Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan is planning to take a cue from KISS should Deep Purple ever get inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – because he refuses to play with former guitarist Ritchie Blackmore.
KISS founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons pulled out of a Hall of Fame set in April (14) after they were informed that current bandmates Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer would not be honored alongside former colleagues Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, and singer Gillan insists he’ll follow their example if Blackmore’s replacement, Steve Morse, isn’t included in what many fans think is a long overdue induction.
Gillan says, “It would be unconscionable to think about bringing Ritchie in. I don’t have an issue with Ritchie, nor does anyone. I’ve been in touch with Ritchie recently and everything’s cool, so there’s no bitter, personal problem. We’re too old for that and everything’s in the past, but no. That would be out of the question. This is the longest that any lineup has ever been together in this band.”
Blackmore left Deep Purple in 1993 and Morse has been the band’s guitarist ever since.
source: WENN via Contactmusic
66 Responses
Deep Purple have been rock n roll hall of famers since In Rock came out. I don’t need Jan Wenner and his ilk to make it official. As far as Blackmore’s Night not a big fan but Ritchie has earned the right to follow his muse and do what he wants as has Jimmy Page. They both know any time they step on a stage or make new music it will inevitably be compared to their iconic work.
Like KISS, Deep Purple would be getting inducted for what they did in the 70s.
Richie Blackmore is synonymous with Deep Purple and obviously needs to be included.
Unless you are a die hard Purple fan, nothing they have done since Perfect Strangers in 1984 has even been on the radar. When you look at it objectively, they really only have 2 or 3 great albums, but were hugely influential and pioneers of hard rock and should be in the Hall of Fame on that alone.
(and Smoke On The Water is the iconic rock guitar song).
Well now there’s a punter in the NFL HOF, so anything’s possible!
Rod Evans was the first singer in Deep Purple
What, did everyone forget Joe Lynn Turner? I’ve seen Purple 4 times, never with Blackmore and Gillan at the same time. I don’t think there would be a problem with Purple going in because Blackmore doesn’t give a shit about it.If you never heard any Purple with Morse check out Ted the Mechanic, great song.
Ritchie Blackmore says he has no interest in whether the band is inducted or not.
“Personally, I couldn’t care less,” the guitarist tells Billboard. “I would never go. I’m not really a fan of that stuff. Considering some of the people that are in the Hall of Fame, I’m not sure if it’s a good idea, so I don’t care one way or the other, actually.”
“I think our fans seem to care more than I do,” Blackmore observes. “They’re always saying, ‘You should be in the Hall of Fame. You should be in this, you should be in that.’ If I can pay the bills, that’s all I care about.”