Blackmore Returns to Deep Purple | Music News

Ritchie Blackmore, the legendary guitarist at 81, stunned fans by joining Deep Purple onstage for the first time in 33 years, closing their set with “Smoke On The Water” — a song he co-wrote. Despite battling vertigo and arthritis that’s tough on his fingers, and having mostly played acoustic and Renaissance tunes with Blackmore’s Night for the past 25 years, he sounded nervous yet thrilled to reconnect with his rock roots. Singer Ian Gillan called him a founder and legend after receiving a surprise message asking to jam — a full-circle moment for fans who’ve missed that classic Blackmore sound. It was a powerful reminder that music transcends time, and sometimes, the old school still holds magic. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/831ff5e7ffa62afa