EMOTIONAL tributes were made to Evesham drummer Jamie Airns at his funeral yesterday.

Hundreds of people turned out to say goodbye to the 46-year-old known as Jammer who died on Sunday, July 1.

In keeping with his rock roots, Mr Airns’s coffin was carried in to All Saints Church in Evesham to The Boys are back in Town by Thin Lizzy who he once roadied for when he was younger.

A former band mate called Paul spoke at the service and said he would always remember his time on the road with the drummer, whether it was rocking on the stage or chatting about their lives driving from show to show.

“The fact that people have come from all over to pay their respects is testament to Jammer,” he said. “In all the years I knew him, I never saw him be rude to anyone on stage or after. We would chat all night in the van about our childhoods.

“One of my most important memories was a few minutes before we went on to the stage at Donnington. He said ‘we worked hard for this brother.’ We laughed like brothers and argued like brothers. We shared the best times of our lives. He was a legend both on and off the drum kit. RIP you will never be forgotten.”

Mr Airns died after becoming unwell in hospital where he had been taken following an accident on Friday, June 15.

He had been thought to be in a stable condition following the accident which took place at 6.45am when his Citroen C3 and an articulated lorry collided on the A38 at the Copcut Elm traffic island in Droitwich.

At the time, Mr Airns, who was thought to be an agency driver supplied to Yodel and working for the same delivery company in Droitwich as the driver of the lorry, was taken to the Queen Elizabeth hospital, Birmingham with multiple injuries.

Former school friend Nigel also remembered Mr Airns at the funeral. He said: “Jammer was like a brother to me. “We had good and bad times together. I trusted him with my life. It was an honour and a privilege to have known him.”

Debbie O’Connor, the partner of Mr Airns who was in rock bands including Choir Boys, Black Out, Wreckage, Medulla Nocte, Murder One and Anger Management, did not speak at the funeral but in an earlier tribute said she was heartbroken.