Chris Dreja, a musician, photographer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member who was a co-founder of the pioneering British rock band the Yardbirds and a co-writer of many of that band’s songs, has died, according to social media posts from his sister-in-law and his former bandmate Jimmy Page . He was 79.

While the Yardbirds never achieved the same level of fame as contemporaries like the Rolling Stones, the band had an enormous influence on several generations of rock musicians and is best known for having Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page in its lead guitarist role between 1963 and its dissolution in 1968. Dreja — pictured above, second from left, with the group in 1967 — was originally the band’s rhythm guitarist and shifted over to bass after Page joined in 1966. He was in

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