Ritchie Blackmore to perform with Deep Purple for first time in over three decades
Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore will take the stage with Deep Purple for the first time in more than thirty years during the band’s headlining show this Wednesday, August 12, at the Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York. The 81-year-old musician, who left the band in 1993, revealed the surprise appearance during an Instagram Live with his wife, Candice Night, the night before.
Blackmore said he proposed the idea to singer Ian Gillan, who lives in Portugal, and that Gillan brought it to the rest of the band, who agreed. Night clarified that the song Blackmore will play won’t be “Highway Star, ” since that track opens the show. The guitarist also spoke about ongoing health issues, including several herniated discs and a severe vertigo attack in late 2025 that forced him to cancel tour dates, though he said he felt ready to perform after receiving a steroid injection the day before.
