Jeff Beck, guitar god who influenced generations, dies at 78

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)

NEW YORK (AP) — A guitar virtuoso who pushed the boundaries of blues, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll, Jeff Beck has died. He was 78. His representatives said in a statement Wednesday that Beck died Tuesday after “suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis. Beck influenced generations of shredders along the way and becoming known as the guitar player’s guitar player. Beck first came to prominence as a member of the Yardbirds and then went out on his own in a solo career that incorporated hard rock, jazz, funky blues and even opera. He was known for his improvising, love of harmonics and the whammy bar on his preferred guitar, the Fender Stratocaster.