It’s official: Legendary British rock guitarist Jeff Beck has passed on. Reports suggest that the veteran musician had contracted bacterial meningitis, an infection that turned out to be fatal. His family has requested privacy in this dark hour. Beck has been a renowned name in the international music scene since the 1960s and even replaced Eric Clapton in Yardbirds. Tributes began to flood in on Twitter, ever since the news of Beck’s demise dropped on the internet.

Here’s How Industry Insiders Have Reacted To The News So Far:

It was in 1975 when Beck shone into the limelight with the foot-tapping track, Blow by Blow. In an earlier interview, Beck spoke about how he stumbled upon his signature Whammy Bar technique. “That [technique] came as an accident! We played larger venues, around about ’64-’65, and the PA was inadequate. So we cranked up the level and then found out that feedback would happen. Pete Townshend discovered it, he has it on My Generation. I started using it because it was controllable – you could play tunes with it. I did this once at Staines Town Hall with The Yardbirds and afterward, this guy says, ‘You know that funny noise that wasn’t supposed to be there? I’d keep that in if I were you.’ [so] I said, ‘it was deliberate mate. Go away,’” he revealed.

Lead Image: Jeff Beck/Twitter