Jeff Beck died on January 10 after a sudden illness leaving Depp "devastated" by the loss, a source said.
As Johnny Depp awaited the verdict of his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard, he went on-stage with his pal Jeff Beck and performed Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and the John Lennon song Isolation, per The Guardian. Now, his friend and collaborator, Beck is no more and Depp is mourning this loss. A source told PEOPLE, the Pirates of the Caribbean star "is totally devastated" after the English guitarist died at the age of 78 on January 10, noting that Depp, 59, "was by Jeff's bedside" along with "some other rock stars" before Beck's death.
As per PEOPLE, in an October SiriusXM Town Hall special hosted by Stevie Van Zandt, Depp had discussed living with Beck, "For me, Jeff very simply and kindly, Jeff and his wife Sandra just took me into their house, and I lived with them for months and months, and months."
Depp further added, "And then we went on the first tour together." The actor added, "So for me having had to deal with other things at the same time, once those things, you know, are down the road and you drop into the tour, it's like you're home. You are home and you feel at home. Like, where I can actually be me."
After Beck's death, a source said, "They had a really tight friendship, they were extremely close, and he got even closer over this past summer when they were touring together". The source added, "The sickness came on really quickly and it all deteriorated rapidly in the last couple of weeks." The source also told PEOPLE. "Johnny is still processing this news. He's devastated."
Last year, Depp and Beck released their album, titled 18, on July 15. The duo also released an official music video for This Is a Song for Miss Hedy Lamarr, the first single off the album. "It's an extraordinary honor to play and write music with Jeff, one of the true greats and someone I am now privileged enough to call my brother," Depp had said according to PEOPLE reports, "I haven't had another creative partner like him for ages," Beck said of Depp at the time. "He was a major force on this record. I just hope people will take him seriously as a musician because it's a hard thing for some people to accept that Johnny Depp can sing rock and roll." The duo also performed several shows together.
Other celebrities also mourned the death of Beck. Rod Stewart shared a picture with him on Instagram and called Beck the "greatest." Ozzy Osbourne took to Instagram to share two photos of himself, Beck, Ronnie Wood, and Slash. Osbourne shared his sadness saying how upset he was by the loss and that he felt for Beck's family. Meanwhile, Mick Jagger shared a Facebook video that showed them performing together and said that Beck was one of the best guitar players of all time and that he will be sorely missed. Jamie Lee Curtis also posted on Instagram and thanked Beck for the music he had given to the world
Beck's family confirmed his death in a statement to PEOPLE on January 11. "On behalf of his family, it is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of Jeff Beck's Passing," the statement began. "After suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis, he peacefully passed away yesterday. His family asks for privacy while they process this tremendous loss," they added.
Beck rose to fame through the years, starting in 1965 when he took over as guitarist for The Yardbirds, replacing Eric Clapton. He was featured in iconic moments in music from his role as lead guitarist on Mick Jagger's debut album She's the Boss to the title track on Ozzy Osbourne's latest album titled Patient Number 9.
References:
https://people.com/movies/johnny-depp-once-recalled-moving-in-with-jeff-beck/
https://people.com/movies/johnny-depp-joins-jeff-beck-onstage-in-monaco/
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/may/30/johnny-depp-uk-jeff-beck-gig-before-defamation-trial-
https://www.facebook.com/mickjaggerofficial
https://www.instagram.com/p/CnSrsRMOI4m/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Noam Galai
