Johnny Depp overcome with emotion on poignant birthday following sudden death
Johnny Depp had an emotional return to the stage on Thursday after he was forced to cancel all appearances due to a fractured ankle.
The Pirates of the Caribbean star reunited with his Hollywood Vampires bandmates in Bucharest, Romania, but the performance appeared to be an emotional one for Johnny as not only was he serenaded by fans in honor of his birthday, but he also paid tribute to a close friend following their sudden death.
Johnny will celebrate his milestone 60th birthday on June 9, but it will be a bittersweet occasion as it marks his first since the death of Jeff Beck, who died on January 11 after suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis. He was 78.
Johnny took a moment out of Thursday's show to dedicate David Bowie's song, Heroes, to Jeff. In a fan video shared on Twitter, the actor said: "I should dedicate this song to one of all of our heroes," before taking an emotional pause and adding: "Mr. Jeff Beck."
The Hollywood actor and late musician were extremely close, and it was only last year that they released an album together titled 18. They also worked on a music video for the album's first single, a song titled This Is a Song for Miss Hedy Lamarr.
In a press release at the time of the album's debut, Johnny said: "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."
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Of Johnny, Jeff said: "I haven't had another creative partner like him for ages," adding: "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."
Over the summer of 2022, Jeff was right by the actor's side as he made his return to the spotlight following his trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, as the two performed at the Helsinki Blues Festival at Kaisaniemen Puisto on June 19 in Finland.
Jeff's family confirmed the news of his tragic passing with a statement on Instagram shared a day after his death. It read: "On behalf of his family, it is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of Jeff Beck's passing."
His family added: "After suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis, he peacefully passed away yesterday. His family ask for privacy while they process this tremendous loss."
Johnny and the Hollywood Vampires, which also includes Alice Cooper, Joe Perry, and currently Tommy Henriksen, will not play any shows on his birthday, but they will return to the stage on June 10 in Istanbul, Turkey.
Their tour will continue through Europe over the following two months, concluding on July 23rd in Germany, followed by a three-day set in the United States to make up for the canceled appearances, wrapping up on July 30th.
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