Jeff Beck, the influential genre-bending English guitarist who rose to fame with the Yardbirds before later embarking on a solo career, has died suddenly at the age of 78.
In an Instagram post, his family said he died peacefully on Tuesday, after suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis.
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, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Beck as the fifth greatest guitarist of all time, one spot ahead of blues icon B.B. King.
He famously insured his fingers and thumbs for £7 million ($NZ13.3 million).
In 2022, Beck released his final album: 18, a 13-track collection of mostly cover songs, with Hollywood star Johnny Depp.
"We slowly built songs that we just like. We didn’t really make any design," Beck said at the time.
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi mourned Beck's death on Twitter, saying he was shocked to hear of his passing.
"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."
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, also a former Yardbirds member, paid tribute to Beck, saying his technique was unique and imagination limitless.
"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."
