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Fact check optional

Ritchie Blackmore had his own ‘Mr.Grover, Mr.Gillian’ moment yesterday when a German newspaper decided to publish a birthday note for somebody famous. So they’ve probably consulted a celebrity gossip calendar and pulled up a stock photo of a guitar player from Deep Purple to accompany the blurb that came down the wire.

This was the result:

We at The Highway Star belatedly extend our best wishes to Ritchie on the occasion of his 75th birthday.



32 Comments to “Fact check optional”:

  1. 1
    D'ablo says:

    Priceless
    ๐Ÿ˜…๐Ÿ˜…๐Ÿค˜

  2. 2
    Mike Mazur says:

    Happy Birthday Ritchie. You will always be the greatest guitarist ever.

  3. 3
    Rajaseudun Rampe says:

    Hahaa ๐Ÿ™‚ I hope Mr Morso doesn’t feel offended.

  4. 4
    Jarosล‚aw Skulski says:

    Shame…

  5. 5
    Niall Hall says:

    Ironic when you consider how much Ritchie loves Germany !

  6. 6
    ivica says:

    Ritchie is great artist, and so underrated, I don’t know what made Jimmy Page or Eric Clapton better than him? great guitarist and author, leader of “Deep Purple”, “Rainbow”, “Blackmore’s Night”. So long career.Well said Don Airey”Ritchie is probably the person I have met who is the most unsure of his own capacity. That is so strange.He always tried to outshine himself, changing things in the last minute. Those thoughts gnaw on you all the time. The last thing on your mind is that you are good”.
    Happy Birthday and much more good music Ritchie

  7. 7
    Mathias says:

    Luckily they didn’t pull a photo with Tommy Bolin ๐Ÿ˜‰

  8. 8
    Giuseppe says:

    From Italian first channel news Tg1

  9. 9
    Dave says:

    Wow! TMIB has changed his hair colour and had it straightened! Playing the wrong guitar too…. ha ha….

  10. 10
    Blackwood Richmore says:

    Hahahahahahaha! ๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿ˜„๐Ÿ˜…๐Ÿ˜†
    I’m RB can see the funny side of it… NOT!. ๐Ÿ˜ฒ ๐Ÿ˜ˆ

  11. 11
    Giuseppe says:

    http://www.rai.it/dl/RaiTV/programmi/media/ContentItem-8bb3f28b-0930-4357-9ebd-67650eac49a6-tg1.html

    Link for news about Ritchie Blackmore 75th birthday.

  12. 12
    greg furlong says:

    There is NO excuse for amateurish journalism like this!
    Conrats Richie, Brilliant Guitar player, BUT
    Like Steve Morse’s more melodic style more!
    Good thing BOTH are still on the planet and I believe there is MUTUAL admiration
    Let it rest there Comparisons are like ……. Chalk and Cheese!

  13. 13
    Tommy H. says:

    After all these years, the new guy has finally achieved it: He became RB!

  14. 14
    Marcus says:

    Wow – that picture has taken ten years off his age

  15. 15
    Max says:

    Oh, they did this in another paper too! Never mind … reminds me of a show in Ulm in 1996 where the guy next to me shouted to his pal: “Boy, that Blackmore guy sure is good” Pal’s response:”See, what did I tell ya?! Didn’t know he dyed his hair though…”

  16. 16
    Tracy(Zero the Hero)Heyder says:

    Ahhhโ€ฆ. Happy Birthday Mr. BlackMorseโ€ฆ. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  17. 17
    Micke says:

    Other than blatantly wrong.. I do like the pic of Steve. Really good one!

  18. 18
    Felix Gauloises says:

    ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฃ

  19. 19
    AndreA says:

    I missed this
    http://www.rai.it/dl/RaiTV/programmi/media/ContentItem-8bb3f28b-0930-4357-9ebd-67650eac49a6-tg1.html

  20. 20
    Ted The Mechanic says:

    Priceless! Happy birthday Blacker!

