Chris Dreja, a founding member of the Yardbirds who played rhythm guitar and bass behind the band's three legendary lead guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page, died on Sept. 25 at a nursing home in London. He was 78 years old. His daughter, Jacqueline Dreja Zamboni, said complications from multiple strokes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused his death.
The Yardbirds never matched the worldwide success of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, but the band achieved five Top 10 singles in Britain with their blues-rock sound. The group also scored two American hits when For Your Love reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965, and Heart Full of Soul climbed to No. 9 that same year.
Paul Samwell-Smith, the Yardbirds' bassist, wrote in an email that Dreja was not the greatest guitar player, but he provided stability and reliability for the band. David French, author of a 2020 biography about the band's lead singer, Keith Relf, described Dreja as a glue guy who balanced the big personalities and mood swings of the lead guitarists.
The Yardbirds never matched the worldwide success of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, but the band achieved five Top 10 singles in Britain with their blues-rock sound. The group also scored two American hits when For Your Love reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965, and Heart Full of Soul climbed to No. 9 that same year.
Paul Samwell-Smith, the Yardbirds' bassist, wrote in an email that Dreja was not the greatest guitar player, but he provided stability and reliability for the band. David French, author of a 2020 biography about the band's lead singer, Keith Relf, described Dreja as a glue guy who balanced the big personalities and mood swings of the lead guitarists.
