What was Jeff Beck's Net Worth?
Jeff Beck was an English rock guitarist who had a net worth of $25 million at the time of his death. Unfortunately, Jeff Beck died on January 10, 2023 at the age of 78. Jeff Beck was considered one of music's most influential and creative lead guitarists. Later musicians would credit Beck's guitar playing as being an inspiration for heavy metal. He was known for his work with The Yardbirds and his own band The Jeff Beck Group, among and others. He replaced Eric Clapton in The Yardbirds, at the recommendation of former member Jimmy Page. The Jeff Beck Group featured Jeff on guitar with Rod Stewart on vocals and Ronnie Wood on drums. During his life, Jeff appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine three times, won eight Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame TWICE; in 1992 as a member of The Yardbirds and in 2009 as a solo artist. In later years Jeff was known for his close friendship and musical collaboration with Johnny Depp. The day after Johnny's infamous trial with Amber Heard adjourned, he flew to England and played on tour with Beck.
Early Life
Jeff Beck was born on June 24, 1944 in Wallington, Surrey, England. He has a sister named Annetta. Beck was educated at Sutton Manor School and Sutton East County Secondary Modern School. He sang in the church choir as a child. For his higher education, he went to Wimbledon College of Arts.
First Bands
While a student at Wimbledon, Beck performed with a number of different bands. In 1962, he played with Screaming Lord Sutch and the Savages, and the year after that with the Nightshift, which he founded. Beck subsequently joined the Rumbles, and then the Tridents.
The Yardbirds
In 1965, Beck was recruited by the rock band the Yardbirds to succeed guitarist Eric Clapton. During his 20 months as a member of the band, he helped record the album "Roger the Engineer." Significantly, the album is the band's only to appear on the UK Albums Chart, making it to number 20. It was also the Yardbirds' highest-charting album in the US, making it to number 52 on the Billboard 200. The most well-known song from the album is "Over Under Sideways Down." Beck was ultimately fired by the Yardbirds during the band's US tour for consistently failing to show up and being otherwise ill-behaved.
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Jeff Beck Group
After his ejection from the Yardbirds, Beck founded the Jeff Beck Group in early 1967. The original lineup consisted of Beck, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Nicky Hopkins, and Aynsley Dunbar. In 1968, the group released its first album, "Truth," which reached number 15 on the Billboard 200. The Jeff Beck Group subsequently released "Beck-Ola" in 1969, which was less commercially successful. Tensions among the band's members led to the dissolution of the group shortly after that.
In 1971, Beck formed a new Jeff Beck Group consisting of him, Bobby Tench, Max Middleton, Clive Chaman, and Cozy Powell. The new group went on to release the album "Rough and Ready," which featured a different sound than before, more influenced by soul, jazz, and R&B. In 1972, the Jeff Beck Group released a self-titled album that also showcased a soul influence.
Beck, Bogert & Appice
Following the Jeff Beck Group's tour in 1972, Beck formed the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice with Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice. The group's self-titled debut studio album came out in 1973. It includes Beck's cover of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition." Early in 1974, Beck, Bogert & Appice performed at the Rainbow Theatre in London as part of a tour of Europe. Shortly after that, the group disbanded.
Solo Career
As a solo artist, Beck released his first single, the instrumental "Beck's Bolero," in 1966. After leaving the Yardbirds the next year, he recorded such singles as "Hi Ho Silver Lining" and "Tallyman." In 1975, Beck released his instrumental album "Blow by Blow," which became his most commercially successful release when it reached number four on the Billboard 200. His next album was 1976's "Wired," a fusion of jazz and rock; it peaked at number 16 on the Billboard 200. Beck went on to release "There & Back" in 1980. Five years after that, he released "Flash," featuring Rod Stewart on a hit cover of the song "People Get Ready." Following another break, Beck returned in 1989 with the album "Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop."
In 1999, Beck released "Who Else!," his first foray into guitar-oriented electronica. He subsequently released "You Had it Coming" in 2000, and then "Jeff" in 2003. After a seven-year break, Beck released "Emotion & Commotion" in 2010. Two of its songs, "Nessun Dorma" and "Hammerhead," won Grammy Awards. Beck's final studio album, "Loud Hailer," came out in 2016.
Musical Collaborations and Contributions
Beck had a myriad of major collaborations and contributions throughout his career. Among the many notable ones, he partnered with his Yardbirds predecessor Eric Clapton in 1981 for a series of live concerts sponsored by Amnesty International. An album and film were produced from the shows. Later, in the early 90s, Beck played the main solo on the title song of Jon Bon Jovi's album "Blaze of Glory." He also contributed to the score for the film "Days of Thunder." Throughout the decade, Beck made contributions to albums by Roger Waters, Kate Bush, Beverley Craven, and Paul Rodgers. Additionally, he collaborated with Jed Leiber on the score to the Australian television miniseries "Frankie's House," and collaborated with the Big Town Playboys on the 1950s tribute album "Crazy Legs."
In 2004, Beck was featured on the Toots and the Maytals song "54-46 Was My Number." Later, in 2010, he was one of many artists to collaborate on a cover of "Imagine" for Herbie Hancock's album "The Imagine Project." A few years after that, Beck collaborated with Brian Wilson on both an album and a tour. Among his other collaborations, he partnered with Johnny Depp to cover John Lennon's song "Isolation" amid the COVID pandemic in the spring of 2020. Beck and Depp went on to release the collaborative studio album "18" in 2022.
Personal Life and Death
Beck was married to his first wife, Patricia Brown, from 1963 to 1967. He didn't marry again until 2005, when he wed Sandra Cash. Beck did not have any children.
On January 10, 2023, Beck passed away from a bacterial meningitis at a hospital near his home in Wadhurst, East Sussex. He was 78 years of age.
Riverhall
For much of his later years, Jeff lived in a Grade II-listed estate in Wadhurst, East Sussex called Riverhall.
