June 24, 1944 Geoffrey Arnold Beck was born on 24 June 1944 in England in Wallington, the number 206 by Demesne Road, son of Arnold and Ethel. After you sang as a child in the local church choir, as a teenager he learned to play a guitar borrowed, then trying to build just one instrument all its own. After high school he enrolled at Wimbledon College of Art; After working briefly as a decorator and painter, then devoted himself to a career in music. Used initially as a session musician, first registering as a guitarist in 1964 for the record label Parlophone. In 1965 he joined Jeff Beck of the Yardbirds, looking for a replacement from Eric Clapton (passed to John Mayall's Bluesbreakers). Thanks to the entry of Beck, the Yardbirds gain some fame on Britain's rock scene; Jeff also appears-along with Jimmy Page – also in "blow-up", Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 film of which represents the pinnacle of Swinging London: in the film the Yardbirds are protagonists of different scenes, one of which the musician Wallington apart a guitar (as Pete Townshend of the Who). Also in 1966, Beck and Page are alternated in the role of lead guitarists: this is the year of release of the album "Roger the Engineer"; After just over a year, however, Jeff left the band, claiming to have to do it for health reasons. Within a short time gives rise to a new formation, the Jeff Beck Group, which sees Mick Waller on drums, Nicky Hopkins on piano, Ron Wood on bass and Rod Stewart on vocals. The band recorded two albums: in 1968 "Truth", and in 1969 "Beck-Ola"; both works are appreciated by critics (now those albums are considered forerunners ofheavy metal). In the late 1960s, the Jeff Beck Group loses Wood and Stewart, who left the band: Jeff is an opportunity to revolutionize education, bringing Bob Tench on vocals, Max Middleton keyboards, Clive Chapman on bass and Cozy Powell on drums. The new band is characterized by a musical experience quite different than the previous one: a sort of anticipation of fusion, with elements of jazz, rock, pop and rhythm and blues. In 1971 he published his album "Rough and Ready", while the following year dates from "The Jeff Beck Group". The band, however, it melts right in 1972, at which point Jeff Beck, Bogert & Appice, creates power trio that sees Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice on drums. The only success of the trio, however, is a cover of a song by Stevie Wonder, "Superstition". In the mid-1970s, so Beck is dedicated to solo career, releasing "Blow by Blow", instrumental fusion album that gets a positive response from both critics and the public; in 1976 also works with Jan Hammer for making the album "Wired". In later years, the recordings of Jeff Beck thin out considerably: in 1980 together with Jan Hammer and Simon Phillips, guitarist creates "There and Black", while in 1985, again with Hammer, he made "Flash", which also sees the participation of Rod Stewart. After "Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop with Terry Bozzio, recorded in 1989, during the 1990s, Beck collaborates with Roger Waters for the concept album" Amused to Death ": 1992, when it also records" Frankie's House ", instrumental album. The following year Beck collaborates with Kate Bush for "The Red Shoes" while solo completes "Crazy Legs", album tribute to Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps, which he saw as rockabilly guitarist Cliff Gallup group. During the same period, the British guitarist accompanied Paul Rodgers in "Muddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy Waters"; then remains inactive until 1999, when together with Jennifer Batten gives birth to "Who Else!". In 2001 he won a Grammy Award for the song "Dirty Mind", which is part of the soundtrack of the movie "You Had It Coming" as Best Rock Instrumental Performance; two years later he won another thanks to the song "Plan B", comes from "Jeff". After performing at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2004, in 2007 accompanied Kelly Clarkson in the cover of "Up to the Mountain", Patty Griffin, during the episode of "American Idol" entitled "Idol Gives Back": the performance is recorded live and put on the market soon after. In April 2010 Beck released the album "Emotion & Commotion", which includes previously unreleased tracks and cover songs like "Nessun Dorma" and "Over the Rainbow". In the same year Jeff collaborates with Konono N° 1, Seal, Oumou Sangare, India. Arias and P! nk for "The Imagine Project," Herbie Hancock drive, playing "Imagine". After releasing the live album "Live and exclusive", recorded at the Grammy Museum, in 2011 Beck receives from the University of the Arts London an honorary fellowship in recognition of his "evident contribution to the world of music". The University of Sussex, instead, gave him an honorary doctorate for "his musical career and to seal the collaboration between the University and the Brighton Institute of Modern Music". The following year, Beck performs in Italy together with sugar during the mega-event "Italy loves Emilia Campovolo" concert organized to raise funds for people affected by the earthquake in Emilia Romagna. In 2013, he collaborated on the album by Roger Taylor "Fun on Earth" for the song "Say it's not true".
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.