Jeff Beck, the legendary guitarist regarded by many as among the greatest of all time, passed away at age 78 on Tuesday.

In an announcement posted to his official social media accounts Wednesday, his family said: "On behalf of his family, it is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of Jeff Beck's passing."

According to the statement, Beck's cause of death is bacterial meningitis, an infection of the membranes (meninges) that cover and protect the brain and spinal cord.

His loved ones have asked for privacy as they deal with this devastating loss. Melissa Dragich, his representative, emailed CNN to confirm the news.

Beck became famous in the 1960s after taking Eric Clapton's place in the Yardbirds. The following year he left to form The Jeff Beck Group with Ron Wood and Rod Stewart.

He first entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Yardbirds in 1992 and then again as a solo artist in 2009.

Beck's first Grammy came in 1985 for "Escape," an instrumental rock track, and he has since won seven more. He ended up winning five more times after that.

Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp hit the road in support of their collaborative cover album "18" last year.

A source told People that Depp was at Beck's bedside shortly before he passed away. The insider noted that the two had 'a really tight friendship" and "were extremely close." 

"He [Johnny Depp] got even closer over this past summer when they were touring together... Johnny is still processing this news. He's devastated," the source added.

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What Made Jeff Beck a Legendary Guitarist?

Jeff Beck was a versatile musician who could perform any style that grabbed his ear. As Beck saw it, a guitar, at least when played in a certain way, could be as adaptable as a singer's voice.

"I just tried to become a singer," he told NPR in a 2010 interview. "I think the Stratocaster, the particular guitar Stratocaster, lends itself to endless possibilities because of the spring-loaded bridge that it's got."

He added: "I can depress the whammy bar they call it, but it's actually a vibrato bar. And I can do infinite variations on that by raising or lowering the pitch. I can play a chord and lower that pitch - six strings simultaneously."

Beck's name frequently comes up in discussions about the greatest guitarists of all time, with names like Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Keith Richards.

However, Beck was always somewhat of an introvert and was understandably scared of the spotlight that came with his musical success.

Despite his efforts to remain out of the limelight, Beck was successful and well-received. He has been nominated for 17 Grammys and won eight times. This year, he was nominated for Best Rock Performance.

Jeff Beck Early Career

Jeff Beck practiced on a borrowed guitar and tried to build his guitar out of cigar boxes when he was a teen, Washington Post reported.

He honed his skills while exploring many musical styles in bands while attending what was then the Wimbledon School of Art and is now the University of the Arts London.

His break came when Page, another young guitarist on the London scene, recommended him to the Yardbirds as a replacement for Clapton.

Before Beck, the band was known for its more conventional take on the blues. However, on the band's lone U.K. studio album, "Roger the Engineer," Beck shook things up by playing his guitar to simulate the sound of a sitar in 1966.

Jeff Beck is survived by his wife, Sandra Cash Beck. 

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Legendary Guitarist Jeff Beck Dead at 78 - From CBS New York