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Testimonials - page 1

Luiz Bezerra, Brazil:
Dear Mr. Jon Lord. English is not my native language, but I'll try to express myself as well as I can. I was very sad when I heard the news about your departure from Deep Purple, but no one knows the right time to make this decision better than yourself. It's your life and it is up to you to decide things that affect it. All I have to do is respect your decision, wish you the best things for your future and say a big "Thank you". Yes, I have to say thank you for the fantastic music you have created over all these years and the wide mix of good feelings it has brought to me, whether in Deep Purple or in your solo career. Your music has helped me to improve my musical tastes and made me look for new horizons. Also, I have to thank you for creating Deep Purple, my favorite band, and for your large contribution to make Deep Purple the band it is today. Finally, thanks for being such a talented and sensitive musician. I'm sure this is not the end of the line and I am looking forward to new music from you. To finish, I would like to remember your own words in Pictured Within: "If the music doesn't whisper in your ear and help you to create your own images, than it has failed...". Your music has never failed, Mr. Lord. I wish you all the best.

George Thompson, UK:
One of the most significant memories I have of Jon Lord's presence within Deep Purple is from Knebworth 1985 when I finally had the chance to see Purple live. I bought a bus ticket from Dunfermline to London, got the train from there to Stevenage and bussed it to Knebworth Park, arriving the day before the show. A night under canvas, up early and off to the arena, where battle commenced. A plethora of bands rocked the day away (all great stuff), it rained, the sun came out briefly for a few minutes, then decided enough was enough and it rained some more. Darkness descended, we waited. A few announcements were made on the PA, we waited. And it seemed like we waited for an eternity. It was dark, it was wet, and the mud was everywhere it shouldn't have been. Then the sound of Bach played on the Hammond by Jon Lord issued forth from the mighty PA system. It had all been worth it, no amount of rain, mud, dirty public transport, sleep deprivation etc., could ever have ruined that single moment. The sound seemed immense and nothing else mattered. It was wonderful. As was the rest of Deep Purple's set. What a show! Considering the fact that this all took place almost seventeen years ago, the memory of those opening few bars from Jon Lord has stayed with me all this time. Bravo Mr Lord.

Joseph Morrissey, Connecticut, USA:
My favorite Deep Purple CD based on keyboards is Purpendicular - Jon was especially brilliant on this. My favorite memory of Jon Lord is from a time where I met Jon by coincidence. After a DP show in Hartford, CN, my brother and decided to out for a drink and not knowing where we were going, we ended up at a hotel club. After a short while Jon Lord came in and I said hello and chatted with him for a few minutes. He couldn't have been any nicer - a great guy. But what really impressed me about meeting Jon, was that as he was readying himself to leave the club, he came around to the bar to where my brother and myself were, gave me a shot in the arm and said "Take care Bud, and God bless." I'll never forget that moment - I remember it like it was yesterday, yet it was on The House Of Blue Light tour in 1987. Take care Jon, and God bless.

Fabricio Pereira Barbosa, Curitiba, Brazil:
Listening to Deep Purple albums for many years has left an impression on me - Made In Japan still gives me fun. I will remember Lord very fondly when Deep Purple came for the very first time to Brazil in 1991. To see Blackmore, Glover, Paice and Lord was just amazing. But one single moment will remain in my mind forever, when Lord did his solo and in the middle between many other songs, he played Aquarela do Brasil by Ary Barroso. He played it so graceful. It was a breathtaking moment, the man and his keyboard all alone, a single spot on him. You made us happy. God Bless the Lord.

John Hopkins, USA:
I've been half-expecting Jon to leave the band for a few years now, particularly after that wonderful 'Pictured Within' album of his, but it doesn't dampen the regret now that it's happened. My little keyboard studio here in my den would not be here if it weren't for Jon Lord sizzling my ears when I was a wee lad. I buy synths at least partly based on how close their B3 patches sound to a real Hammond. But I still haven't figured out how he wrenched all that excitement out of it with that endless improvisational soloing skill of his. This man's work has been part of my life for just over thirty years now, and really, you can't ask for much more than that. Life has all kinds of momentary pleasures, but few that truly endure. I wish Mr. Lord the best of luck and health, with deepest thanks for enriching my life with his music.

