Chris Dreja, co-founder and guitarist of the legendary rock band The Yardbirds, has died at the age of 79. His sister-in-law, Muriel Levy, announced the news on Threads, stating that Dreja passed away after years of health problems.
Dreja was born on November 11, 1945, in Surbiton, England. In 1963, he co-founded the Metropolitan Blues Quartet, which later evolved into The Yardbirds. He initially played rhythm guitar but switched to bass in 1966 after Paul Samwell-Smith left the band.
The Yardbirds released six studio albums, including their 1964 debut Five Live Yardbirds, before disbanding in 1968. After the split, Jimmy Page offered Dreja a role as bassist in his new band, Led Zeppelin, but Dreja declined to pursue a career in photography. He later photographed Led Zeppelin for the back of their debut album.
In 1992, Dreja and drummer Jim McCarty reformed The Yardbirds, and the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that same year. They remained active until 2013, releasing the album Birdland in 2003. Dreja suffered a series of strokes in 2012 and 2013, which ended his music career. He retired from the group, and the Yardbirds officially disbanded in 2014.
Former bandmate Jimmy Page paid tribute on Instagram, writing, “I heard today of the passing of musician Chris Dreja, who passionately played with the iconic Yardbirds... I hadn’t seen him in a while, and I wish I had. RIP Chris.”
