BIOGRAPHY 
(updated and corrected, 22nd August 2006)

Ritchie Blackmore: “A Musical History”

• 1945 - Born in Weston - super - Mare on 14th April              
 
• 1947 - Moves to Ash Grove in Heston, Middlesex.

• 1959 - Whilst at school, Ritchie joins his first band called THE 2I’s COFFEE BAR JUNIOR SKIFFLE GROUP

• 1960 - Leaves school at the age of 15. Initially works in a factory for a few weeks then becomes an apprentice radio mechanic at London Airport. Joins a band called THE DOMINATORS with Barry Lovegrove, (rhythm guitar), Alan Dunklin (bass) and a guy on drums called Clive, who was then replaced by Mick Underwood.

• 1961 - Joins Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers his first professional band and makes first ever recording for the Decca label. Though the song, ‘My Blue Heaven’ never gets released.

• 1962 - In April the Jaywalkers is renamed The Condors. However in May he finally gets the chance to join one of the top bands on the London circuit; Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages; Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Carlo Little (drums), Ricky Brown (bass), David Sutch (vocals), Andy Wren (later replaced by Freddie 'Fingers' Lee) (piano).

 This lasts until October when he joins The Outlaws; Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Ken Lundgren (rhythm guitar), Mick Underwood (drums), Chas Hodges (bass, vocals). 

• 1963 - The Outlaws spends most of the year doing sessions for producer Joe Meek. Also makes film debut in 'Live It Up' performing with The Outlaws. In May they do a package tour as backing band for HEINZ & JERRY LEE LEWIS on a bill that also includes GENE VINCENT. Further touring with Lewis, including a stint at the Star Club, Hamburg followed later by concerts backing GENE VINCENT.

• 1964 -  The Outlaws record with Country & Western singer HOUSTON WELLS, and tour Ireland with Wells for three weeks. The Outlaws play one of its last gigs with this line-up as the support act to the Rolling Stones at Salisbury in March. In April Blackmore leaves the band and joins THE WILD ONES; Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Dave Adams (aka Burr Bailey) (organ), Ian Broad (drums), John Anderson (bass), later replaced by Brian Woods. They are to be the regular backing band for ex-Tornado HEINZ BURT. The Summer is spent in Rhyl as part of 'Summer Startime' on a bill with Arthur Askey! By July they are forced to change the group name and become THE WILD BOYS.

• 1965 - In February Blackmore leaves THE WILD BOYS for a month's stint with Neil Christian & The Crusaders before teaming up with producer Derek Lawrence who reassembles the Blackmore version of The Outlaws in order to record the b-side of a US single. Other sessions by the aptly named, The Sessions, and a version of Edvard Grieg’s ‘In The Hall Of The Mountain King’, albeit with a different title by The Lancasters follow. He also records his first and only solo single under the name of the Ritchie Blackmore Orchestra; Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Chas Hodges (bass), Nicky Hopkins (piano), Reg Price (saxophone), Mick Underwood (drums).

In March he rejoins Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages until May, long enough to record a single, The Train Kept A Rollin’ / Honey Hush (CBS 201767, June 1965). The line up was; Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), David Sutch (vocals), Arvid Andersen (bass), Jim Evans (drums) and the Four Saxes (saxophones). In May, along with Andersen & Evans Blackmore once again tours Germany backing JERRY LEE LEWIS. After this the three guys stay in Germany and form their own band, The Three Musketeers; Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Jim Evans (drums), Arvid Andersen (aka Silas Wegg) (bass).

