The Legend Returns: Ritchie Blackmore to Perform With Deep Purple for First Time in Over 30 Years!

Is the impossible happening in the world of rock music? Exclusive news that has shocked millions of heavy rock fans around the globe! Legendary guitarist and co-founder of Deep Purple, Ritchie Blackmore, has announced that he will join his former bandmates on stage for the first time in more than three decades. This monumental reunion will take place on Wednesday night (August 12) during Deep Purple's headlining concert at the Northwell at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York.

The 81-year-old Fender Stratocaster icon, who last shared a stage with Deep Purple back in 1993, revealed the secret about his guest appearance during an Instagram Live broadcast with his wife Candice Night on Tuesday (August 11).

"There is something we wanted to mention about tomorrow night… Well, it is a secret and I don't want anybody to know, but I'm probably gonna get up and do an encore with the band, Deep Purple. But you can't tell anybody, and I know that this is gonna be kept a secret... Or will it? I suppose so," Ritchie Blackmore shared with a touch of irony.

Explaining how the reunion idea came together, Ritchie Blackmore noted:

"I actually reached out… Well, I sent my 'A.I. pigeon' to [Deep Purple singer] Ian Gillan in Portugal, where he lives at the moment. And I asked, 'How would you feel if I got up just for an encore? Just one song. I don't want to intrude.' I said, 'No pressure — just for old times' sake.' I'm 81 now. So he seemed to love the idea, put it to the band, got a thumbs up, and it looks like we might actually be doing that."

The guitarist added that he is already preparing heavily for the upcoming show:

"My roadie is there right now, setting up my amplifier. I'll be using a small combo amp, but it's very loud — it's what I use when I record. I hope I can compete with the current [Deep Purple] guitar player [Simon McBride], 'cause I see he has very big stacks behind him. So, it'll probably just be the one number, as it's been a while. I even changed the strings on my Stratocaster, which I haven't done in over 25 years… I hope the sound engineer turns me up out front. My roadie is there for the soundcheck."

At the same time, Candice Night clarified that the song Ritchie Blackmore will play will definitely not be the legendary "Highway Star", as Deep Purple open their set with that track according to Ritchie.

The iconic guitarist also spoke candidly about the physical challenges and health issues he has been facing recently. In late 2025, he suffered a severe, debilitating vertigo attack that forced him to cancel tour dates, alongside ongoing battles with severe gout, arthritis in his fingers and feet, and previous heart complications.

"I had my injection in my lumbar area yesterday," Ritchie Blackmore revealed. "It's a special steroid injection that enables me to stand in one spot. When I'm playing a Stratocaster on stage, I have a hard time with my shoulders and lumbar area — I've got four herniated discs if anybody wants them! The injection helps me get through standing up on stage. But I'll have a stool there just in case I start toppling over. I know Ian Gillan has his own health issues too, with his eyesight I think. As you get older, you collect all these things… Spinal fusion is out of the question — that's too big of a job. But the stem cell treatment looks interesting, and I'm recovering from that now. I'm on a steroid, and it's very hard to sleep on steroids. But thanks to the doctors at Stony Brook University Hospital — they were excellent, and I hardly felt any pain. I think we all have something to complain about; I just have more things than usual. And if I don't have something to complain about, I'll find something!"
 

Circling back to his upcoming appearance with Deep Purple, Ritchie Blackmore praised the band's current line-up:

"[Simon McBride] is a very good guitar player. As was, and is, [former Deep Purple guitarist] Steve Morse — a great guitar player. So that's gonna be interesting. I haven't played rock music in 25 years, actually," Ritchie Blackmore added, seemingly forgetting his brief 2016 pause from his acoustic project Blackmore’s Night (which also features Candice Night) to reform Rainbow for a series of rock shows. "It'll be good to see the old guys again. I think we'll all be on crutches and wheelchairs soon, although I think the rest of them are doing alright. But yes, it's kind of frightening. I haven't played rock in 25 years… I've been playing acoustic guitar for 25 years. At first, I was very uncomfortable playing it, but I got used to it, and now I'm more used to playing acoustic than electric."

The master explained that he decided to share the news with fans in advance because:

"I just thought it might be an idea to let a few people know, 'cause I think a lot of people would like to see that. So hopefully my guitar stays in tune, and I can play whatever song is going to be played. It's just the one song, I think."

Historical Background and Context

As a reminder, Blackmore’s Night performs Renaissance and medieval-inspired music, with lyrics written by Candice Night and melodies crafted by Ritchie Blackmore. The couple resides on Long Island, New York, near Port Jefferson, with their two children.

Ritchie Blackmore is a co-founder of Deep Purple and the creator of some of the most memorable guitar riffs in rock history, including the timeless anthem "Smoke On The Water". However, he has not performed with the band since his departure in 1993.

Following his initial departure from Deep Purple, the guitarist formed the neo-classical hard rock group Rainbow, which fused baroque musical influences with hard rock before evolving into a more radio-friendly pop-rock sound. In 1995, after leaving Deep Purple for the final time, Ritchie Blackmore revived Rainbow for the album "Stranger In Us All" and a tour that concluded in Denmark in 1997.

In 2016, Ritchie Blackmore temporarily stepped away from Blackmore’s Night to perform a series of rock shows with a fresh Rainbow lineup. Joined by Candice Night on backing vocals, the lineup featured Chilean singer Ronnie Romero, Stratovarius keyboardist Jens Johansson, Blackmore’s Night drummer David Keith, bassist Bob Nouveau (Robert "Bob" Curiano), and backing vocalist Lady Lynn. Rainbow's June 2016 German performances were captured for the live release "Memories In Rock - Live In Germany", released via Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Notably, Ritchie Blackmore did not attend Deep Purple's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2016, claiming at the time that the band's management had blocked his attendance. Despite his absence, attending Deep Purple members gave him multiple shoutouts during their acceptance speeches, and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, who inducted the band, famously praised "Ritchie fucking Blackmore" for crafting one of the most iconic guitar riffs of all time on "Smoke On The Water".