Chris Dreja, co-founding rhythm guitarist and later bassist of 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 news was confirmed by former bandmate Jimmy Page on Instagram, who expressed regret at not seeing Dreja recently. His sister-in-law Muriel Levy also announced the death on social media, noting that Dreja had passed away after years of health problems.

Born Christopher Walenty Dreja on November 11, 1945, in Surrey, England, to Polish immigrant parents, Dreja grew up in Kingston Upon Thames and was drawn to rock and roll 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, Dreja and Topham joined forces with singer Keith Relf, bassist Paul Samwell-Smith, and drummer Jim McCarty as the Metropolitan Blues Quartet before renaming themselves the Yardbirds. When Topham left several weeks later, Eric Clapton replaced him, and the band took over the Rolling Stones’ residency at London’s Crawdaddy club later that year.

Although the Yardbirds became famous for their trio of legendary guitarists—Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Page—Dreja’s essential rhythm guitar work provided the crucial backdrop for the group’s extended instrumental passages, which would influence countless classic rock artists. He remained on rhythm guitar until 1966, when Samwell-Smith left the band and Dreja switched to bass, a role he continued until the band’s dissolution in 1968.

The band recorded their debut live album, “Five Live Yardbirds,” at the end of 1964, then formally introduced themselves with their studio effort “For Your Love” in 1965, which earned their first chart entry. They released four more studio albums: “Heart Full of Soul” in 1965, “Yardbirds” and “Over Under Sideways Down” in 1966, and “Little Games” in 1967.

Hit singles included “For Your Love,” “Heart Full of Soul,” “Shapes of Things,” “Evil Hearted You,” and a memorable cover of Bo Diddley’s “I’m a Man.” The band scored significant success with “Shapes of Things” in 1966, dubbed the “first psychedelic rock classic,” which reached number 11 in the United States and number three in the United Kingdom.

Dreja contributed significantly to the Yardbirds’ music beyond his instrumental work, co-writing many songs and contributing to arrangements and creative concepts. In a 2009 interview with Vintage Guitar, Dreja explained that the Yardbirds were a democratic band where interesting ideas were collectively developed. He also drew the cover art for the band’s 1966 self-titled album, often called “Roger the Engineer.”

After the Yardbirds disbanded in 1968, Page invited Dreja to join what would become Led Zeppelin, but Dreja declined to pursue his photography career instead. Among his notable achievements behind the lens was shooting the band photo on the back cover of Led Zeppelin’s 1969 self-titled debut album.

Dreja’s photography career flourished as he captured images of numerous musicians, including Bob Dylan, Ike and Tina Turner, the Righteous Brothers, and Andy Warhol during his years working in a New York-based photo studio. He expressed no regrets about his decision, noting that his passion had transferred from music to photography.

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 breaking up in 1986. In 1992, Dreja and the rest of the Yardbirds were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which inspired him to reform the band that same year.

Dreja resumed his role on bass and continued performing with the reformed Yardbirds through 2013, when health issues following a series of strokes forced his retirement. The reunion version of the Yardbirds released one album of original material, “Birdland,” in 2003, featuring guest appearances by Queen’s Brian May, Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, and Steve Vai.

Dreja suffered additional strokes in 2012 and 2013, leading to his official departure from the band. He was replaced by Topham, who had returned to the group. McCarty continues to perform with the Yardbirds, making him one of the sole surviving original members along with Samwell-Smith. Relf died in 1976 and Topham in 2023.