• 1966 - In January The Three Musketeers play it’s last concert at the Star Club in Hamburg, after which Blackmore does a few more sessions. Blackmore, Andersen & Evans then become part of Neil Christian & The Crusaders; Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Neil Christian (vocals), Arvid Andersen (bass), Jim Evans (drums), Tony Marsh (piano), touring throughout the UK & Europe between April and September. Blackmore briefly returns to the UK before being offered a gig in Italy to back local singer Ricky Maiocchi. In October Ian Broad puts the band together and decides to call it The Trip; Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Arvid Andersen (bass), Ian Broad (drums), Billy Gray (rhythm guitar). Shortly after arriving in Italy they decided to leave Maiocchi and carry on without him. Blackmore isn’t happy with the situation and returns to Britain. In late October he is back working with Lord Sutch again. On 11th November alongside fellow Musketeer Jim Evans he records his last ever session for RGM, laying down the guitar for three Glenda Collins tracks for which he gets paid the princely sum of £9.00! By December with a name and image change Sutch's band becomes Lord Caesar Sutch & the Roman Empire; Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Carlo Little (drums), Tony Dangerfield (bass), Matthew Fisher (organ), David Sutch (vocals) & Joel James (saxophone). They tour the UK, Sweden and Germany dressed up in Roman gladiator costumes!

• 1967 - By April BLACKMORE leaves Sutch again to rejoin Neil Christian and a new line up of The Crusaders; Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Matt Smith (piano), Tony Dangerfield (bass), Carlo Little (drums). This only lasts for about a month, for a short tour of Germany. BLACKMORE retains his link with Christian and records a single, My Baby Left Me / Yakkety Yak (Deutsche Vogue DV 14744, 1968, Germany) with a different line-up; Neil Christian (vocals), Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Jim Evans (drums), Nicky Hopkins (piano) & Arvid Andersen (bass). BLACKMORE & Matt Smith then form a band called Mandrake Root; Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Matt Smith (vocals), Ricky Munro (drums), Kurt 'Zappo' Lungen (AKA Vile) (bass), Graham Waller (keyboards) They rehearse but never played a gig. BLACKMORE spends the rest of the year in Hamburg until he is invited by ex-Artwoods keyboard player Jon Lord (who was invited by The Searchers ex-drummer, Chris Curtis) to form a new band. Other Musicians would be auditioned from a Melody Maker advert in Deeves Hall, Hertfordshire.

• 1968 - In February, the group initially dubbed as Roundabout, by Tony Edwards, included Chris Curtis on vocals who then left and was briefly replaced by Dave Curtiss, Bobby Woodman on drums, bassist Nick Simper (ex-Johnny Kidd & The Pirates) and  BLACKMORE and Lord. After only a month of rehearsals, they bring in drummer Ian Paice and vocalist Rod Evans (both formerly of The Maze). In April, the band officially names itself DEEP PURPLE. Using Vanilla Fudge as its model, the group records an album and is signed to EMI in the United Kingdom and Tetragrammaton in the US. A few months later, the band performs its first major UK performance at the Sunbury Festival.

• In September, the band release the first single from the album ‘Hush’ which reaches No. 4 on the US charts. The album, ‘Shades of Deep Purple’, reaches the Top 25. In December the band release its rendition of Neil Diamond's ‘Kentucky Woman’, another big US hit.

• 1969 - Early in the year, the band release ‘The Book Of Taliesyn’, which featured Ike & Tina Turner's ‘River Deep, Mountain High’. In July the band release its self-titled album, ‘Deep Purple’. Shortly thereafter Tetragrammaton goes bust, whilst Rod Evans and Nick Simper both leave the band. They are replaced by singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover, both previously of Episode Six. The two add a dynamic chemistry to the band, complimenting BLACKMORE, who was quickly rising as one of the most omnipotent British lead guitarists around... In September, the band perform its most adventurous project to date, ‘Concerto For Group An Orchestra’, which featured The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

• 1970 - By August, the band's newest album, ‘Deep Purple In Rock’, stays on the UK charts for over a year, and hit No.4. To this day the album remains a landmark in heavy rock, with Gillan's screeching vocals pitted against BLACKMORE'S fierce guitar playing. Such Deep Purple classics as ‘Speed King’ and ‘Child In Time’ are featured on the album.

