Jimmy Web page has paid tribute to Chris Dreja, the rhythm guitarist, bassist and co-founder of The Yardbirds, who has died aged 79.
Born Christopher Walenty Dreja in 1945, he was raised in Kingston, Surrey – on the ‘Thames Delta’, as the house of the British blues scene turned identified.
Dreja started taking part in with guitarist Anthony “Prime” Topham, a faculty good friend of his brother, forming the Metropolitan Blues Quartet in 1963 with singer Keith Relf, bassist Paul Samwell-Smith and drummer Jim McCarty.
Not lengthy after, the band modified their title to the Yardbirds, Topham left to get replaced by Eric Clapton. The band recorded their debut album 5 Dwell Yardbirds on the Marquee in 1964, earlier than Clapton left.
Over time, the group additionally noticed Jeff Beck and Jimmy Web page go by way of their ranks as lead guitarists, with Dreja switching to bass.
After Web page went on to type Led Zeppelin, he invited Dreja to affix as bassist. Dreja declined. A eager artist and photographer – his paintings seems on the duvet of the band’s sole studio album, Yardbirds aka Roger The Engineer – Dreja selected as an alternative to pursue a profession in images. His {photograph} of Led Zeppelin seems on the again of their debut album.
Dreja and McCarty reformed The Yardbirds in 1992, once they have been additionally inducted into the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame. They continued to carry out and report till 2013.
In 2012 and 2013, Dreja suffered a collection of strokes. When he retired from the group, Topham returned to interchange him. The Yardbirds formally completed in 2014.
