Chris Dreja

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Lore & Background

Dreja's musical journey began when he met Top Topham at art school, where both studied at the same pre-college art program. Influenced by folk-blues guitarist Gerry Lockran, they switched from acoustic to electric guitars, making their debut with electric instruments alongside Duster Bennett and Jimmy Page. Their influences ranged from Hubert Sumlin and Duane Eddy to Brian Jones and Chuck Berry. Dreja became a core member of the Metropolitan Blues Quartet as it transformed into The Yardbirds. When the band went professional, Topham left, but Dreja stayed on, playing rhythm guitar alongside Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page. After original bassist Samwell-Smith departed, Dreja moved to bass. He contributed to a few group compositions and created the iconic artwork for their self-titled album, leading fans to call it "Roger the Engineer." In 1992, he and The Yardbirds were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In Their Own Story

In 1992, Dreja reformed with The Yardbirds, playing concerts until a series of strokes forced his retirement from live touring around 2011. By 2013, he had fully retired from the band for medical reasons, replaced by original lead guitarist Top Topham. In a 2014 interview, Jim McCarty noted that while Dreja could get around and survive quietly, he could no longer play. The air of the studio was different when Dreja worked in New York; despite his unique surname, it took two years for anyone to realize "Chris Dreja of photography" was the same Chris from The Yardbirds. A messenger eventually arrived asking if he was "that Chris Dreja with that Yardbirds band." This moment highlighted his successful pivot to a new life as a professional photographer, where he worked with icons like Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, and Ike and Tina Turner.

Reader's Guide

For fans tracing the lineage of Led Zeppelin, Chris Dreja represents a crucial "what if" branch. When The Yardbirds folded in the late 1960s, Jimmy Page offered Dreja the bassist position for his new band. Dreja declined to focus on photography, and John Paul Jones took the role instead. Despite not joining Led Zeppelin, Dreja maintained a creative link by photographing the back cover of their debut album. His equipment history reflects the era's diversity: he recorded with Watkins Rapier, Harmony, Gibson 335, Les Paul, Fender Jaguar, and Jazzmaster guitars, plus an Epiphone Rivoli bass. In later years, he favored the Les Paul on stage. Dreja lived in London until his death from stroke complications and COPD at age 78. His story underscores the versatility of Yardbirds members, who transitioned seamlessly between music careers and visual arts.

Did You Know?

• Dreja drew the cover art for The Yardbirds' album, which fans dubbed "Roger the Engineer."
• He turned down Jimmy Page's offer to play bass in Led Zeppelin so he could pursue photography.
• Despite his fame, it took two years for people working with him in New York to recognize him as the Yardbirds guitarist.
• Dreja was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with The Yardbirds in 1992.
• He used an Epiphone Rivoli bass and played a Les Paul on stage during his later years with The Yardbirds.