Jeff Beck funeral: Johnny Depp, Rod Stewart and Tom Jones among mourners as stars say goodbye to rock icon
CELEBRITIES and rock royalty have turned out in their droves to pay their final respects to guitar legend Jeff Beck.
The virtuoso was laid to rest at St Mary’s Church in Beddington, South London, today.
Stars in attendance included Johnny Depp, Sir Rod Stewart and Rolling Stone icon Ronnie Wood.
Also at the heart-breaking farewell was Welsh crooner Sir Tom Jones, rocker Eric Clapton and Live Aid legend Sir Bob Geldof.
Edward Scissor hands filmmaker Tim Burton and comic Vic Reeves were also spotted at the church.
The rocker died January 11 aged 78 of bacterial meningitis.
Beck shot to fame in the 1960s with The Yardbirds playing alongside a young Jimmy Page, later of Led Zeppelin, before carving out a career of his own.
Considered one of the greatest guitarists to ever live, Beck’s screaming solos earned him the moniker “the guitarist’s guitarist”.
But he was best known for the 1967 hit “Hi Ho Silver Lining”, featuring Rod Stewart, that went to number 14 in the UK charts that year.
It was later adapted as a matchday chant by Aston Villa, Wolves and Sheffield Wednesday.
Indicted into Rock’s Hall of Fame twice, Beck’s music career spanned an astonishing 50 years.
Forming The Jeff Beck Group in 1967, the guitarist created an alliance of rock royalty boasting Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood and drum icon Cosy Powell as members.
He would go on to perform with Eric Clapton and blues guitar god Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Beck was so talented that it was rumoured in 2010 he had insured each of his hallowed fingers for £700,000.
In 2015, Rolling Stone placed the virtuoso strummer No.5 on a list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists” to ever live.