Ritchie Blackmore joins Deep Purple for Smoke on the Water
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Ritchie Blackmore reunited with Deep Purple onstage at Jones Beach in New York, joining the band for ‘Smoke on the Water’ during its encore. It was his first performance with the group since November 1993, ending a 33-year estrangement that had appeared unlikely to be resolved and delighting fans of the founding guitarist.
Singer Ian Gillan said Blackmore had asked a few days earlier whether he could sit in for one song, and the band agreed. Blackmore had signalled the possibility on Instagram and his wife, Candice Night, shared a backstage photo before the concert; he played only the one track, no further appearances have been announced, and he is recovering from a heart attack after last performing his own shows in November 2025.
- Blackmore joined Deep Purple for one song after 33 years away.
- The reunion took place at Jones Beach in New York.
- No further Deep Purple appearances have been confirmed.
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Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in the late 1960s, best known for songs including ‘Smoke on the Water’. The group became one of the leading bands in hard rock, with a line-up that changed several times over the years.
Ritchie Blackmore was Deep Purple’s original guitarist and helped shape its best-known sound alongside singer Ian Gillan and other members. He left the band in 1993 after long-running disagreements, later forming and performing with other projects, including the folk-rock group Blackmore’s Night with his wife Candice Night.
‘Smoke on the Water’ was written after a fire destroyed a casino in Montreux, Switzerland, where Deep Purple had planned to record. Its distinctive guitar riff made it one of rock music’s most widely recognised songs, so appearances involving Blackmore and the band together carry particular significance for their history.
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Originally published by Rolling Stone as “Watch Ritchie Blackmore Reunite With Deep Purple For ‘Smoke on the Water’”.