Chris Dreja, co-founding rhythm guitarist and later bassist for the influential British rock band The Yardbirds, died September 25 at age 79 in a London nursing home from complications of multiple strokes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to his daughter Jacqueline Dreja Zamboni.
The musician’s death was confirmed by his sister-in-law Muriel Levy and former bandmate Jimmy Page, who wrote on Instagram that he heard of the passing of the musician who passionately played with the iconic Yardbirds on rhythm guitar and then bass, adding that he wished he had seen Dreja recently.
Born Christopher Walenty Dreja on November 11, 1945, in Surrey, England, to Polish immigrant parents, Dreja grew up in Kingston Upon Thames and developed an early passion for rock music as a teenager. His brother attended a pre-college art program with original Yardbirds lead guitarist Anthony “Top” Topham, leading to Dreja and Topham forming an early collaboration.
In 1963, still teenagers, Dreja and Topham joined forces with singer Keith Relf, bassist Paul Samwell-Smith, and drummer Jim McCarty to form the Metropolitan Blues Quartet, which they quickly renamed The Yardbirds. When Topham left several weeks into the band’s formation, Eric Clapton replaced him, and by late 1963, the group had taken over the Rolling Stones’ residency at London’s legendary Crawdaddy club.
The Yardbirds became known for launching the careers of three of rock’s most celebrated guitarists: Clapton, who played from 1963 to 1965; Jeff Beck, who replaced Clapton and performed from 1965 to 1966; and Page, who joined in 1966 when Samwell-Smith departed. When Page initially joined on bass, Dreja eventually switched from rhythm guitar to bass, creating a brief but legendary lineup featuring both Beck and Page on dueling lead guitars.
During the 1960s, the band released multiple hit singles including “For Your Love,” “Heart Full of Soul,” “Shapes of Things,” “Evil Hearted You,” and “Over Under Sideways Down.” Their 1964 live album “Five Live Yardbirds,” recorded at London’s Marquee Club, captured their energetic early blues-rock performances. The group’s 1966 self-titled album, often called “Roger the Engineer,” featured cover artwork drawn by Dreja himself.
Dreja’s rhythm guitar work proved essential to the band’s signature “rave-ups” – extended instrumental passages that could stretch songs to 15 or 20 minutes, building and receding in intensity. These improvisational sections were relatively rare in rock music at the time and influenced countless later artists. In a 2009 interview with Vintage Guitar, Dreja explained that he contributed more to the Yardbirds’ music than listeners realized, including guitar parts, lyrics, arrangements, and creative ideas.
The musician noted that “The Yardbirds were a democratic band” where interesting contributions from any member would be developed collectively. He described their approach as breaking the rules of accepted pop songcraft and embarking on experimentation with eclectic sounds during their five-year run.
After the Yardbirds disbanded in 1968, Page formed the New Yardbirds, which became Led Zeppelin. Though invited to join the new group, Dreja declined to pursue his photography career instead. Ironically, he went on to photograph the band portrait on the back cover of Led Zeppelin’s 1969 debut album. His photography work included sessions with notable artists such as Bob Dylan, Andy Warhol, Ike and Tina Turner, and the Righteous Brothers.
In the 1980s, Dreja returned to music with Box of Frogs, a rock project featuring former Yardbirds members McCarty and Samwell-Smith. The group released two albums before dissolving in 1986. Following the Yardbirds’ induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, Dreja and McCarty reformed the band that same year.
The reformed Yardbirds released “Birdland” in 2003, featuring guest appearances by Queen’s Brian May, Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, Steve Vai, and other notable guitarists. Dreja continued performing with the group until 2013, when a series of strokes forced his retirement from music. He was replaced by original guitarist Topham, who had returned to the band.
Throughout his later years, Dreja expressed satisfaction with his dual career paths. In interviews, he indicated that he had accomplished the two things he loved most – music and photography – and felt no regrets about his artistic choices. His health continued to decline following the 2012 and 2013 strokes, leading to years of medical complications before his death.
Dreja’s death leaves McCarty and Samwell-Smith as the surviving original members of the Yardbirds. Relf died in 1976, and Topham passed away in 2023. The musician’s contributions to rock history extend beyond his instrumental work to include his artistic talents in album design and his documentation of the 1960s music scene through photography.
