The death of renowned guitarist Jeff Beck shocked the music business and left a significant vacuum in the rock scene. He was hailed as one of history’s finest instrumentalists, and his influence was felt in a variety of musical genres.
The beginning of 2023 has been a tragic start with so many losses like David Crosby and many other notable legends. The loss of Jeff Beck was a huge one. Alice Cooper, a close friend of Jeff’s broke his silence on Jeff’s tragic passing. It was while he was speaking to Fox Digital News.
In the rock scene, Jeff Beck and Alice Cooper both played as legendary musicians who frequently worked together. They are close buddies because they have both performed on each other’s albums and have been spotted doing so on stage.
Before his death, he had released an album jointly with Johnny Deep and was praised for covering some of the best songs. Before that, he had also collaborated with Ozzy Osbourne for ‘Patient Number 9’. Jeff passed away due to bacterial meningitis and he was 78.
After his passing was announced, musicians and friends immediately started paying respect. Jimmy Page wrote that “The six-stringed Warrior is no longer here for us to admire the spell he could weave around our mortal emotions. Jeff could channel music from the ethereal. His technique unique. His imaginations apparently limitless. Jeff I will miss you along with your millions of fans.” Mick Jagger expressed his condolences, writing “With the death of Jeff Beck we have lost a wonderful man and one of the greatest guitar players in the world. We will all miss him so much.” Ronnie Wood, a former bandmate of Beck’s, said “Now Jeff has gone, I feel like one of my band of brothers has left this world, and I’m going to dearly miss him.”
Alice Cooper himself also opened up about Jeff’s passing. Cooper disclosed that, just two weeks before Beck’s passing, he had actually seen Beck perform alongside Depp. Jeff seemed to be in excellent health, therefore Alice also said that he believed Jeff’s departure was rather surprising. He said,
“I was so sorry to see Jeff Beck go. Jeff Beck was my favorite guitar player of all time. And I’d just seen him two weeks before this happened. I mean, that was a surprise to me.”
“I saw him two weeks ago with Johnny Depp. They were playing in Phoenix. And he was great. I mean, I didn’t see – I didn’t notice anything at all. It must have happened very quickly. The funeral was actually yesterday in London, so we couldn’t make it there. We’re in rehearsal right now for our next show.”
Both Beck and Cooper have a deep admiration for each other and have had a profound influence on each other’s music. Their friendship serves as an example of the strength of enduring friendships and an inspiration to many musicians. The rock community mourned Beck’s passing, with many of his peers expressing their sorrow and admiration. His legacy will live on through his influence on generations of musicians, and his impact on the industry will be felt for many years to come.
