NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — He was a guitarist's guitarist. With the death of Jeff Beck, the world remembers a man inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame twice, for both his solo work and as part of the group, the Yardbirds. In their list of greatest guitarists of all time, Rolling Stone even ranked Jeff Beck at No. 5.
At Corner Music, there are certain things that unite the crew of the music instrument shop.
"We're all linked by the same language," said Robbie Waldrop.
"We're all true working musicians," added Manny Cole.
"Many of us have been touring or recording pros before we drifted this way," said Ronnie Brooks. "It's the Nashville allure. Everybody wants to be here if they're a guitar player."
"It's almost an itch every day to pick up a guitar," Waldrop continued.
With that comes a respect for the greats. Of course, on a wall of Corner Music is a poster of guitarist Jeff Beck.
"I was in my early teens, and we were hearing a lot of Cream and Hendrix and things like that, but when the Yardbirds record came out, Jeff Beck was doing some things on it other people weren't doing," remembered Brooks.
"He took a chance on himself," said Cole. "His tone, even coming out of the Yardbirds and going into his solo situation, he developed his sound and how he wanted to express things."
Beck collaborated with everyone. The acts range across Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Mick Jagger, ZZ Top, and the Jeff Beck Group's former vocalist Rod Stewart.
"When you believe in yourself and what you bring to the table, your part is going to fit," said Cole. "He brought Jeff Beck to the song."
"It's one of those people who when a record comes on, you will instantly know who it is," said Waldrop. "Very few guitar players have that gift, I think, to make every single note sing in a way unlike any other."
On a rainy day in Nashville, a place with reverence for the greats is remembering Jeff Beck after his death.
"He'll be irreplaceable," said Brooks.
"You can appreciate those things now more than when it always felt like there was going to be something else," added Waldrop.
"He becomes infinite," said Cole.
"I think the best thing you can do is to play it and play it loud," said Waldrop.
