“I hadn’t seen him in a while, and I wish I had.” Jimmy Page remembers original Yardbirds guitarist Chris Dreja, who has died at age 79

Jimmy Page and Chris Dreja photographed in England in 1967 while both were members of the Yardbirds. Jimmy Page has paid tribute to the late Yardbirds rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja, who died recently. A founding member of the Yardbirds, Dreja passed away just weeks before his 80th birthday after battling a long-term illness, including the after effects of strokes he suffered in 2012 and 2013. Dreja was a founding member of the Yardbirds, along with guitarist Top Topham. “I heard today of the passing of musician Chris Dreja, who passionately played with the iconic Yardbirds, on rhythm guitar and then the bass,” he wrote.