The "uncool" band Ritchie Blackmore named his all-time favourite

The "uncool" band Ritchie Blackmore named his all-time favourite

As he recently proved with his unexpected on-stage reunion with Deep Purple that was more than three decades in the making, Ritchie Blackmore still has an inherent coolness to him, even at 81. He might not have the energy that he once did during the 1970s, but once Blackmore plays that famous opening riff to ‘Smoke on the Water’, the crowd, no matter the room or city, will be eating out of the palm of his hand. It’s a magical skill at his dispos…

Watch Ritchie Blackmore Reunite With Deep Purple For ‘Smoke on the Water’

Deep Purple welcomed Ritchie Blackmore onto their stage at Jones Beach, marking their first performance together in 33 years.

Watch Ritchie Blackmore return to the stage with Deep Purple

Ritchie Blackmore has returned to the stage with Deep Purple. The 81-year old guitarist, who co-founded the band in 1968, joined them onstage at the 15,000-capacity Northwell at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York.Blackmore hadn't played with the band since departing under acrimonious circumstances after a show in Helsinki, Finland, in November 1993, and his relationship with frontman Ian Gillan has remained frosty.However, earlier this wee…

Ritchie Blackmore and Deep Purple End Their 33-Year Feud on Stage

Nobody thought this reunion would ever happen.

“Can I state here that I hate the Police?” Ritchie Blackmore says the band helped bring Deep Purple back together

Ritchie Blackmore reunited with Deep Purple last night for the first time in 33 years, joining his former bandmates onstage at New York’s Jones Beach Theater for “Smoke on the Water.” It was a remarkable moment for a guitarist who has spent most of the past three decades at a distance from the band he co-founded in 1968.But it wasn’t Blackmore’s first Deep Purple reunion — and the reason he helped bring the classic lineup back together in 1984 h…

Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore Reunites With Deep Purple At Jones Beach After 33 Years