Yardbirds Guitarist Chris Dreja Dead at 79 Following 'Health Problems'

Chris Dreja, who was a major component of the iconic English rock band The Yardbirds, has died. He was 79.

Dreja's passing was confirmed by Jimmy Page, his former bandmate and one of rock's most legendary guitar players. Page shared the sad news on Instagram Thursday.

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

Muriel Levy, Dreja's sister-in-law, also addressed the Surbiton, Surrey, England native's passing on Threads. While an official cause of death was not mentioned, Levy did say Dreja had been suffering from "years of health problems."

“This 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 said. "I share the pain with my sister Kate who took care of him during all those years and his daughter Jackie…May he RIP ❤️."

Tributes pour in

As news of Dreja's death spread, fans flocked to social media to share their memories of the popular rhythm guitarist and bassist.

"Very sad to hear that Chris Dreja of the Yardbirds has died aged 79 after a long illness," one fan wrote on X/Twitter. "His rhythm guitar and, later, bass playing, were crucial to the Yardbirds sound. Thank you Chris."

"His face is part of my life , from buying my first Yardbirds picture sleeve, his playing those records are in my cells," another fan said on Instagram.

"Chris was also the photographer who took the picture on the backcover of Led Zeppelin’s self-titled debut album," a second Instagram commenter added.

"Long live Chris Dreja and the Yardbirds," another person wrote.

Saying goodbye to a legend

Dreja was one of the early members of The Yardbirds, who originally went by the name Metropolitan Blues Quartet. Over the years, his most famous bandmates included Page, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Keith Relf.

The Yardbirds were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, and cracked Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time. The band is best known for songs like "Heart Full of Soul," "For Your Love," "I'm a Man," and "Over Under Sideways Down."

In addition to playing guitar and writing songs for the group, Dreja also drew the cover art for The Yardbirds’ self-titled 1966 album, also known as “Roger the Engineer.”