• 1971 - In July, DEEP PURPLE tour the United States with the Faces. Two months later the band release, ‘Fireball’, an album that also goes Top 40 in the US and becomes their first chart-topping album in the UK. The band forms its own label, Purple in October before heading to Montreux to record. On 3rd December the band is in the Montreux Casino in Switzerland when it burns down during a set by Frank Zappa's Mothers Of Invention. The rest is history as RITCHIE BLACKMORE and the group immortalise the incident in the song ‘Smoke On The Water’ which appears on the bands next album.

• 1972 - DEEP PURPLE release ‘Machine Head’, which also tops the UK charts (and go to No.7 in the US), and features such worldwide rock classics as ‘Smoke On The Water’, ‘Space Truckin’, ‘Lazy’ and ‘Highway Star’. The band - who now had a monstrous live set - remained on the road for 44 weeks of the year in support of ‘Machine Head’. Twenty five years later ‘Machine Head’ is still considered one of rock's all-time greatest albums.

• 1973 – ‘Made in Japan’ - an album of live recordings from their summer tour in '72 - is released in January and  reaches No.6 in the US. Another album, ‘Who Do We Think We Are’, is released virtually simultaneously and reaches No.15 in the US. charts. In the middle of the year, Gillan & Glover quit the band just prior to ‘Smoke On The Water’ reaching No.4 on the US singles charts and selling over a million copies. In September, David Coverdale and bassist Glenn Hughes (ex. Trapeze) replace Gillan & Glover in a revamped Purple.

• 1974 - In March the band releases ‘Burn’, with the new line-up. The change wouldn't affect the band's stride as the album reaches the Top 10 in the US charts and No.3 in the UK. The band tours to promote the album and headline at the all day California Jam Festival to an estimated audience of 400,000. DEEP PURPLE release another album toward the end of the year titled, ‘Stormbringer’, that would make the Top 5 in the UK. 

• 1975 - In April, RITCHIE BLACKMORE leaves DEEP PURPLE to form a new band, RAINBOW. He teams up with the core of the American band Elf, which contains Ronnie James Dio on vocals (who would become BLACKMORE’S songwriting partner), Mickey Lee Soule, keyboards, Craig Gruber, bass and Gary Driscoll on drums. he band had already recorded ‘Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow’ at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany during February and March. As the album escalates up the charts (reaching No.30 in US), Soule, Gruber and Driscoll depart the band and BLACKMORE recruits ex-Harlot bassist Jimmy Bain, ex-Blessings keyboard player Tony Carey, and ex-Jeff Beck Group drummer Cozy Powell.

• 1976 - In July, the band release its first album with the new line-up, ‘Rainbow Rising’. Beginning in August, the band tour the U.S., Japan, Europe and Canada for the remainder of the year.

• 1977 - Early in the year, ex-Uriah Heep bassist Mark Clarke replaces Jimmy Bain in the group. In May, shortly after the band begins to record a new album, Tony Carey and Mark Clarke depart. Their replacements are David Stone and Bob Daisley, respectively. Amidst these changes, ‘On Stage’ - a double-live album of the ’76 tour is released. A Single from the album ‘Kill The King’ is RAINBOW'S first charting single. Later in the year the band finish recording at Le Chateau in France to complete the third studio album.

• 1978 - Beginning in January, the band tour both the US and Japan throughout most of the year. ‘Long Live Rock 'n' Roll’ is released in April and enters the Top 100. In November, after ten months of touring, BLACKMORE becomes disillusioned with the current line-up, keeping only Cozy Powell in the fold. A month later BLACKMORE plays at London's Marquee club with ex-Deep Purple colleague Ian Gillan, and recruits keyboard player Don Airey to RAINBOW.

• 1979 - RITCHIE BLACKMORE adds singer Graham Bonnet (who had formerly recorded with The Marbles) and one-time Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover, completing the line-up. The Glover-produced ‘Down To Earth’ is released in September, and the first single ‘Since You Been Gone’ (written by Russ Ballard) reaches the Top 10 in the UK.

