50 Years Ago, the Lead Singer From an English Rock Band Died While Tuning His Guitar

The Yardbirds, an English rock band formed in 1963, kickstarted the music careers of three legends-Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page. All three men ranked toward the top of Rolling Stone's list of the 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. The other band members included Jim McCarty, Chris Dreja, Paul Samwell-Smith, and Keith Relf.

Relf, who was the lead vocalist and harmonica player for the band, died at the age of 33. He was tuning an electric guitar in his basement when he was electrocuted. The incident occurred because the instrument was not properly grounded. He was later found by his young son and was buried in Richmond Cemetery. His death was announced 50 years ago today, on May 14, 1976.

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When McCarty spoke about the band in a 2021 interview, he was asked how Relf felt about the guitarist (Clapton) getting more interest than him, the frontman. "That was very odd because he was a very obvious frontman," McCarty said. "When I first saw him playing with Paul I thought, this guy is a real frontman. You know, when one looks at him, he's got the long blonde hair, he's got this sort of way with him. Everyone wants to mother him. Then, when Clapton was in the band, I noticed that he got a lot of interest, a lot of people looking at him or standing on his side of the stage when he was playing, which was unusual because the frontman normally got all the attention."

McCarty also complimented Relf on his talents. "He was very good," he said. "He loved jazz, and he loved a lot of different music, and he had his own view on things, and he was a very spiritual guy. I really got on well with him. He was probably my best friend for a long time."

Relf co-wrote several songs for the band, including "Shapes of Things," "Over, Under, Sideways, Down," and "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago." He also went on to record a solo single called "Mr. Zero," which reached No. 50 on the UK Singles Chart.

After the Yardbirds broke up in 1968, Relf joined several more bands, including Together and Renaissance. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

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This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 8:55 AM.