Gordon Thrasher, USA:
I will keep this short because the words are coming with difficulty. It is hard to imagine Deep Purple without Jon Lord. I finally got to see Purple last year at Star Lake. I'm sure glad I didn't wait any longer. Jon has had such a profound influence on what Purple was and has evolved into. His talent and musical ability is beyond description. Words do no justice. As one of the many Purple fans world-wide, I wish Jon everything wonderful in his retirement. I'm gonna miss that Hammond rockin' back and forth. Good luck, Jon, in all your future endeavors.

Jimmy Johnston, UK:
I've seen Jon several times with Whitesnake in the 70s and 80s and a total of 10 times with Deep Purple since the '84 reunion. He was always outstanding but my main memory of him is at the RAH in September 1999. He just looked so happy that it had all gone so well. He will be missed in the band but I hope they continue to do well. It's not gonna be the same without him but it should still be worth seeing.

Steve Marshall:
Sometimes you come across a musician who plays his instrument the way you want to play yourself, or the way you just like to hear it. Jon Lord does that. Whether in Purple, Whitesnake or one of the lesser known bands, he has always done just the right thing for whatever piece of music was being played. Steve Morse paid homage to Jon when he joined Deep Purple saying what 'big ears' Jon had. That refers to the almost uncanny ability to play the right sort of thing in a piece of music. I loved Jon's Concerto which was often derided and dismissed as a folly, but I knew what Jon was trying to do. The recent reworking was an immense success and it was great to hear the piece with an orchestra that wanted to play the piece. (Cheers, Paul Mann). Jon's solo album, Before I Forget is another piece of work I have enjoyed since the moment I first heard it. Jon's most recent solo album Pictured Within is one of the finest pieces of music I've ever heard. It is perhaps odd that such a talent in the classical / instrumental field, is also the finest of rock keyboard players. But that is Jon. Always at the centre of the Deep Purple sound, Jon's organ was often the first thing heard on a Deep Purple record. It is true to say that Jon so often won the Best Keyboard Player poll in rock magazines that some dropped the category. Need I say more?

Colin Hadden, Sydney, Australia:
A life long dream come true in 1999 when my brother and I managed to get backstage at Newcastle, Australia and actually meet and talk to the musicians we had idolised since I first heard In Rock. We met and talked with Roger and Ian G for quite some time and also met and talked briefly with Steve and Ian P. At one point my brother told me "Lordy is coming". Jon came around the corner with his bag on a trolley, and a cup of something in his hand. He looked knackered. We moved toward him, camera and pens at the ready. My brother said "Could we get a photo together, we're brothers and want to be in the same photo." Jon said "Tonight we're all brothers," and put his arm around my brothers shoulders. He posed for some shots. Then the autographs. I pulled out 100 Oxford Street in all its vinyl glory. Jon seemed a bit taken aback, saying "Where did that come from?" and signed it with a flourish. My abiding memories of Jon Lord (and I hope we have more to come) were of a gentleman who put aside his tiredness to give to his fans without complaint. He has truly defined to me the place of piano and organ in rock. All the best Jon. May you achieve and get everything you want. Thanks for 30 odd fantastic years but please don't make a stranger of yourself.

Leon Koudekak, Switzerland:
Jon's hardest and best work with Deep Purple was the period with Tomy Bolin. At that time he had to play guitar on keybords, he did it excellently, nobody else could do this.

Diego Cadavid, Bogota, Colombia:
I only learned about Deep Purple one year ago. I know it's a very short time, but the first person who got my entire musical and personal respect was Jon Lord. I found in him something like a grown-up in the rock kindergarden we all get to see these days. Now I have all of Deep Purple's albums and I recognise in Jon the unifying factor throughout the band's history. I cannot mention all the great things in Jon's genius. I love what he does in Burn (both the song and the record), and really love his short solo in Fireball (rather strange, huh?) - it is so in-your-face, it goes straight to the point. I also love his composing skills and would be happy just listening to Sarabande and The Gemini Suite (the live version) over and over again. I'm 19 years old now, but DP and Jon are a part of my life, and I wish the best for him, and for the rest of the band. Thank you very much for letting me express my feelings about Jon and DP.