• 1980 - In March, a single written by BLACKMORE and Glover, ‘All Night Long’, is released, reaching No.5 in the UK charts. In August, the band headline the first annual Monsters Of Rock festival at Castle Donington. Powell and Bonnet depart shortly thereafter. Vocalist Joe Lynn Turner and drummer Bobby Rondinelli join the band. In the meantime, original Deep Purple vocalist Rod Evans puts together a bogus line-up and tours as Deep Purple. BLACKMORE and Glover take legal action to preserve Deep Purple’s credibility, and keep Evans from using the name. ‘Deepest Purple / The Very Best Of Deep Purple’ is released and tops the UK charts. Toward the end of the year, a Deep Purple live album, ‘In Concert’, is released featuring tracks originally recorded for BBC Radio in 1970 & 72. 

• 1981 - In February, RAINBOW release ‘Difficult To Cure’ which spawns their highest charting UK single to date, ‘I Surrender’, also written by Ballard. Polydor UK acknowledges the groups popularity by reissuing the band's earlier singles, as well as the first album, ‘Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow’. In December, the band releases a compilation album, ‘The Best Of Rainbow’.

• 1982 - In April, the band release ‘Straight Between The Eyes’. The first single from it, ‘Stone Cold’, goes Top 40, whilst the album, goes Top 30. The band undertakes an extensive world tour to promote the album. ‘Deep Purple Live In London’ - originally recorded for BBC Radio in 1974 is released in the UK.

• 1983 – ‘Bent Out Of Shape’ is released featuring the line-up of BLACKMORE. Glover, Turner, David Rosenthal and newest addition  on drums Chuck Bürgi (formerly of Brand X). In October, the band tours UK for the first time since 1981, in support of the album. A month later, the album generate interest in the States, subsequently reaching No.34 and the single, ‘Street Of Dreams’ becomes a big US hit.

• 1984 - RITCHIE BLACKMORE decides to put the band on hold as both he and Roger Glover are approached to join the most successful line-up of DEEP PURPLE (with Gillan, Lord and Paice). Each of the members are reportedly offered $2 million to re-form, and the band begins a world tour. Prior to the trek, RAINBOW performs its final tour in Japan with its final live show accompanied by a Japanese symphony orchestra. The set includes BLACKMORE'S adaptation of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. In November, DEEP PURPLE signs to Polygram, and releases ‘Perfect Strangers’. It would go to No.17 on the US charts.

• 1985 - In January, DEEP PURPLE release the first single from the album, ‘Knocking At Your Back Door’ following it up with the title track, ‘Perfect Strangers’. In July, a Deep Purple double compilation, ‘The Anthology’ is released in the UK. Meanwhile the bands US tour is the second biggest grossing tour of the year, after Bruce Springsteen. 

• 1986 - A RAINBOW double compilation album, ‘Finyl Vinyl’, is released, containing many unheard live tracks, in addition to scarce tracks previously only on singles B-sides. the release is considered a successful coda to the bands career.

• 1987 - The DEEP PURPLE album, ‘The House Of Blue Light’ is released in February and reaches the UK Top 10 and the US Top 40. The band embarks on another hugely successful world tour but some dates are cancelled as Blackmore breaks a finger on stage.

• 1988 – ‘Nobody’s Perfect - recorded live during the 1987 tour - is released in July, and DEEP PURPLE embark on a two- month tour of America & Europe.

• 1989 - In July, Ian Gillan departs the group citing “musical differences”.

• 1990 - DEEP PURPLE - now comprising of BLACKMORE, Glover, Lord, Paice, and former RAINBOW vocalist, Joe Lynn Turner and now signed to RCA Records. The resulting album ‘Slaves & Masters’ , is released in November.

• 1991 - DEEP PURPLE tour the United States, South America, Europe, Japan, Israel, and the Pacific Rim. in support of ‘Slaves & Masters’.

