Keith Relf, the lead singer of the 1960s British white man’s blues group The Yardbirds, which showcased guitarists like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page, and who died tragically in a freak accident in his home in 1976, would have celebrated his 70th birthday today.

With the high profile memory of The Yardbirds still etched in a lot of people’s minds, mainly because of the revolving door stints of Clapton, Beck, and Page, the memory of Keith Relf and his contributions to the band and to helping the amplification of blues music in general, remains unfortunately somewhat stilted and dimmed to many contemporary audiences. But there’s no denying that as a front man, and a mean harmonica player to boot, Keith Relf indeed has earned his place in rock and roll history.

As part of Amazon’s monthly $5 MP3 album deals for February 2012, Shapes of Things – The Very Best of the Yardbirds is on sale for only $5.

During their heyday in the 1960s, The Yardbirds were known for such hits as “For Your Love” and “Heart Full of Soul,” both included in the track listing below. The band also spawned the careers of such guitar heroes as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page.
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Browse the main sale page to see the other 99 albums on sale for only $5 each in MP3 format through the end of February 2012, but hurry, the sale ends at 11:59pm PST tonight!

Artist Maxim Dalton has created a new illustration called “Guitar Lessons” which features 35 rock guitar greats.

Dalton plans to offer up posters for this, and that there will be 50 hand-signed and numbered giclée prints at 19 x 25 inches. The cost will be around $40, plus $11 shipping for the U.S. and Europe. Visit the artist’s site for an up-close look at each guitarist, and to reserve a limited edition print.

Here’s a list of all the guitarists in the illustration…