Ritchie Blackmore Set to Play With Deep Purple After 33 Year-Estrangement
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Ritchie Blackmore says he plans to join Deep Purple for an encore at their Jones Beach show, marking his first live appearance with the band since leaving in 1993. If it happens, the appearance would end a 33-year estrangement and represent an unexpected reconciliation after decades in which a reunion had been repeatedly ruled out.
Blackmore, Deep Purple’s founding guitarist and co-writer of songs including “Smoke on the Water”, said frontman Ian Gillan and the rest of the band approved the idea of him playing one song. He left amid severe tensions during a 1993 European tour, while the group later continued with Steve Morse and now features guitarist Simon McBride; Blackmore also did not perform at the band’s 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.
- Blackmore plans a one-song Deep Purple return after 33 years.
- The appearance is planned for Jones Beach in New York.
- It would follow decades of strained relations.
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Deep Purple are a British rock band formed in the late 1960s and are widely associated with the development of hard rock. Their best-known line-up included guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, singer Ian Gillan, keyboard player Jon Lord, bassist Roger Glover and drummer Ian Paice, and produced songs such as “Smoke on the Water”.
Blackmore was a founding member and a major songwriter, known for a guitar style that combined rock with classical influences. He left the band more than once, with his final departure coming during a difficult 1993 tour, after which Deep Purple continued with other guitarists.
The band has changed members several times over the decades but has remained an active touring act. Relations between Blackmore and some former bandmates were long seen as strained, making any shared appearance significant for the group’s history and for fans of its classic era.
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