Chris Dreja, the co-founding rhythm guitarist and later bassist of the Yardbirds , has died, reports The New York Times . On September 25, Dreja died of complications of multiple strokes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease while in a London nursing home, according to his daughter, Jacqueline Dreja Zamboni. He was 79. Although the Yardbirds were best known for their trio of all-star guitarists— Eric Clapton , Jimmy Page , and the late Jeff Beck —sharing the leading spotlight, Dreja’s