British guitar legend Jeff Beck dies at the age of 78

Beck died from bacterial meningitis at a hospital near Riverhall in southern England, reports said. He is survived by his second wife Sandra.

A statement on his official Twitter page said, "On behalf of his family, it is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of Jeff Beck's passing. After suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis, he peacefully passed away yesterday. His family ask for privacy while they process this tremendous loss."

"His family ask for privacy while they process this tremendous loss," it said.

Beck shot into fame with the Yardbirds,  replacing Eric Clapton, and later formed  the Jeff Beck group with Rod Stewart.

He fronted Beck, Bogert & Appice, a rock supergroup and power trio formed by him, evolving from the Jeff Beck Group. It included bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice, Americans who had played together in Vanilla Fudge and Cactus.

In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style with a focus on innovative sound, and his releases spanned genres ranging from blues rock, hard rock, jazz fusion, and a blend of guitar-rock and electronica.

Beck ranked in the top five of Rolling Stone and other magazines' list of 100 greatest guitarists.

He was often called a "guitarist's guitarist" while Rolling Stone described him as "one of the most influential lead guitarists in rock".

"His tone, presence and, above all, volume redefined guitar music in the 1960s, and influenced movements like heavy metal, jazz-rock and even punk," wrote BBC.

The Guardian wrote: "Often described as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, Beck – whose fingers and thumbs were famously insured for £7m – was known as a keen innovator. He pioneered jazz-rock, experimented with fuzz and distortion effects and paved the way for heavier subgenres such as psych rock and heavy metal over the course of his career.

"He was an eight-time Grammy winner, recipient of the Ivor Novello for outstanding contribution to British music and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame both as a solo artist and as a member of the Yardbirds," according to The Guardian.

Variety wrote in the tribute: "He reached the probable apex of both his critical and commercial success with a pair of mid-’70s all-instrumental albums, “Blow by Blow” and “Wired,” that found him moving into jazz-fusion terrain. The latter LP was recorded with keyboardist Jan Hammer, formerly of the top fusion act the Mahavishnu Orchestra.

"From the early ’80s onward, the temperamental Beck — a notorious perfectionist in the studio and a prickly band mate — would sporadically reappear, retrench, retire and reappear again. His latter-day work ranged from an homage to rockabilly singer Gene Vincent to instrumental sets reflecting the influence of techno, electronica and ambient music," it added.