Ritchie Blackmore Performs With Deep Purple for the First in 33 Years

Key Points:

• Deep Purple surprised fans by reuniting with founding guitarist Ritchie Blackmore during their concert at Jones Beach, New York, where he joined them for a performance of "Smoke on the Water."
• Blackmore, 81, had not played rock music for 25 years and revealed his cameo in a livestream the night before the show, aiming to give fans advance notice to attend the rare reunion.
• The guitarist left Deep Purple in 1993 after a fallout and had not reunited with the band since, even missing their 2016 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction due to unresolved tensions.
• Blackmore explained he sought permission from Ian Gillan and the band for the encore, describing the experience as a nostalgic gesture and admitting to physical challenges, including receiving a steroid injection to endure the performance.
• The reunion was warmly received on stage, with Gillan praising Blackmore as a "great legend" and expressing pleasure at having him back, signaling a surprising thaw in their long-standing estrangement.