Ritchie Blackmore reunites with Deep Purple onstage in New York

Ritchie Blackmore, co-founder of the rock band Deep Purple, reunited with the group onstage on August 12 at the Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York. This marked his first performance with the band in over 30 years, following his departure in 1993.

Blackmore joined the band for a rendition of their classic song ‘Smoke on the Water’. He described the experience as ‘very moving’, noting that he joined the stage quickly without a warm-up. He stated that his primary goal was to see old friends and ‘heal any wounds’, though he remarked that there were no actual wounds remaining between him and singer Ian Gillan.

Blackmore admitted the performance was not perfect and that he kept his playing simple to avoid technical errors. He expressed a sense of poignancy regarding the reunion, suggesting that the band members realized it might be the last time they perform together. Ian Gillan welcomed the legendary guitarist back to the stage, calling it an absolute pleasure.