Editing Jeff Beck (section)

{{short description|English guitarist (1944–2023)}}
{{redirect|Geoffrey Beck|the English cricketer|Geoffrey Beck (cricketer)}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Jeff Beck
| image             = Jeff Beck in Amsterdam 1979 (cropped).jpg
| alt               = Beck playing live, black & white photograph
| caption           = Beck performing in [[Amsterdam]], 1979
| birth_name        = Geoffrey Arnold Beck
| birth_date        = {{Birth date|1944|6|24|df=y}}
| birth_place       = [[Wallington, London|Wallington, Surrey]] (now Greater London), England
| death_date        = {{death date and age|2023|1|10|1944|6|24|df=y}}
| death_place       = [[East Sussex]], England
| background        = person<!-- used to track if it's a single person or a group that is required for hCard microformat. Use value person or group_or_band. -->
| genre             = {{flatlist|
* [[Blues rock]]<ref>{{cite magazine|first1=Daniel|last1=Kreps|first2=Kory|last2=Grow|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/jeff-beck-dead-at-78-obit-1234659559/|title=Jeff Beck, Guitar Virtuoso and Blues-Rock Innovator, Dead at 78|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=11 January 2023|access-date=11 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111235118/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/jeff-beck-dead-at-78-obit-1234659559/|archive-date=11 January 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[hard rock]]<ref>{{cite news|first=Jill|last=Lawless|url=https://sentinelcolorado.com/uncategorized/jeff-beck-was-one-of-rocks-greatest-guitarists-now-his-instruments-are-up-for-auction/|title=Jeff Beck was one of rock’s greatest guitarists. Now his instruments are up for auction|newspaper=[[Sentinel Colorado]]|date=18 November 2024|access-date=16 May 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241119030117/https://sentinelcolorado.com/uncategorized/jeff-beck-was-one-of-rocks-greatest-guitarists-now-his-instruments-are-up-for-auction/|archive-date=19 November 2024|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[instrumental rock]]<ref>{{cite news|first=Philip|last=Booth|url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20030808/guitarist-jeff-beck-a-longtime-fan-of-blues-icon-king|title=Guitarist Jeff Beck a long time fan of blues icon King|newspaper=[[Sarasota Herald-Tribune]]|date=8 August 2003|access-date=17 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717042119/https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20030808/guitarist-jeff-beck-a-longtime-fan-of-blues-icon-king|archive-date=17 July 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{nowrap|[[jazz fusion]]}}<ref name="allmusic"/>
* {{nowrap|[[progressive rock]]}}<ref>{{cite web|first=Frank|last=Hoffman|url=https://www.shsu.edu/~lis_fwh/book/hybrid_children_of_rock/support/BeckJ.htm|title=Jeff Beck|work=Hybrid Children of Rock|access-date=15 June 2023|quote=More than any other guitarist, Jeff Beck was responsible for defining the progressive rock genre.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616024230/https://www.shsu.edu/~lis_fwh/book/hybrid_children_of_rock/support/BeckJ.htm|archive-date=16 June 2023|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}
| occupations       = Musician<!-- Occupation(s) as given in the lead -->
| instruments       = Guitar
| years_active      = 1963–2023
| label             = {{flatlist|
* [[EMI]]
* [[Epic Records|Epic]]
}}
| past_member_of    = {{flatlist|
* [[The Yardbirds]]
* {{nowrap|[[The Jeff Beck Group]]}}
* {{nowrap|[[Beck, Bogert & Appice]]}}
* {{nowrap|[[The Honeydrippers]]}}
}}
| website           = {{URL|jeffbeck.com}}
}}

'''Geoffrey Arnold Beck''' (24 June 1944 – 10 January 2023) was an English musician. He rose to prominence as the guitarist of the rock band [[the Yardbirds]], and afterwards founded and fronted [[the Jeff Beck Group]] and [[Beck, Bogert & Appice]]. In 1975, he switched to an [[instrumental]] style with focus on an innovative sound, and his releases spanned genres and styles ranging from [[blues rock]], [[hard rock]], [[jazz fusion]] and a blend of guitar-rock and [[electronica]].

Beck has been consistently ranked in the top five of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' and other magazines' lists of the greatest guitarists.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=18 December 2015 |title=100 Greatest Guitarists |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-guitarists-153675/ |access-date=19 July 2022 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |language=en-US |archive-date=27 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027132743/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-20111123 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=vgrank>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Vintage Guitar (magazine)|Vintage Guitar]]|title=Top 100 Guitarists|url=https://www.vintageguitar.com/25972/top-30-guitarists/|date=18 June 2017|access-date=1 July 2021|archive-date=9 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709182316/https://www.vintageguitar.com/25972/top-30-guitarists/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=marshall>{{cite web|publisher=[[Marshall Amplification]]|title=Guitar Heroes: Jeff Beck|date=13 April 2021|url=https://marshall.com/live-for-music/guitar-heroes/jeff-beck|access-date=1 July 2021|archive-date=9 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709181956/https://marshall.com/live-for-music/guitar-heroes/jeff-beck|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |date=13 October 2023 |title=The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-guitarists-1234814010/ |access-date=14 October 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US |archive-date=14 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231014003828/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-guitarists-1234814010/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He was often called a "guitarist's guitarist".<ref name="top ten">{{cite news |author= |date=26 October 2006 |title=Top 10 rock guitarists |url=https://www.today.com/slideshow/amp/top-10-rock-guitarists-46856154 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717042928/https://www.today.com/slideshow/amp/top-10-rock-guitarists-46856154 |archive-date=17 July 2021 |accessdate=17 July 2021 |website=[[TODAY.com]]}}</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' described him as "one of the most influential lead guitarists in rock".<ref name="rollingstone.com">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/jeff-beck/biography|title=Jeff Beck Biography|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=26 August 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160430152543/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/jeff-beck/biography|archivedate=30 April 2016}}</ref> Although he recorded two successful albums (1975's ''[[Blow by Blow]]'' and 1976's ''[[Wired (Jeff Beck album)|Wired]]'') as a solo act, Beck did not establish or maintain commercial success like that of his contemporaries and bandmates.<ref name="top ten"/><ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jeff-beck-mn0000240865|website=[[AllMusic]]|title=Jeff Beck|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|access-date=28 August 2011|archive-date=2 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602212915/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jeff-beck-mn0000240865|url-status=live}}</ref> He recorded with many artists.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jeff-beck-mn0000240865/credits|title=Jeff Beck Credits|website=[[Allmusic]]|access-date=28 April 2018|archive-date=28 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428181510/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jeff-beck-mn0000240865/credits|url-status=live}}</ref>

Beck earned wide critical praise and received the [[Grammy Award]] for [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance|Best Rock Instrumental Performance]] six times, winning in three categories at the 2010 Grammy Awards for a career total of eight Grammies. In 2014, he received the British Academy's [[Ivor Novello Award]] for Outstanding Contribution to British Music.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Mike |last=Pakinkis |title=Ivor Novello Awards 2014: All the winners |journal=[[Music Week]] |url=http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/ivor-novello-awards-2014-all-the-winners/058529 |date=22 May 2014 |access-date=24 June 2014 |archive-date=27 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140627002307/http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/ivor-novello-awards-2014-all-the-winners/058529 |url-status=live }}</ref> He was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] twice: first as a member of the Yardbirds (1992) and secondly as a solo artist (2009).