    Yes indeed, mutual respect. Ritchie gave kudos to Steve a long time ago while Jon was still in the band but with a caveat, and to paraphrase, “I don’t know how he puts up with the other four”.

    My main man six stringer and humble sweet person will definitely find this hilarious.

    Stay well Purple Star lads and lasses with this Chinese Corona insanity.

    Peace,
    Ted (Working from home in New Jersey. :<)

  21. 21
    Elprupdeep says:

    That’s perfectly reflect the stupidity of all the f….g media.
    No idea what they doing. No idea what they talking about. Just make money , money ,money. I don’t want to be a grumpy old man but when I see the incompetence of certain person who suppose to be clever ( journalist is not someone like a factory worker) I wonder where this world is going. Sure some Factory worker are clever than some journalist. What a world.
    Happy birthday Mr Ritchie. I saw u last week with Candice ( covid jam at home) and you are looking very good for 75. Must be a very good beer you are drinking. Lol. Long live DP family.

  22. 22
    Uwe Hornung says:

    Relax, it was a mistake of the photo archive agency (everyone used that pic without thinking). The authors of the article, who very well knew the difference between RB and SM, stated in the article that Blackers had left the fold as of 1993.

    Or maybe they just thought that a man in tights could impossibly be the guitarist of DP?!

  23. 23
    Uwe Hornung says:

    I believe that pic is from the Purpendicular Tour. I saw them in Hanau then. They played nearly the then whole new album – the band was liberated … Ranks among my best DP gigs ever.

  24. 24
    Uwe Hornung says:

    As for Steve’s well-documented love for printed tank tops, I wish he would follow his own recommendations more …

    https://youtu.be/XX-A4HvoGu8

  25. 25
    Roberto says:

    Ritchie is, for me and millions of fans, probably the best guitar player ever. For his music I congratulate him for his 75th birthday. As an icon and a public man who lives from selling his art, his way to deal with fans I can’t say the same. At 75 maybr he’s more gentle and less cruel.

  26. 26
    Adel Faragalla says:

    Maybe Mr Ian Gillan had a hand in all this just to wind up Ritchie as usual.
    Its all harmless fun.
    Happy Birthday Mr Blackmore.

  27. 27
    Jim Sheridan says:

    I was at an Allman Brothers show in 2006, and the guy behind me asked, “Which one is DUANE,man?” I politely informed him that Duane had died 35 years ago.

  28. 28
    Ray Burchfield says:

    I love it! Steve has been with the band longer than Ritchie ever was. Yes, I know all the arguments but I will not live in the past. The past was great! But, so is the present!
    Cheers!

  29. 29
    Nick Soveiko says:

    Uwe @22: the article it self is from the news agency — it’s credited to dpa

  30. 30
    Rock Voorne says:

    For 1 april fools it is also too little, late

    Best wishes almost 3 weeks later is lame.

    Btw, what is the band going to do for the 50th Anniversary of IN ROCK?

    Maybe Roger can extend the remix program for the rest of the songs.

    Release the remix album in purple vinyl and I ll buy it.
    Its been too long me buying CDs.So release that too.

    Recently only buying biographies like Bernie Marsdens book.

  31. 31
    Uwe Hornung says:

    In Rock deserves a decent remix and remaster. Someone really has to sit down with those original master tapes, the original recording is incredibly distorted und the 90ies anniversary release made that painfully obvious.

  32. 32
    Rock Voorne says:

    @ Uwe

    It was meant to be distorted, and heavy, and dramatic and exciting.
    Everything Purple after Ritchie isnt.

    I agree IN ROCK should have a 50th Anniversary REMIX. Glover stopped halfway last time in 1996!!!!

    Well, at least an anniversary of sorts. Its ridicilous, no news at all about the 50 th anniversary options
    They also skipped Jons baby last year.

    So much for being touched and entwined, Gillan!!!!

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