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Jeff Beck (in 2011)
Photo: Ian West/AP
Legendary British rock guitarist Jeff Beck is dead. He died at the age of 78 after a sudden illness from bacterial meningitis, his official website said on Wednesday.
Beck is considered by experts to be one of the greatest guitarists of all time.
The eight-time Grammy winner has worked with numerous other rock greats throughout his long career, including Jimmy Page, Rod Stewart, Roger Waters and Jon Bon Jovi.
The sympathy is correspondingly large.
Shortly after Beck's death was announced, numerous rock and pop starts paid tribute to the former member of the famous British band The Yardbirds.
Rolling Stones singer
Mick Jagger
praised the deceased as "one of the greatest guitar players in the world".
Jimmy Page
- also a legendary rock guitarist - praised Beck's "unique technique" and "apparently limitless imagination".
"Nobody played guitar like Jeff," said Kiss singer
Gene Simmons
.
Punk poet
Patti Smith
described Beck as "mercurial, innovative, impossible to categorize."
She called him "one of the masters of my generation."
Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett
tweeted that Beck was "a powerful influence on me and many others
. "
His death is devastating news.
"He let the electric guitar sing." Rock legend Ozzy Osborne emphasized that it was an honor to know and play with Beck.
Singer
Paul Young
praised Beck as "the guitarist of guitarists".
Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi
praised Beck as an "extraordinary icon, brilliant guitarist".
There will never be a musician like him again.
And
Rod Stewart
wrote: "Jeff Beck was from another planet."
phw/dpa/AFP