![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/mcbride7.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/paice.jpg)
And it finally happened
Just as anticipated, on August 12, 2026, Ritchie Blackmore joined Deep Purple on stage at the Jones Beach Theater for a guest performance of Smoke. As an engineering wisdom goes, with sufficient thrust pigs fly just fine. Here is the evidence.
Thanks to Where Did Mary Go? and to Nate from The Deep Purple Podcast for the videos.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
I cried with happiness seeing the friendship “that was once lost” now re-established.
August 13th, 2026 at 04:35Touching.. happy and thank you for this memorable moment of happiness 🙏
Bittersweet
So happy to see them mend their anomosities and join one more time on stage while they are young enough and healthy enough to perform. So thankful to thet good folks shared videos of their experience.
So jealous of Ritchie’s neighbors who got to see it live. As one of the many of thousands who purchased tickets for this tour at other venues I can’t help but feel like I am missing out.
August 13th, 2026 at 04:36Wonderful to see, finally. Thanks for getting it together. A pity it never happened with Steve Morse, something I always would have loved to see. Cheers.
August 13th, 2026 at 05:08Tears in my eyes!
August 13th, 2026 at 05:46Pity they didn’t play Smooth Dancer but great to see.
August 13th, 2026 at 06:00It’s an incredibly emotional moment. I’m happy that this happened — to see those four guys together. They should have met sooner — at least IG and RB (not necessarily on stage) — but I’m thrilled that it finally happened. They all seemed very relaxed, and that’s great.
August 13th, 2026 at 06:23I experienced a major throat lump as I watched this. Made my day (perhaps my year).
@3 – It’s never too late for a Morse version of such, where there’s life…
August 13th, 2026 at 06:29I give RB top marks for reaching out to IG and joining his bandmates on stage one more time despite all of his health woes. You could see the guys and Ritchie were thrilled. I hope they drank adult beverages until very late and reminisced about the days gone by. I wish them all health , peace and enjoyment of life for as long as possible.
August 13th, 2026 at 06:38A stage full of smiles .. and Smoke was like a sleeping giant that woke up and brushed itself down before rolling over and heading back to sleep.
August 13th, 2026 at 06:40