Johnny Depp was reportedly at his close friend and collaborator Jeff Beck's bedside before the guitarist passed away at the age of 78.
On Wednesday (January 11), the rockstar - who is best known for fronting the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice - died after "suddenly" contracting bacterial meningitis.
In a statement shared by his family, they told fans that Beck "peacefully passed away" after contracting the infection, which can cause life-threatening blood poisoning and result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves, per NHS.
According to PEOPLE, an insider has now shared that the 59-year-old Pirates of the Caribbean star was among several musicians who visited Beck at his bedside during his final days.
Speaking to the outlet, the source reportedly said: "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 sickness came on really quickly and it all deteriorated rapidly in the last couple [of] weeks. Johnny is still processing this news. He's devastated," they added.
In recent years, Beck was known for his collaborative work onstage with Depp - most notably after a Virginia court ruled in favor of the Edward Scissorhands actor in his defamation trial against his 36-year-old ex-wife Amber Heard.
The duo's professional relationship strengthened after they released a joint album titled 18, on July 15. When they put out an official music video for the first single of the record, titled 'This Is a Song for Miss Hedy Lamarr,' Depp shared his thoughts about working with his friend.
"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," the Sweeney Todd actor said at the time, per People.
Also, in a statement on the musician's official website, he explained the meaning behind the album's name, writing: "When Johnny and I started playing together, it really ignited our youthful spirit and creativity. We would joke about how we felt 18 again so that just became the album title too."
In addition to this, the two men spent the last half of 2022 touring Europe in support of their joint album. In October, the guitarist posted a picture on his Instagram of him and Depp on the road that was captioned: "Jeff & Johnny pic by Jordan Grobe."
Beck first rose to stardom in 1965 when he took over as guitarist for The Yardbirds, replacing Eric Clapton. After, he formed the Jeff Beck Group, which was fronted by Rod Stewart for a brief period.
The musician was known for inspiring generations with his style of playing and had a successful career that included record-breaking solo albums, and collaborations with other rockstars like Mick Jagger and Ozzy Osbourne.
He is also an eight-time Grammy winner and a two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, first as a member of the Yardbirds in 1992 and another as a solo artist in 2009.
Beck is survived by his wife Sandra Beck. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and fans at this time.