August 26th 2024.
Ian Gillan, the lead singer of the iconic 70s rock band Deep Purple, recently dropped a bombshell in an interview. Despite their name, the band has no plans of retiring anytime soon, contrary to what their 2017 tour, The Long Goodbye, seemed to suggest.
Formed in 1968, Deep Purple originally consisted of vocalist Rod Evans, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, bassist Nick Simper, keyboardist Jon Lord, and drummer Ian Paice. Their debut album, Shades of Deep Purple, was released in the same year and gained success in the US with their cover of Joe South's "Hush", reaching number four on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.
However, their second self-titled album did not fare well in sales, causing the band to undergo a transformation in 1971. With the addition of new lead singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover, Deep Purple adopted a heavier sound and fully embraced the world of rock music. Since then, the band has gone through several lineup changes and an eight-year hiatus, but they have managed to release 23 studio albums, with their latest being in 2021. They have also been hailed as one of the most influential bands ever by Planet Rock.
In a recent interview with SiriusXM's Eddie Trunk, 79-year-old frontman Ian Gillan revealed that the 2017 tour's name was not meant to imply retirement, but rather a marketing tactic to boost ticket sales. He jokingly referred to it as an "enigmatic phrase" and explained that it was the promoters' idea to capitalize on the farewell tour trend.
This revelation contradicts an earlier statement made by Ian in 2018, where he mentioned that retirement was a possibility for the band due to some members' health issues. However, in the interview, he clarified that Deep Purple has plans to continue performing until at least 2026.
Despite guitarist Steve Morse's departure from the band in 2022 to care for his late wife, who passed away earlier this year, Deep Purple shows no signs of slowing down. They have already booked performances until 2026 and have various projects in the works. It seems like the band has changed their mind about retirement in the six years since the interview with Ultimate Classic Rock radio.
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