Johnny Depp had to postpone some of the U.S. concert dates, and many fans may be wondering why. TMZ previously reported that Depp hurt his ankle while attending the Cannes Film Festival in May. The injury was not too serious but was concerning enough for Depp to delay a few shows with his band, The Hollywood Vampires. The actor-turned-rock star appears to have mostly healed and has resumed concerts with his supergroup, which also features legendary rocker Alice Cooper.
“Johnny went from two full days of press appearances in Cannes, straight to London for rehearsals and then played two tribute shows in honor of his dear friend, the late great Jeff Beck,” a source told TMZ. The insider added, “His ankle was already bothering him at Cannes, and it got progressively worse, but he wanted to honor his commitments for Jeanne du Barry and for Jeff. He’s devastated to postpone the shows, but his doctor believes flying could make the situation much worse. He plans to rest up so the European dates go off without a hitch.”
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As mentioned by the source, Depp recently honored Beck — his late friend and bandmate — by playing guitar at a tribute show for the late musician. PEOPLE reports that Depp joined other music icons such as Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, and Ronnie Wood for an evening celebrating Beck’s life and art. In footage of the event shared by Stewart on Instagram, Depp can be seen rocking out with the A-list stars as the crowd cheers them on.
Beck passed away on Jan. 20, at the age of 78. The two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s cause of death was a bacterial meningitis infection. According to a source familiar with details of the situation, Depp was “totally devastated” by his friend’s death and “was by Jeff’s bedside” sometime before his death. The source also stated that “some other rock stars” visited as well, but did not mention specific names.
Depp had previously been writing music and performing with Beck, and the pair collaborated on an album, 18, which was released in July 2022. “When Johnny and I started playing together, it really ignited our youthful spirit and creativity,” Beck said in an album press release. “We would joke about how we felt 18 again, so that just became the album title too.”
“We were going to call the album ‘Kitchen Sink’ because we threw everything in it,” Beck added jokingly. “The only game plan we had was to play songs we like and see where they took us.” He later added of the project, “We suggested songs the other might not think of. It pushed both of us out of our comfort zones. Johnny got me excited about ‘Venus In Furs,’ and I persuaded him to try ‘Ooo Baby Baby.’ Interesting things happen when you’re open to trying something different.”
