Ritchie Blackmore hasn’t made a single live appearance with Deep Purple since his tumultuous exit from the heavy metal group back in 1993, and he bailed on their 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony when the group refused to share the stage with him that night. But in a rather stunning turn of events, Blackmore informed fans Tuesday night via Instagram that he plans on joining the group Wednesday evening when they perform at Jones Beach Amphitheater in Wantagh, New York.
“I actually called up – I didn’t call him up, I sent my A.I. pigeon to [Deep Purple frontman] Ian Gillan in Portugal, where he lives at the moment,” Blackmore said. “And I said, ‘How would you feel about if I got up just for an encore? Just one of the songs. I don’t want to intrude.’ He seemed to love the idea, put it to the band, got a thumbs up, and it looks like we might be doing that.”
“I hope I can compete with the [current Deep Purple] guitar player [Simon McBride],” Blackmore added. “Because I can see that he has very big amplifiers behind him … He’s a very good guitar player – as was, and is, [former Deep Purple guitarist] Steve Morse, a great guitar player.”
Blackmore is the founding guitarist of Deep Purple, and co-writer of their most enduring songs, including “Smoke on the Water,” “Highway Star,” and “Space Truckin.’” He left the group to form Rainbow with future Black Sabbath lead singer Ronnie James Dio in 1975, but rejoined in 1984 after Rainbow dissolved. He remained in the band until November 1993 when long-simmering tensions boiled over on a tour of Europe. During a show in NEC Arena in Birmingham the band was filming for official release, Blackmore wasn’t onstage when they kicked off the night with “Highway Star.” He came out midway through the song, played erratically, and then threw a glass of water at a camera operator he felt got too close.
The band carried on with Blackmore for a few more days, and parted ways with him after a November 17 show in Helsinki, Finland. With little time before an upcoming tour of Japan, the band flew in Joe Satriani to temporarily take his place. For a longer term solution, they hired Steve Morse, who remained in the group until 2022.
The prospect of a reunion with Blackmore was raised many times over the years, and Gillan always shot it down. “It would be unconscionable to think about bringing Ritchie in,” the singer told Rolling Stone in 2014. “I don’t have an issue with Ritchie, nor does anyone. I’ve been in touch with Ritchie recently and everything’s cool, so there’s no bitter, personal problem. We’re too old for that and everything’s in the past, but no. That would be out of the question.”
When the group learned they were entering the Hall of Fame in 2016, drummer Ian Paice told Rolling Stone he didn’t know what would happen with Blackmore. “We have to accept that there are personalities that don’t see eye-to-eye in our history,” he said. “How that would work, I have no idea. Whether that could be put aside, I don’t know … Some of us would think about [performing with Blackmore]. Some of us probably wouldn’t. It depends how it’s presented and what everybody’s individual feelings are. But precedence must now go to the guys that are still working the name and keeping it alive. Their choice is final.”
When the time came, Deep Purple manager Bruce Payne told Rock and Roll Hall of Fame President and CEO Joel Peresman that the band would not perform with Deep Purple for even a single song. “We’ve had many situations like this in the past,” Peresman told Rolling Stone, “and many times these things get worked out for one night, and then they go back to their neutral corners the next day.”
That didn’t happen this time. And when Blackmore learned he couldn’t play with the band, he opted to simply stay home that night rather than watch them perform without him. “He was discussing the possibility of attending, until we received correspondence from the President of the Rock Hall of Fame, who said that Bruce Payne, management for the current Deep Purple Touring Band, had said ‘No”……….!!!!!’ ” read a post on Blackmore’s official Facebook page. “Therefore Ritchie will not be attending the ceremony. He sincerely thanks all the fans that voted for him for their support.”
It’s unclear what transpired over the past decade that softened Gillan’s stance, but Blackmore did suffer a heart attack in 2025 that made it difficult to play music or even travel for several months. It’s also unclear if the Jones Beach reunion will be anything more than a one-off. But even if it’s just one last “Smoke on the Water,” it’ll still be a milestone moment in the band’s long career.
“It’ll be good to see the old guys again,” Blackmore told fans on Instagram. “I think we’ll all be on crutches and wheelchairs and things, although I think the rest of them are okay. But, yes, it’s kind of frightening. … I’ve been playing acoustic guitar for 25 years.”
