SEARCH RESULTS FOR: Jeff Beck
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(Guitar, vocals, b. 1944) Regarded as one of Britain’s finest rock guitarists, Beck left The Yardbirds in 1968 to form The Jeff Beck Group, initially featuring Rod Stewart on vocals. The band’s second incarnation made two ground-breaking albums that mixed rock and pop with jazz and R&B. In 1972, the guitarist became part of the short-lived ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley

The most mercurial guitarist of his generation, Jeff Beck (b. 1944) has never conformed to the conventional image of a guitar hero. He has repeatedly left or broken up bands before their commercial potential could be realized. He restlessly changes style from one album to the next, refusing to be tied down musically. And his live appearances are intermittent. ...

Source: Rock Guitar Heroes, consultant editor Rusty Cutchin

Alternative guitarist and singer Jeff Buckley (1966–97) was born in Anaheim, California. Jeff barely knew his father, singer-songwriter Tim Buckley, who died when he was eight. His mother, Mary Guibert, was a classically trained pianist and cellist, which meant that music was all around when Buckley was growing up. He started playing acoustic guitar at ...

Source: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Guitar Heroes, consultant editor Rusty Cutchin

Jason Becker, born in 1969, is an American neo-classical metal guitarist and composer whose steady rise to the top of the guitar world was cut short by illness. Becker was born and raised in Richmond, California. In high school, he performed Yngwie Malmsteen’s ‘Black Star’ with his band at a talent show. At 16, he formed ...

Source: Rock Guitar Heroes, consultant editor Rusty Cutchin

Blind Lemon Jefferson (c. 1893–1929) opened up the market for blues records in 1926 when ‘Got The Blues’, backed with ‘Long Lonesome Blues’, became the biggest-selling record by a black male artist. It brought him the trappings of success, including a car and chauffeur, and he released nearly 100 songs over the next four years, before his death. ...

Source: Rock Guitar Heroes, consultant editor Rusty Cutchin

The most strikingly original and authoritative voice on cornet since Louis Armstrong, Leon ‘Bix’ Beiderbecke set the example for a generation of aspiring white jazz players during the 1920s. His meteoric rise to fame was followed by a dramatic fall from grace that led to his ultimate death from alcoholism at the age of just 28 in 1931. A Self-Taught Genius ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues, founding editor Howard Mandel

Although he is often cited as the first ‘folk’ bluesman to record, Blind Lemon Jefferson was actually much more than that: he was America’s first male blues pop star. On the strength of his recordings for the Paramount label – some of which are said to have sold upwards of 100,000 copies – Jefferson became a celebrity throughout the ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues, founding editor Howard Mandel

(Piano, b. 1920) The Dave Brubeck Quartet was one of the most successful jazz groups of all time; Brubeck’s fascination with unusual time signatures brought major hits with ‘Take Five’ (written by saxophonist Paul Desmond) and ‘Blue Rondo À La Turk’ in 1959. His recording of ‘Dialogues For Jazz Combo And Orchestra’, composed by his brother Howard, appeared the ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues, founding editor Howard Mandel

(Drums, b. 1960) Watts played timpani in the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra during his teens and vibraphone at Berklee School of Music, where he met the Marsalis brothers. He recorded with Wynton Marsalis from 1981 and then with Branford, following him into the house band of the televised Tonight Show. An explosive polyrhythmist who can also provide restrained ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues, founding editor Howard Mandel

(Vocals, guitar, b. 1942) Walker grew up in upstate New York State and wrote his most famous song, ‘Mr Bojangles’, as a Greenwich Village folkie, but when he moved to Austin in 1972 he embraced the town’s cowboy-hippie ethos so wholeheartedly that he became its personification. Backing his singer-songwriter material with a Texas dancehall band transformed his ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen

(Vocals, songwriter, b. 1968) Gina Jeffreys has been recognized as Australia’s premier female country act since her first hit single, ‘Two Stars Fell’ (1993). She started playing guitar at the age of 12 and at 15 was playing with the band ONYX. CMA Female Vocalist Of The Year in 1994 – when she toured with Johnny Cash and ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen

(Vocal/instrumental group, 1965–72, 1989, 1996) When the ‘classic’ line-up of Marty Balin (vocals), Grace Slick (vocals), Paul Kantner (guitar, vocals), Jorma Kaukonen (guitar, vocals) and Skip Spence (drums) found each other, a merger of an oblique form of folk rock with psychedelia ensured acceptance by their native San Francisco’s hippy community. They produced 1967 hit ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley

(Vocal group, 1970–84) The successor band to Jefferson Airplane whose official debut was 1974’s Dragonfly although the name had been used by singer/guitarist Paul Kantner on Blows Against The Empire (1970). Former Airplane vocalist Grace Slick joined the new band along with David Freiberg (bass), John Barbata (drums), Pete Sears (keyboards) and Craig Chaquico (guitar). Ex-Airplane singer Marty Balin signed ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley

(Vocals, b. 1970) By making music that incorporates eclectic influences from folk, hip hop, rock, electronica and studio prowess, Beck Hansen has become one of the most influential American solo artists. Early EPs, albums and singles like the classic ‘Loser’ were released on a variety of labels. When Beck signed to Geffen he retained the ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley

(Guitar, singer-songwriter, 1966–97) Son of singer-songwriter Tim, Jeff Buckley possessed an astonishing vocal range, emotional capacity and genuine songwriting talent. His mini album Live At Sin-e (1992) was the signpost to the classic debut Grace (1994). As well as stellar original material like ‘Last Goodbye’, Buckley delivered the definitive cover of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’. Sessions for an ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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