Heart Full of Soul: Guitar legend and pioneer Jeff Beck dies at 78

 Another guitar god has gone to fly high among us. On January 11th, the rock community lost the virtuoso Jeff Beck. The influence Jeff Beck has had on countless guitarist cannot be overstated. Jeff Beck was born on June 24th, 1944 in Wallington, England. The first guitarist to have impressed him was none other than Les Paul himself whose name is synonymous with the legendary Gibson Les Paul model. The song was "How High the Moon' and soon after he was hooked. Other influences include Lonnie Mack, B.B King, and Steve Cropper who played on countless timeless recordings done for Stax records. After playing on many recordings as a session musician, Beck was recruited by friend and future Led Zeppelin founder Jimmy Page to replace  Eric Clapton who would later go on to play with John Mayhall and Cream. With his short but impactful time with The Yardbirds, Beck helped the band reach commercial success. Some of his best works with the band include a cover of the Bo Diddley classic "I'm a Man' and "Heart Full Of Soul" which would become The Yardbirds biggest hit. After leaving The Yardbirds, Jeff Beck would form the legendary Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, and Mickey Waller. The band would record the album Truth  which was released to critical acclaim in 1968. The cover of Willie Dixon's "I Ain't Superstitious", the slow rocker penned "Blues De Luxe", and the epic instrumental "Greensleeves" have become guitar standards for any inspiring musician. After the split of the Jeff Beck Group, Jeff Beck would embark on a solo career.Some fans were skeptical due to not having a vocalist. Jeff Beck always ventured into new genres and completely new styles of playing and that's exactly what you hear on the acclaimed 1975 masterpiece Blow By Blow. Right up until the very end, Jeff Beck never clocked out. As of 2022, he released 18 with Johnny Depp which gained underground news and had a devoted following. Jeff Beck will forever will be a true innovator, creator, and artist. He will be forever missed. Fly high.