The musicians we grew up with \u2014 who started in garages and basements before rising to fame \u2014 became the soundtrack of our lives. When one of them passes, it feels like a part of our story is lost too.<\/p>\n
Today, that loss is felt deeply with the passing of Chris Dreja, founding guitarist of The Yardbirds, at 79. He was the only member to appear on all of the band’s recordings and later became a respected rock photographer.<\/p>\n
His death, confirmed by sister-in-law Muriel Levy and former bandmate Jimmy Page, follows years of health issues. Page paid tribute, writing: \u201cI heard today of the passing of musician Chris Dreja… I wish I had seen him. RIP Chris.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though The Yardbirds never reached massive commercial success, their influence on rock is undeniable. They helped launch the careers of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page, and pushed musical boundaries with hits like \u201cFor Your Love\u201d and \u201cShapes of Things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Born in 1945, Dreja co-founded the band in 1963. Known for their bluesy \u201crave-ups\u201d and experimentation, the Yardbirds helped shape early hard rock. Dreja once described them as democratic, eclectic, and genre-defying \u2014 \u201ca pop band, a slightly heavy metal band, a blues band, with a bit of punk thrown in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Originally a rhythm guitarist, Dreja switched to bass in 1966 when Page joined. He turned down an offer to join Led Zeppelin, choosing photography instead \u2014 even shooting the back cover of their debut album.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was happy to move into photography and leave the chaos behind,\u201d Dreja said in 2008.<\/p>\n
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The musicians we grew up with \u2014 who started in garages and basements before rising to fame \u2014 became the soundtrack of our lives. When one of them passes, it feels like a part of our story is lost too. Today, that loss is felt deeply with the passing of Chris Dreja, founding guitarist of…<\/p>\n