The music world was left in mourning following the news that iconic guitarist Jeff Beck had died on January 10 at the age of 78. Beck shot to fame as part of the Yardbirds in the 1960s, replacing fellow guitar legend Eric Clapton in the group. He then teamed up with Sir Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood to form the hugely influential Jeff Beck Group. He went on to win eight Grammys and is a two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Take a look back at his incredible life and career...

Geoffrey Arnold Beck was born in Wallington, Greater London, on 24 June 1944. He began singing at the age of 10 in a church choir and attended Sutton Grammar School and Sutton East County Secondary Modern School. Beck first experienced the guitar at the age of just six when he heard Les Paul play 'How High the Moon' on the radio. Since that moment he felt compelled to play the instrument. As a teenager he learned to play a borrowed guitar and made several attempts to build his own instrument, first by gluing together cigar boxes for the body and a fence post for the neck with the frets simply painted on. He recalled: "The guy next door said, 'I'll build you a solid body guitar for five pounds'. Five pounds, which to me was 500 back then [so] I went ahead and did it [myself]. "The first one I built was in 1956, because Elvis was out, and everything that you heard about pop music was guitar. And then I got fascinated. I'm sure the same goes for lots of people."

After a brief stint studying at Wimbledon Art College, he left education to play with shock-rocker Screaming Lord Sutch and the Tridents. Earlier, his sister Annetta had introduced him to guitarist Jimmy Page and when Eric Clapton left the Yardbirds in 1965, and band member Page suggested hiring Beck. An opportunity he took.

During his time in the Yardbirds, Beck played on hits such as 'I'm A Man' and 'Shapes Of Things', pioneering the use of electric guitar feedback, a technique which is said to have influenced The Who, Jimi Hendrix and Paul McCartney. Revealing that he discovered feedback through sheer circumstance, Beck said: "That [technique] came as an accident. "We played larger venues, around about '64-'65, and the PA was inadequate. So we cranked up the level and then found out that feedback would happen. "I started using it because it was controllable - you could play tunes with it. I did this once at Staines Town Hall with the Yardbirds and afterwards, this guy says, 'You know that funny noise that wasn't supposed to be there? I'd keep that in if I were you.' "So I said, 'It was deliberate mate. Go away.'"

Beck was kicked out of the Yardbirds for no-showing at a series of dates on the band's US tour. Undeterred by the bust-up, Beck scored a huge hit in 1967 with 'Hi Ho Silver Lining' - a track that has transcended the decades. The performers on that single became The Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart taking lead vocals and Ronnie Wood playing rhythm guitar. The group released two acclaimed albums 'Truth' (1968) and 'Beck-Ola' (1969) and their heavy-sounding blues rock proved to be hugely popular in America and an inspiration to Beck's former Yardbirds bandmate Jimmy Page, who admits it was a major influence on his band Led Zeppelin. The first incarnation of the band - which had been plagued by in-fighting -broke-up just before they were due to play Woodstock, a decision Jeff later admitted he regretted.

In 1969, when Beck was planning to team up with Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice - former members of the American band Vanilla Fudge - to create a supergroup, he was involved in a serious car accident. The crash left Beck with a fractured skull and he was side-lined for a year as he recovered.

After the supergroup Beck, Bogert and Appice and the second incarnation of The Jeff Beck Group failed to make much impact in the charts, Beck decided to go solo in 1975. That same year he released the album 'Blow By Blow', produced by Beatles studio collaborator George Martin. The LP was entirely instrumental with Beck's astonishing guitar playing replacing the parts of a lead vocalist, something he would continue with for many more records. The LP was a success and made the top 10 in America and he followed it up with 1976's 'Wired' - also produced by Martin.

Just as he was a wizard with a guitar, Beck was also magic with the ladies. Beck was married to the love of his life Sandra Cash – whom he wed in 2005 – at the time of his death, and he had been with his first spouse Patricia Brown from 1963 to 1967. Beck had many romances with beautiful women throughout his life. He had an intense love affair with model Celia Hammond, who spent her life after fashion saving animals. Beck even became a patron of one of her animal shelters as part of the Celia Hammond Animal Trust. For six years, he dated British TV presenter Julia Carling – the ex-wife of retired England rugby captain Will Carling – with the beauty claiming she lost her virginity to Beck when she was 18 and he was 39. Beck also romanced American model Heather Taylor, who went on to marry The Who singer Roger Daltrey. Heather was rumored to be the inspiration for Jimi Hendrix’s hit ‘Foxy Lady’.

Beck and Hollywood star Johnny Depp – a talented guitarist in his own right - became friends in 2016, and remained extremely close up until his passing. In July 2022, Depp and Beck released their album ‘18’ - Beck's final LP before his death - and toured together to rave reviews, in what were the actor’s first public appearances since he won his libel court case against ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp, 59, is said to have been by “Jeff’s bedside” along with "some other rock stars" before Beck's passing. A source told People: “They had a really tight friendship, they were extremely close, and he got even closer over this past summer when they were touring together. “The sickness came on really quickly, and it all deteriorated rapidly in the last couple of weeks. Johnny is still processing this news. He’s devastated.”

Jeff Beck died at the age of 78 after "suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis" his family revealed. Tributes to Beck quickly poured in. His former Yardbirds bandmate Jimmy Page wrote on Twitter: "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. His technique unique. His imaginations apparently limitless. Jeff I will miss you along with your millions of fans. Jeff Beck Rest in Peace." Sir Rod Stewart - who was the singer in The Jeff Beck Group - thanked his late friend for everything he'd done for him, posting: "1/2 "Jeff Beck was on another planet. He took me and Ronnie Wood to the USA in the late 60s in his band The Jeff Beck Group and we haven’t looked back since . "2/2 He was one of the few guitarists that when playing live would actually listen to me sing and respond . "Jeff, you were the greatest, my man. Thank you for everything . RIP" Rolling Stones star Ronnie Wood - who was also part of The Jeff Group - posted: "Now Jeff has gone, I feel like one of my band of brothers has left this world, and I’m going to dearly miss him."