Beck was born in England in 1944  and like many other musicians of his generation, he was an art student (Wimbledon Art College). After playing in several bands he was tapped to become Eric Clapton's replacement in the Yardbirds at the suggestion of Jimmy Page. Beck was with the Yardbirds about  a year before leaving to form his own band. Initially, he performed with Rod Stewart, Ron Wood (future Rolling Stone), and Aynsley Dunbar. The group released a few singles that had some success in spite of lead vocals by Beck and not Stewart. A succession of ensembles with changing personnel followed usually called  the Jeff Beck Group. Beck's first album, Truth, was released in 1968. Over the years several of his albums have gone platinum including Wired (1975), and Blow by Blow (1976).

Beck has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, once as a member of the Yardbirds (1992), and again as leader of the Jeff Beck Group (2009). He was the most innovative of the guitarists to come out of the Yardbirds getting an amazing range of sounds from clever manipulation of volume and the whammy bar as well as a wah wah pedal. To view a great live performance, check out this YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msPiKYuuRiQ