Celebrity mourners turned out to pay their respects to the late Jeff Beck at his funeral in his hometown.
Johnny Depp, Ronnie Wood, Sir Tom Jones were just a few of the famous faces at St Mary’s Church in Wallington, Surrey today.
Sir Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Bob Geldof and The Pretenders’ founder Chrissie Hynde were all also present at the late rock legend’s send off.
Beck passed away “peacefully” at the age of 78 after contracting bacterial meningitis.
Following his death, details about how he spent his later years emerged, with many calling him a “nice bloke”.
According to neighbours in East Sussex – as Jeff lived in the town of Wadhurst before his death – the musician could often be found shopping in his local Co-op and supporting the wildlife charity in the area.
He was also known for writing letters to Wealden Council and that his “absurdly gorgeous classic car” would be parked wherever he went.
Despite his worldwide fame, he blended into the rural village.
However, the same couldn’t be said for Johnny Depp who would often visit him.
Johnny was once picked up by a taxi driver near Beck’s house after they’d been making music together.
The cabbie told BBC journalist Victoria Valentine that his “jangly necklaces” were “a bit unusual in rural Sussex”.
The last gig that he played was with his pal Johnny in November after the pair released their collaborative album, 18.
The pair met in 2016 and bonded over a love of music, before recording the album in 2019.
In 2022, the pair released the album and he and Johnny played a string of live gigs together.
“There’s a couple who very much helped to keep me alive and sane and happy through the weirdness. And that’s Jeff and Sandra [Beck’s wife],” Johnny told Hollywood Authentic in an interview.
Beck held Johnny in just as high regard, writing on the album’s sleeve: “When Johnny and I started playing together, it really ignited our youthful spirit and creativity. We would joke about how we felt 18 again, so that just became the album title too.”
Beck was known for being one of rock’s greatest guitarists and he ranked fifth in Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
The eight-time Grammy winner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice – as a solo artist and as a member of The Yardbirds.
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