Da Capo publishing announces Blow by Blow: The Jeff Beck Story by Brad Tolinski and Chris Gill, the first biography to fully capture the life, music, and mystery of this singular artist. Drawing on more than 30 hours of original interviews with Beck, along with extensive conversations with friends and collaborators including Jimmy Page, Johnny Depp, Clive Davis, and many others, the book offers the most complete portrait of Beck ever assembled. A follow-up to the bestselling Eruption: Conversations with Eddie Van Halen, the book goes beyond the myth, revealing the restless creative force behind Beck’s constant reinvention—from his groundbreaking work with the Yardbirds and Rod Stewart to his genre-defying solo career. Beck’s story is one of constant evolution, marked by bold risks, missed opportunities, and moments of staggering brilliance. He turned down superstardom with the Rolling Stones, briefly joined Elton John’sband before walking away, and helped fuel one of rock’s most enduring controversies around Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.” His platinum-selling masterpiece Blow by Blow became his biggest commercial triumph. At the same time, Beck remained deeply private. Through new reporting and firsthand accounts, Tolinski and Gill illuminate the man behind the music: fiercely independent, obsessively creative, and guided more by instinct than ambition. The book also explores Beck’s unexpected late-life friendship with Johnny Depp and the personal circumstances surrounding his final days. Timed to coincide with major milestones, including the 60th anniversary of the Yardbirds’ Roger the Engineerand the 50th anniversary of Wired, Blow by Blow reexamines Beck’s legacy not just as a guitar hero, but as a true musical innovator whose influence continues to reverberate across genres. |
Praise for Jeff Beck: ‘Inimitable, irreplaceable – the absolute pinnacle’ –Brian May ‘One of the all-time greats’ –Johnny Marr ‘His unique style was something no one could match’ – Paul McCartney ‘Jeff Beck was on another planet’ –Rod Stewart One of the greatest of all time’ –Nile Rodgers ‘The Salvador Dali of the guitar’ –Joe Perry |
