<p>Jeff Beck, the influential, genre-bending English guitarist who rose to fame with The Yardbirds before later embarking on a solo career, has died at the age of 78, his family announced on social media on Wednesday.</p>.<p>He passed away peacefully on Tuesday after suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis, the family said.</p>.<p>Beck is a two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee - in 1992 for his work with The Yardbirds and as a solo performer in 2009. In 2015, <em>Rolling Stone </em>magazine ranked Beck as the fifth greatest guitarist of all time, one spot ahead of blues icon B.B. King.</p>.<p>In 2022, Beck released his final album: <em>18</em>, a 13-track collection of mostly cover songs, with Hollywood star <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tag/johnny-depp" target="_blank">Johnny Depp</a>.</p>.<p>"We slowly built songs that we just like. We didn’t really make any design," Beck said at the time.</p>.<p>A native of Wallington, England, Beck won his first Grammy award in 1985 with the instrumental <em>Escape</em>. He would go on to win seven more of the gold-plated statuettes in his career.</p>.<p>Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi mourned Beck's death on Twitter, saying he was shocked to hear of his passing.</p>.<p>"Jeff was such a nice person and an outstanding iconic, genius guitar player - there will never be another Jeff Beck," Iommi wrote. "His playing was very special & distinctively brilliant! He will be missed."</p>.<p>Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, also a former Yardbirds member, paid tribute to Beck, saying his technique was unique and imagination limitless.</p>.<p>"The six-stringed Warrior is no longer here for us to admire the spell he could weave around our mortal emotions. Jeff could channel music from the ethereal," he said. "Jeff, I will miss you along with your millions of fans."</p>
<p>Jeff Beck, the influential, genre-bending English guitarist who rose to fame with The Yardbirds before later embarking on a solo career, has died at the age of 78, his family announced on social media on Wednesday.</p>.<p>He passed away peacefully on Tuesday after suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis, the family said.</p>.<p>Beck is a two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee - in 1992 for his work with The Yardbirds and as a solo performer in 2009. In 2015, <em>Rolling Stone </em>magazine ranked Beck as the fifth greatest guitarist of all time, one spot ahead of blues icon B.B. King.</p>.<p>In 2022, Beck released his final album: <em>18</em>, a 13-track collection of mostly cover songs, with Hollywood star <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tag/johnny-depp" target="_blank">Johnny Depp</a>.</p>.<p>"We slowly built songs that we just like. We didn’t really make any design," Beck said at the time.</p>.<p>A native of Wallington, England, Beck won his first Grammy award in 1985 with the instrumental <em>Escape</em>. He would go on to win seven more of the gold-plated statuettes in his career.</p>.<p>Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi mourned Beck's death on Twitter, saying he was shocked to hear of his passing.</p>.<p>"Jeff was such a nice person and an outstanding iconic, genius guitar player - there will never be another Jeff Beck," Iommi wrote. "His playing was very special & distinctively brilliant! He will be missed."</p>.<p>Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, also a former Yardbirds member, paid tribute to Beck, saying his technique was unique and imagination limitless.</p>.<p>"The six-stringed Warrior is no longer here for us to admire the spell he could weave around our mortal emotions. Jeff could channel music from the ethereal," he said. "Jeff, I will miss you along with your millions of fans."</p>