

The renowned guitarist's death was announced by his family in an online statement on Wednesday.

Beck died "peacefully" on Tuesday, after contracting bacterial meningitis, the statement said.

The trailblazing musician first rose to prominence with rock band The Yardbirds and went on to have a successful solo career, fronting Beck, Bogert & Appice, and The Jeff Beck Group with Sir Rod and Wood.

Sharing a picture of the pair to Instagram, Sir Rod wrote: "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.

"He was one of the few guitarists that when playing live would actually listen to me sing and respond.

"Jeff, you were the greatest, my man. Thank you for everything. RIP."

Some of rock’s biggest names have paid tribute to Jeff Beck, describing him as one of the “all-time guitar masters”.

Beck’s collaborators and contemporaries said the Grammy award-winning musician had “blazed a trail impossible to follow” and hailed the “powerful influence” he had had on many others.

Wood, also known as a key member of The Rolling Stones, said: “Now Jeff has gone, I feel like one of my band of brothers has left this world, and I’m going to dearly miss him,” he wrote.

“I’m sending much sympathy to Sandra, his family, and all who loved him. I want to thank him for all our early days together in The Jeff Beck Group, conquering