• 1992 – Amidst both internal and external pressures, Ian Gillan replaces Joe Lynn Turner prior to the band entering the studio again. The result is one of the bands best albums to date, ‘The Battle Rages On’, which is produced by Roger Glover and Thom Panunzio.

• 1993 - DEEP PURPLE tour Europe and in the midst of the tour, BLACKMORE makes it known that he’s not happy with Gillan’s performances and plans to depart at the end of the European leg. The band complete the tour in Japan with Joe Satriani.  

• 1994 - BLACKMORE holds auditions for a new incarnation of RAINBOW  in upstate New York. By the end of the year, the new band consists of Scottish singer Dougie White (ex Praying Mantis), keyboard player Paul Morris (ex - Doro Pesch), bassist Greg Smith (Alice Cooper, Blue Oyster Cult, Joe Lynn Turner), drummer John O. Reilly (Ritchie Havens, Blue Oyster Cult, Joe Lynn Turner) and singer Candice Night, BLACKMORE’S girlfriend, who co-wrote some songs including the first single, ‘Ariel’, from the forthcoming release, as well as adding backing vocals.

• 1995 - The band begin recording earlier in the year, and by September, the new album, ‘Stranger In Us All’ is complete. BMG International releases the album, and within the first week of availability it sells over 100,000 copies in Japan. This remarkable sales feat is rewarded by Burrn magazine heralding RITCHIE with no less than seven readers poll awards, including “Best Guitarist”, “Best Songwriter”, “Best Live Show”, and “Best song of the Year”, for ‘Black Masquerade’. Similar accolades for RITCHIE occur in Germany as he’s named “Best Guitarist” in a magazine poll. Shortly after the release of ‘Stranger In Us All’ the video for the single, ‘Ariel’ is played heavily on MTV Europe, further promoting album sales. Toward the end of the year, RITCHIE BLACKMORE’S RAINBOW tour Europe. Chuck Bürgi - who originally joined RAINBOW in 1983 replaces John O. Reilly for the tour.

• 1996 - RAINBOW play sold out South American shows in Chile, Argentina and Brazil. After that successful tour, the band performs in front of 40,000 fans during a European festival gig in support of such bands as ZZ Top, Little Feat and Deep Blue Something. After a concert in Austria RITCHIE contributes some guitar work on Pat Boone's upcoming album of rock covers, ‘Pat Boone: In A Metal Mood’. Amused and flattered at the same time by the project, RITCHIE provides the guitar licks for Boone’s rendition of “Smoke On The Water”. In addition to this tribute, RITCHIE records the song “Apache”, for the Hank Marvin and The Shadows tribute album. In October, BLACKMORE begins to record his acoustic Renaissance album titled ‘SHADOW OF THE MOON’.

• The new band is called BLACKMORE’S NIGHT, incorporating the imagery of the two main participants - BLACKMORE and his fiancée vocalist / lyricist Candice Night. The album features four songs taken from authentic Renaissance music with new lyrics and brought into a more contemporary sound. Jethro Tull front man Ian Anderson guests on one of the songs. ‘Play, Minstrel, Play’. In December BMG Japan records a “making of” documentary video as well as three performance videos for various proposed singles.

• 1997 - RITCHIE BLACKMORE’S RAINBOW tours the United States in support of ‘Stranger In Us All’ beginning on February 20th. It is followed by a show at the Esbjerg Rock Festival in Denmark in early spring, which just happens to coincide with the worldwide release of the BLACKMORE’S NIGHT CD, ‘SHADOW OF THE MOON’. BLACKMORE puts Rainbow on hold and assembles a touring line up for BLACKMORE’S NIGHT . Apart from Candice Night on vocals, the group features bassist Mick Cervino, drummer John O. Reilly, Joe James on keyboards and Jessie Haynes on guitar & vocals. During November & December the group tour Japan & Europe, including a show in a Berlin church!

