A legendary guitarist recently reunited with his band after being estranged from the group for more than a decade.
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Ritchie Blackmore Reunites With Deep Purple
After co-founding Deep Purple in 1968, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore had not performed with the group since 1993. But that all changed last Wednesday (August 12). To the surprise of many who were in attendance at the Northwell at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York, Blackmore joined the band on stage. Blackmore and the band jammed out to "Smoke on the Water" with singer Ian Gillan on vocals.
Of course, the reunion led to an outpouring of reactions from fans on social media.
"He's undeniably one of the best, but man that's a long time to hold a grudge. I'm glad they did it though," one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"All the people who were there got something they'll never forget! Very cool," a second user chimed in.
"I got f*****g chills! So great to see him playing that song after sooooo long!" a third user remarked.
Blackmore Explains Why Deep Purple Reunion Was So Special
Fans were not the only ones in their feels during the reunion. Blackmore told GuitarPlayer that he was also feeling emotional when he joined Deep Purple on stage. The 81-year-old said that the reunion was especially sentimental for him and the band because it could possibly be the "last time" that they saw each other.
"It was very moving because I went on very quickly and had to play immediately," Blackmore said to the outlet. "I couldn't warm up, but I wasn't there to be playing correct notes. I was there to see old friends. I hadn't seen them in 40 years, and we were all getting older. I think we realized it could be the last time we see each other, maybe."
He also says that choosing a song to perform was a no-brainer. Because Smoke on the Water is an overwhelming favorite track amongst their fans.
"I woke up one morning thinking, the day before their show, 'You know it would be good for the fans if I just got up for one song, probably 'Smoke' and just show thatwe'ree not at each other's throats and don't hate each other.'"
