Rod Stewart and Johnny Depp among mourners at Jeff Beck’s funeral

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Jeff Beck broke hearts when he died of bacterial meningitis last month, aged 78. Today, he was laid to rest at St Mary’s Church in Beddington, near Croydon, as a string of fellow musicians sorrowfully looked on.

Among those present were Johnny Depp, a close friend and co-star who offered a smile of solidarity at the event, as well as rock legend Sir Rod Stewart and Welsh crooner Tom Jones.

Also attending were Chrissie Hynde, who is renowned as a founding member of The Pretenders, and legendary guitarist Eric Clapton.

Tom was seen lost in intense conversation with Eric as the musical guest list mingled outside the church.

Eric and Jeff had been close in later life, despite earlier tension between the pair which Jeff suggested was down to his collaborations with Stevie Wonder.

Former Boomtown Rats performer Sir Bob Geldof and Rolling Stones star Ronnie Wood also offered their condolences in public.

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Former co-star Sir Rod got one of his first big breaks in the music industry via Jeff Beck when he joined his group back in the Swinging Sixties.

Unfortunately, according to Rod, “aggravation and unfriendliness” developed between the talented pair, meaning that he left the group after just two and a half years.

However, he held no grudges, and looked sorrowful as he attended the funeral today with his model wife Penny Lancaster.

Jeff had enjoyed a friendlier relationship with Johnny Depp, whom he had performed live with just weeks before his death on a transatlantic tour.

Johnny had been in the midst of an intense trial with ex-wife Amber Heard, which he went on to win, and his performances with Jeff had helped to create positive publicity for him in the aftermath.

The pair also created an album together titled ’18’, which aimed to relive the youthful energy they’d enjoyed in their teenage years.

Jeff’s devoted wife Sandra designed artwork for the album cover, which was illustrated with images of the pair as youngsters.

The guitarist said of the 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.”

Jeff, who has been lauded as one of the best guitar players in the world, first met Johnny relatively recently, in 2016, but they soon bonded over their shared love of music.

Fans spotted them drinking together at various venues, besides their performances, which fans described as “electrifying”.

Jeff was always known for his resilience in the face of medical emergencies.

In fact less than a decade before his death, in 2014, he was rushed to hospital for a surgical procedure, yet was back on stage within weeks.

He also remained in good health due to his commitment to avoiding drugs and alcohol, once saying he’d never been under the influence of either during a performance.

His hard work paid off and as recently as last month, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song, thanks to his collaboration with Ozzy Osbourne on the track ‘Patient Number 9.’

From his first ever single, ‘Beck’s Bolero’, featuring future Led Zeppelin stars John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page, and The Who’s drummer, Keith Moon, up to his last tour dates with Johnny Depp, Jeff’s artistic legacy will guarantee he is sorely missed.

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