• 1998 – Along with Night, BLACKMORE starts work on the second BLACKMORE’S NIGHT CD, earmarked to be called ‘UNDER A VIOLET MOON’ , the title of a new song played on the previous years tour. With a new line up including  Adam Forgione on keyboards, drummer Alex Alexander plus the addition of violinist Rachael Birkin (who had previously worked with Peter Gabriel). The band once again tours Europe including a special private show for fans in a German castle. The tour showcases five new songs all of which appear on the next album

•  This year also sees the Thirtieth anniversary of the inception of DEEP PURPLE. To commemorate the event, both EMI & RCA release compilation albums, ‘Deep Purple 30: Very Best Of’ & ‘Purplexed’.

• 1999 –  BLACKMORE spends the first couple of months of the year putting the finishing touches to the album 'Under A Violet Moon.' He also appears on UK TV on the Channel Four programme, ‘Top Ten’ in honour of his past achievements with both DEEP PURPLE & RAINBOW. April sees the release in Japan of the second BLACKMORE’S NIGHT CD 'Under A Violet Moon'. To promote the album RITCHIE BLACKMORE & CANDICE NIGHT  feature on the cover of the April issue of Burrn magazine in Japan. The album is released in Europe in May. A live video from the first BLACKMORE’S NIGHT tour is released, called 'Live In Germany.'

• 2000 –  BLACKMORE’S NIGHT kicks off the year with a tour to Italy in January. A tour of Japan is cancelled to make room for the bands first and hugely successful tour of England in May, and this is followed by further touring in Germany during the Summer. The 'Under A Violet Moon' Tour finally concludes with a couple of shows in New York in November.

• 2001 –  In order to promote the forthcoming 'Fires At Midnight' album the band plays a few shows to an invited audience of journalists and a few fans at Lumley Castle in County Durham. The line-up is augmented by three members of Mostly Autumn, support band for the UK tour the previous year. 'Fires At Midnight' is released in Japan in June, Europe & the USA in July and in the UK in August. It is the most successful BLACKMORE’S NIGHT release to date. Touring Germany, UK, Netherlands & Denmark follows in order to promote the album. In September a BLACKMORE’S NIGHT compilation album, 'Minstrels & Ballads' is released for the Japanese market.

• 2002 –  The fires are still burning at midnight with further touring throughout Europe in April, May, July & August. A second live video release is put out to coincide with the concerts. Recorded during the 2000 tour, called 'Castle Tour 2000.' A live album recorded at the Groningen show in May is released in October, called 'Past Times With Good Company.'

• 2003 –  The early part of the year is spent working on the fourth BLACKMORE’S NIGHT studio album Ghost Of A Rose, followed by a European tour commencing in May through to July. Ghost Of A Rose is released in June and enters the German charts at number 11, and reaches number 2 in Czech Republic. Dates in America and Russia in September and October are followed by a UK tour in November. Candice appears on the Aina CD 'Days Of Rising Doom' alongside Glenn Hughes.

• 2004 –  BLACKMORE’S NIGHT's Moon & Rose tour kicks off in May in New Jersey, USA and tours Europe in June & July. September sees the release of the compilation CD 'Beyond The Sunset', the romantic collection of the groups' ballads. The release also includes the first commercially available DVD, 5 songs from Solingen 2002 plus a bonus 3-track CD of Christmas songs.

• 2005 –  BLACKMORE’S NIGHT starts the year with its first ever tour of West Coast America. A Double DVD Castles And Dreams is released in June and the band records a new album 'Village Lanterne' for a planned release in March 2006.

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Jerry Bloom is author of the first ever, fully comprehensive Ritchie Blackmore biography, 'Black Knight',  
published Worldwide by Omnibus Press on 4th September 2006. 
 
Although unlikely to be of interest to Blackmore fans, by coincidence another Bedfordian is also writing a biography on a guitarist: American Jazz guitarist, Tal Farlow. So if you are interested in Farlow check out Guy's website.