Ritchie Blackmore Performs With Deep Purple for the First Time Since Acrimonious Split in Early ’90s, After Warning Fans: ‘I Have Not Played Rock Music in 25 Years’

As Deep Purple’s set neared its conclusion, Blackmore emerged to join his former partners for a rendition of their iconic anthem, “Smoke on the Water.” The 81-year-old guitar icon had teased the surprise the night before during a livestream with his wife, Candice Night, cryptically noting, “It’s going to be interesting,” while admitting he hadn’t touched rock music in 25 years. When the final chords faded, vocalist Ian Gillan—who has fronted the band for most of its storied career—paid a touching tribute to his old comrade, calling him “the immortal Ritchie Blackmore” and adding, “Thanks, Ritchie. I have to say it was a great pleasure. I’ll see you in the bar.”

This reunion was decades in the making, its roots tangled in a complicated past. Blackmore first left Deep Purple in 1975, made a brief return in 1984, and then exited for good in 1993 as tensions with the rest of the lineup reached a boiling point. That fracture ran so deep that he skipped the band’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2016, reportedly because he was told the current touring lineup—which still includes Gillan, drummer Ian Paice, and bassist Roger Glover—would not reunite with him under any circumstances, even for a one-off performance. The ice only began to thaw when Gillan cautiously floated the idea of Blackmore joining the band for a single song on their current tour. To nearly everyone’s astonishment, he said yes.

Blackmore, revered for his pioneering work with both Deep Purple and later Rainbow, has devoted the past quarter-century to a gentler musical path with Blackmore’s Night, the folk-rock project he launched with his wife. He admitted that stepping back onto a rock stage demanded serious preparation, both physically and mentally. “I changed my strings on my Strat, which I haven’t done in over 25 years,” he shared during the livestream. “It’s kind of frightening. I haven’t played rock in 25 years. I’ve been playing acoustic guitar for 25 years.” He also revealed that he required a steroid injection in his lower back to make it through the performance, citing four herniated discs that make standing for long stretches a real challenge. “I have a stool there, just in case I start toppling over or something,” he joked.

Blackmore’s decision to publicize the surprise was deliberate. He explained that he wanted to give devoted fans—many of whom had spent decades hoping for this exact moment—a chance to be in the audience. “I wanted to warn the people living in Romania, so they could fly over… Not really. I just thought it might be an idea to let a few people know,” he said with a laugh. He also shed light on how the reunion came together, noting that he had contacted Gillan through what he humorously dubbed his “AI pigeon,” proposing an encore appearance with no conditions attached. “No pressure, just kind of old times’ sake,” he said. “I’m 81 now.”

News of the historic cameo spread rapidly across social media, with fans and outlets scrambling to capture the moment. Perrin Wolfson and Jimmy Kay of the Metal Voice podcast livestreamed the final stretch of Deep Purple’s set, waiting anxiously for confirmation that Blackmore had taken the stage. When the news broke, their excitement was unmistakable: “History has been made. I feel like we just walked on the moon.” For those who witnessed it—whether in the crowd or through grainy phone footage—the sight of Blackmore standing alongside his old bandmates was a powerful reminder that even the most broken relationships can heal, especially when time is no longer a luxury anyone can take for granted. Notably, this marks the first time in over three decades that Blackmore has performed with any version of Deep Purple, a point that underscores the magnitude of the occasion for rock historians and casual listeners alike.