Founding Yardbirds guitarist Chris Dreja dead at 79

Chris Dreja, founding guitarist with The Yardbirds – and the only musician to play on all their releases – has died at the age of 79. The news was broken on social media by his sister-in-law, Muriel Levy.

"It is with a deep sadness that I have to announce that my brother-in-law Chris Dreja, former member of legendary band The Yardbirds, rhythm guitarist and also bass player, has passed away after years of health problems," Levy writes. "I share the pain with my sister Kate, who took care of him during all those years, and his daughter Jackie. May he RIP."

Born in Surbiton, Surrey, in 1945, Dreja founded The Yardbirds in 1965 alongside vocalist Keith Relf, lead guitarist Top Topham, bassist Paul Samwell-Smith and drummer Jim McCarty. He would remain in the band until they broke up in 1968, playing alongside Eric Clapton (who replaced Topham within months), Jeff Beck (who replaced Clapton in 1965) and Jimmy Page, who initially joined to play bass in 1966. Page and Dreja soon swapped instruments, and Dreja continued on bass as Jeff Beck departed, keeping the role until The Yardbirds disbanded.

“I wasn’t that good on bass, but I had loads of energy," Dreja told Classic Rock. "And now Jimmy got the chance to show what a great chord and riff player he was. It was embryonic Led Zeppelin in some ways. I loved that period as a four-piece.”

The end of The Yardbirds was difficult. With a run of Scandinavian dates lined up, Relf and McCarty called time and went off to form folk-rockers Renaissance, which left Dreja as the sole founder member still in the band.

"I wasn’t prepared to continue the band without Keith or Jim," Dereja said. "I’d had enough. I wanted to be able to control my own destiny. I was keen to pursue photography as a career which would enable me to do that." A keen artist, Dereja had already provided the illustration that adorned the cover of The Yardbirds' third album, commonly referred to as Roger the Engineer.

In the end, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones played the Scandinavian dates as the New Yardbirds in September 1968, and Led Zeppelin were born. Dreja shot the band photo that appeared on the back cover of Led Zeppelin I, and would go on to photograph The Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Righteous Brothers, Ike and Tina Turner, Andy Warhol and many more.

In 1983, Dreja, McCarty and Samwell-Smith formed Box Of Frogs with ex-Medicine Head singer/guitarist John Fiddler, who made two albums. The self-titled first saw Jeff Beck and Rory Gallagher join the action, while the second, Strange Land, found Jimmy Page returning to the fold, alongside Gallagher and former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett.

In 1992, The Yardbirds were inducted into the US Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and, although they didn't perform at the ceremony, they did reunite three years later, when Dreja and McCarty were persuaded to put a new lineup together with bassist Rod Demick and guitarist John Idan.

Typically, the band went through a succession of lead guitarists, including Dr Feelgood's Gypie Mayo, Fotheringay and Fairport Convention man Jerry Donahue, and 22-year-old prodigy Ben King. And the guest list on their 2003 Birdland album – the first Yardbirds album since 1967's Little Games – featured Slash, Brian May, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter and Steve Lukather. Two live albums, Live at B.B. King Blues Club and Making Tracks, followed.

Dreja suffered a series of strokes in 2012 and 2013 and announced his retirement from the band in July 2013. His place was taken by The Yardbirds' original guitarist, Top Topham.

"I heard today of the passing of musician Chris Dreja, who passionately played with the iconic Yardbirds, on rhythm guitar and then the bass," Jimmy Page posted on social media. "I hadn’t seen him in a while, and I wish I had. RIP Chris."