Born 80 Years Ago Today in England, a Founding Member of the Classic Rock Band That Introduced Three of History’s Most Influential Guitarists

November 11, 2026, 7:45pm

On this day (November 11) in 1946, Chris Dreja was born in Surbiton, Surrey, England. He formed the Yardbirds with Top Topham in his teens. The relatively short-lived group hosted some of the greatest rock guitarists in history. Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page were all members of the band during its initial five-year run. Later, Dreja walked away from the music industry to pursue a photography career before briefly reforming the Yardbirds.

Before he was the rhythm guitarist and co-founder of one of the most pivotal bands in rock history, Dreja played piano. His older brother, Stefan, met Anthony “Top” Topham while taking a pre-college art program. He introduced Topham to his younger brother and the immediately became friends. The pair bonded over their love of rock and roll and American blues music. Eventually, guitarist Dave Holt began hanging out with them. He taught Dreja how to play guitar.

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According to AllMusic, Dreja and Topham became the core members of the Metropolis Blues Quartet. They later added Keith Relf, Jim McCarty, and Paul Samwell-Smith to the group and became the Yardbirds. Topham was only 15 at the time. So, when the band started to play in clubs, he dropped out. Eric Clapton took his place in October 1963. Later that year, they toured England as blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson’s backing band.

The band scored their first top 10 hit in the UK and United States in 1965 with “For Your Love.” Soon after they released the single, Clapton left the band. Jeff Beck took his place. With Beck on board, they released more hits, including “Heart Full of Soul,” “Evil Hearted You,” and “Over Under Sideways Down.”

The Yardbirds-Led Zeppelin Connection

Bassist Paul Samwell-Smith left the band after they released the landmark album Roger the Engineer in 1966. Jimmy Page, who was playing sessions at the time, took his place. Later, Chris Dreja took over on bass and Page became the band’s rhythm guitarist.

“It was such a waste,” Dreja said of having Page on bass. “It did not take any of us long to realize that. I enjoyed playing the bass role, even badly. So, I wanted to change pretty quickly. Then, for a while, we had these two amazing gunslingers on stage,” he recalled.

This lineup produced several memorable tracks, including “Happenings Ten Years Time Ago,” “Psycho Daisies,” and “The Nazz Are Blue.”

In late 1966, Beck left the band. They went forward as a quartet with Page as their sole guitarist. They toured the United Kingdom and United States together. Then, in 1967, they released their final album, Little Games. The LP included several cover songs, including a reworking of Jake Holmes’ “Dazed and Confused,” which also appeared on Led Zeppelin’s debut record.

The band split after a final show in July 1968.

Page saw the split as an opportunity and chose to form the New Yardbirds. He offered Dreja a spot in the band, but he declined. Page’s new band later became Led Zeppelin. Dreja relocated to New York to become a professional photographer. Interestingly, he shot the group photo on the back of Zeppelin’s debut record.

Chris Dreja Post-Yardbirds

Chris Dreja didn’t completely walk away from the music business after the Yardbirds split. After becoming a photographer, he did shoots for several high-profile artists, including Bob Dylan and the Righteous Brothers.

In 1983, Dreja joined Jim McCarty and Paul Samwell-Smith to form Box of Frogs. They released two albums before splitting in 1986.

In 1992, McCarty and Dreja reunited to rebuild the Yardbirds. A year later, the band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In 2003, they released Birdland.

Dreja retired in 2011 after suffering a series of strokes. Another stroke and complications of PTSD ended his life in September 2025. He was 78 years old.

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