Glenn Hughes, the former Deep Purple singer and bassist, has announced his retirement from live performances on doctors' orders after health tests revealed he needs another open-heart surgery. The 74-year-old musician, who previously had surgery in 2013 to repair an enlarged aorta, said he had "no option and no choice" but to prioritise his health, bringing an end to decades of touring and stage performances.

The announcement follows a series of tests, including multiple MRIs, CT scans and an echocardiogram, which alerted his medical team to the need for further intervention. It comes only days after Hughes performed with the all-star covers band Kings Of Chaos in California, and echoes concerns first raised in 2014, when he revealed he had been diagnosed with a heart murmur as a child and felt fortunate not to have suffered heart problems earlier given his well-documented past struggles with drugs and alcohol.