Johnny Depp and Jeff Beck collaborated on the 2022 studio album ’18’ and toured together in the months before Beck died at 78 in January 2023

Sandra Beck and Johnny Depp. PHOTO:  ROSS HALFIN

Johnny Depp is paying tribute to his friend, the late Jeff Beck.

On Monday, June 24, Depp, 61, united with musicians Jimmy Page, Chris Robinson, Billy Gibbons, Graham Coxon and Sandra Beck — the late Beck’s wife — at the Gibson Garage in London for a special night of performances to honor Beck on what would have been his 80th birthday.

Depp, an accomplished guitarist and vocalist on top of his decades-long acting career, could be seen performing a song with Sandra during the Monday night event honoring the late Yardbirds guitarist, who died of bacterial meningitis in January 2023. Musicians Toby Lee and Anika Nilles, the latter of whom formerly played drums for Beck’s live band, also joined Depp and other musicians for a night of performances, hosted by singer and songwriter Imelda May.

Beck and Depp first met in 2016 and quickly struck a friendship. They released a studio album together, titled 18, in July 2022, several months before Beck’s death. The pair set out on a tour to promote the album as well, with Beck stating in a release at the time of the album’s announcement that he had not “had another creative partner like [Depp] for ages.”

Johnny Depp, Billy Gibbons and Chris Robinson. ROSS HALFIN

“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,” Depp said of working with and getting to know Beck at the time. Following the musician’s death, a source told PEOPLE that Depp was “totally devastated” and noted that Depp “was by Jeff’s bedside” in the days before he died.

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“They had a really tight friendship, they were extremely close, and he got even closer over this past summer when they were touring together,” the source said at the time.

Johnny Depp. ROSS HALFIN

Depp also performed at another Beck tribute concert in May 2023 at London’s Royal Albert Hall alongside Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton and Ronnie Wood, among others. In June 2023, Depp shared a photo of himself and Beck working on a car’s engine together to commemorate what would have been the rock music legend’s 79th birthday.

“Happy birthday my dearest brother Jeff. You are with me, always,” Depp wrote in a caption to the post at the time. “You are everything!!! Your fellow giant toddler… eternal love and worship.”