Ritchie Blackmore Set to Play With Deep Purple After 33 Years Apart

Key Points:

• Ritchie Blackmore, founding guitarist of Deep Purple, announced via Instagram that he will join the band for an encore performance at their show in Wantagh, New York, marking his first live appearance with them since his 1993 departure.
• Blackmore reached out to Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan, who approved the idea, signaling a rare reconciliation after years of estrangement and previous refusals to perform together, including at the 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony.
• Blackmore left Deep Purple amid tensions in 1993 following an erratic onstage performance and was replaced first temporarily by Joe Satriani, then permanently by Steve Morse, who remained until 2022.
• Despite past statements from Gillan and the band rejecting reunions with Blackmore, the recent decision suggests a softening of relations, possibly influenced by Blackmore’s health challenges, including a heart attack in 2025.
• It remains unclear if this reunion will extend beyond the Jones Beach show, but even a single joint performance would be a significant moment in Deep Purple’s history.