Jeff Beck’s awe-inspiring, decades-long career and life are to be celebrated with tribute concerts held at the Royal Albert Hall. The concerts include a huge lineup of stars, including Johnny Depp, Rod Stewart and Eric Clapton.
Jeff Beck, heralded as the ‘best guitar player on the planet’ by Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, passed away on January 12th at the age of 78, after contracting bacterial meningitis. To celebrate his life and illustrious career his friends and colleagues have united for a tribute concert. The concert will be held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on May 22nd and 23rd.
Eric Clapton has announced the shows on Twitter, in association with Beck’s widow Sandra Cash. The lineup currently includes Clapton himself (who was the guitarist for The Yardbirds before Beck), Johnny Depp (who collaborated with Beck on their 2022 album), and Rod Stewart (also a former member of The Yardbirds). ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Doyle Bramhall, Gary Clark Jr, Imelda May, John McLaughlin, Robert Randolph, Olivia Safe, Joss Stone, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks are also featured. As well as The Jeff Beck Group’s current members; Rhonda Smith, Anika Nilles and Robert Stevenson.
The finalised line-up is still to be confirmed, closer to the date, but it is clear that these concerts will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The tickets will be pre-released on the 14th of March and released to the general public at 10 am on the 15th of March.
The show’s proceeds will be donated to the Folly Wildlife Rescue in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, of which he was a patron along with his wife Sandra Cash.
Jeff Beck began his career in 1965 when he joined The Yardbirds as their guitarist. He then went on to flourish in his solo career. Jeff Beck was the king of reinvention and never stopped progressing in his craft. He was inaugurated into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, with The Yardbirds and as a solo artist. He won 8 grammies in his lifetime and is described by Mick Jagger as ‘a wonderful man and one of the greatest guitar players in the world’. Beck’s talent stretched across the genres of jazz, blues, rock’n’roll and later even opera. He was an artist who was not afraid to experiment, exploring what new effects could do, whilst always showcasing his impeccable technique and improvisational skills. Rod Stewart describes Beck as being from ‘another planet’, his imagination was unmatched and took him places his contemporaries could never dream of. Beck pushed the boundaries of what a guitar could do. Fans will always remember him on his iconic Fender Stratocaster, playing with all his heart and soul.
Jeff Beck was a master of his craft and a pioneer for music, and his talent will be sorely missed, and never forgotten. His influence will live on in his music and in the minds of all guitar players.
