Piano Man Billy Joel remembers ‘great virtuoso’ Jeff Beck
American singer, pianist and songwriter Billy Joel, nicknamed the Piano Man, said Jeff Beck’s death signalled “the end of an era” in heartfelt tribute.
Joel tweeted: "I just heard the sad news that the great virtuoso guitarist, Jeff Beck, has died.
"He was one of my heroes.
"I was fortunate to meet him recently and I’m very grateful now that I was able to tell him how much I admired his musical skill.
"This is the end of an era.
"R.I.P.
"Billy Joel."
Queen pays tribute to ‘inimitable’ Jeff Beck
British rock band Queen took to Twitter to pay tribute to Jeff Beck, who passed away on Tuesday aged 78 following a battle with meningitis.
Queen tweeted: "RIP Jeff Beck.
"'He was inimitable, irreplaceable - the absolute pinnacle of guitar playing.' - Brian May.
"'A totally unique and magical talent.' - Roger Taylor."
Jeff Beck ‘hated’ the ‘60s and ‘70s
In a hilarious interview with GuitarPlayer.com in September last year, Jeff Beck said he “hated” the 1960s and ‘70s.
Beck said: “I didn’t like the ’60s and ’70s basically. I hated them.
“The mid ’60s were okay, because every day was a hurricane in the Yardbirds and I could afford to look at it with contempt; around me were a lot of things I had nothing to do with, like flower power and awful things like flared trousers.”
Sir Rod Stewart pays tribute
The musician paid tribute to the “greatest” guitarist following his death.
Rod said: “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 .
“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”
What are the symptoms of meningitis?
The legendary musician died suddenly after contracting bacterial meningitis his family has revealed.
The symptoms of meningitis develop suddenly and include:
- A high fever over 37.5 degrees - the average human temperature
- being sick
- a headache
- a blotchy rash that doesn't fade when a glass is rolled over it
- stiffness, especially in the neck
- sensitivity to bright lights
- drowsiness, irritability or lack of energy
- cold hands and feet
- seizures
The classic rash associated with meningitis usually looks like small, red pinpricks at first.
But it will spread over the body and turn into red or purple blotches.
If you press the side of a glass firmly against the skin where the rash is and it does not fade, it is a sign of blood poisoning and you should get medical help immediately.
The Meningitis Research Foundation has warned the symptoms can easily be mistaken for a hangover.
What was Jeff Beck’s net worth?
At the time of his death, Celebrity Net Worth estimated Jeff Beck to have a net worth of $18million.
This is all from his musical career, which spanned six decades, and began with him following in Eric Clapton’s footsteps as a member of The Yardbirds.
However, after a falling out with the band during their North American tour, Beck went on to play alone and with other bands, he helped to found, including The Jeff Beck Group.