Jim Irons, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada:
Jon Lord and Deep Purple, two names that seem so intertwined with each other, it's going to be very difficult to think of one without the other. Most people credite Mr Blackmore as the main ingredient behind the success of Purple, but I feel that Jon Lord without question has been the glue that has held it all together. I have been a loyal fan of Deep Purple for over 31 years and I will continue to support the band until the bitter end, but without a doubt, the Purple machine won't be quite the same. It feels like losing a member of your family. It seems likely that Jon will continue to produce quality solo work, so we can at least take some small consolation in the fact that we haven't heard the last of a true master, the true gentleman of rock. Jon Lord may be gone from Deep Purple, but he will never be forgotten.

Tim, Canada:
Jon Lord is leaving Purple - life will never be the same. Thanks Jon.

Nick Gracianov, Russia, Kurgan:
It's the end of era. I love this greatest group. All line-ups from 1968 to 1996. Someone came - someone left, but Lord was always there. Their music is part of me as for many more people all over the world. No more words...

Renato Torres, Brazil:
Jon Lord is the best. Sorry, my english is very, very, very, bad. Lord preserve us.

C. Douglas Upton:
My middle name is Douglas like Jon Lord's, and I am very saddened by Jon Lord leaving Purple. He has been my hero - from the first time I heard the intro to Lazy way back in high school, to the wonderfully redone Concerto in September 1999. I have always modelled my playing style after his. I hope Jon sees this note (along with many others) to let him know how what a wonderful addition he has been to my life. I always wanted to be 'the next Jon Lord', but that is impossible. There is only one.

Michel Theberge, Canada:
Although I'm only 24, I discovered Purple a while back and immediately realised that Jon Lord was like no one else I had ever heard before. I would tell my friends, when they listened to Deep Purple to listen carefully to the keyboards. The mastery of his keyboards made me wish Jon Lord had been my teacher when I was young. I'm going to miss you, Jon. Hope everything goes well for you.

Alexandre Barboza:
I'm very sad, because Lord leaves Deep Purple. My unforgetable moment was when Lord played a solo here in Brazil in 1991, and he played Garota de Ipanema.

Hartmut Endres, Regensburg, Germany:
When Blackmore left in 1993 many expressed disbelief, shock or even anger, but also a certain small amount of hope. Now as Jon leaves there is only sadness. I first heard Deep Purple in 1970 with Black Night when I was 6 years old. I remember Smoke On The Water from a few years later. I also remember for some strange reason Jon Lord's Windows concert. The first time I conciously heard of Mr. Lord was in 1978 when he joined Whitesnake, who played in my hometown - a sensation for the small city of Regensburg. This happened shortly after I heard the first notes of Child In Time (off Made In Japan) for the first time.
Since these three intro notes on the organ, there would be so many favourite moments with Jon Lord that I can't count them; The first time I put Sarabande on the record player in 1978; The first time I saw him from front row at a Whitesnake show playing Burntwood; The first time I bought a bootleg - Alive Tribute To Wally - with a very dominating organ sound; The first time I saw him play Highway Star in 1985 at the Monsters Rock in Nürnberg; The last time I heard the solo of Speed King with his old partner at the Munich concert during the TBRO tour. But above all these fine memories, there were two things shining more brightly than anything else: The first time I sat and listened through his masterpiece Pictured Within. The same thing happened during the last show of his short Pictured Within tour, also in Munich. Here I also got a handshake and an autgraph after 20 years or so. Above everything else though, the most moving moment Jon Lord put into my life was the deep sadness I felt when I heard he was leaving Deep Purple, a sadness that so many people seem to share. Even as adults, the fact that a keyboard player leaves a group - which sureley doesn't change our daily life, partnership or profession - still moves our hearts. It expresses the selfish sorrow that we will never again experience these moments of joy, excitement and happiness again, which Jon Lord's person, performance and organ sound has given over all these years. Let's respect Jon's wish to leave and hope for more music from his heart. Thanks Jon for all these years we had and these years to come - oh and yes, I can't resist: Praise the Lord.

Douglas Whitworth, UK:
Time is a measure of influence, influence reflected in the spectrum of memory, memory no more than the sum of the past, yet also an anticipation of things to come. Jon is an artist whose contributions to our lives and emotions will not dim with the passing of time. "Here be heros", yet more so, here now be memories that do not dim with the passage of years. Go with our best wishes, Jon, for no contribution has been greater than yours.

Photo by Didi Zill

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