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Family affair gone wrong
The second half of Coverdale’s interview to eonmusic starts off with David giving his account of the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony:
I’d like to talk about Deep Purple’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2016; were you disappointed that Ritchie Blackmore didn’t attend?
We’d been talking about it [Ritchie and I]. We’d been nominated before and never got in, and I said; “are you going to go?”, and he said; “nah”. I said; “well, I won’t go then!” [laughing]. But what had happened in 2016, literally, once it had been announced that we were officially being inducted into it, the current Deep Purple refused to go if Ritchie Blackmore was going to be there. And this was like, 72 hours before, when I was ready to fly with my family. And this cost me like $75,000 – $85,000, because you have to pay for all the tables apart from the one you’re on, and I had my daughter fly in from Germany, my son came out of college. It was a family affair.So you were all set to go, and plans changed?
Suddenly, Glenn Hughes and I were told; “well, we don’t want you singing with us”. Initially, I’d spoken to Ian [Gillan] about coming up and singing the backgrounds of ‘Smoke on the Water’, because originally they were going to close the show. So, that suddenly was pulled, the plug. They tried to stop us doing speeches, and my wife was fucking furious!, apart from the fact she spent a fortune on posh dresses! [laughing] And I said; “fuck it, nobody’s going to keep us off!” I got in touch with Carol, Ritchie’s manager, and I said; “tell him to come with me; nobody’s going to fucking touch him, tell him to come with me!”, and he didn’t want to do it.You did mention Ritchie quite emphatically in your speech.
The first thing I said when I was up there, was; “none of us would have been standing here without Ritchie Blackmore”, and I made sure of that point. Steve Morse and Don Airey [current Deep Purple members] were more complimentary to Glenn and I than the other guys. We had a blast, we had a fucking great time! I’m very happy that I am who I am, and I just talked to Glenn the other day about it; “what the fuck was up THEIR ass?!” Anyroad, so we didn’t get to jam, which was fine; we were back doing press while they were performing, just having a good old time like the unrighteous brothers always do!How do you think Ritchie would have behaved, had he been there on the night?
You know, it was an amazing scenario, but I know Ritchie, and he probably would have caused trouble by pulling out a water pistol and squirting everybody! [laughing] But it was absolutely obscene that he wasn’t there, but I made sure, and I got a thank you from him and his wife when they saw a recording of it. But you know, he doesn’t give a shit, and he knows he was responsible for the majority of the music there, and its true; none of us, none of us would have been on that stage without Ritchie Blackmore, none of us.
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Big Dave might have made a better effort to attend Jon’s Albert Hall memorial gig ?! #justsayin
November 2nd, 2020 at 20:15I was at the induction. Gillan DOES deserve credit for saying during his acceptance speech that ALL the members should have been inducted, including Simper, Turner, Bolin, Airey and Morse (I’m not sure I agree but still ….), but it was truly crummy that Blackmore was not welcome and that Coverdale and Hughes were not even allowed to sing with the band on SOTW.
November 2nd, 2020 at 20:20Dave forgot that if it wasn’t for Ian Gillan and Jon Lord, he would not be there as well…
November 2nd, 2020 at 20:23Blame goes to Bruce Payne. 100%
November 2nd, 2020 at 20:27Do any of you know anything for sure, or are you merely speculating based on personal preference and prejudices?
November 2nd, 2020 at 20:58As a life long fan I will never forgive them for what they done to Ritchie, well done David coverdale for putting the record straight. I believe coverdale more the the rest of them, if ye are reading this shame on ye.
November 2nd, 2020 at 21:03The Highway Star all I’ve ever read or heard was that Bruce didn’t want Ritchie at the induction, despite Ian’s insistance. Prove me wrong
November 2nd, 2020 at 21:04The Highway Star legit question since none of us actually KNOW what happened but all the various reports I saw at the time were that the management stood in the way of some nice approach to Ritchie and I was never left with the impression that Gillan, Glover or Paice pushed back. It’s also possible that they could have rolled out the red carpet for Blackmore and he still would have demurred but that was not the impression I had at the time.
In any case, it’s a fact that Coverdale and Hughes did not sing with the band and Coverdale says here in the interview segment YOU posted that he wanted to.
November 2nd, 2020 at 21:10Regardless Ritchie should have been there. No Ritchie no Jon no Deep Purple. Bruce Payne is a dick.
November 2nd, 2020 at 21:18Four years is quite a long time to keep such discontent.
November 2nd, 2020 at 22:00DC has an album to plug,but why drag Purple into it ?
With guys being in their mid-70s you’d expect they’d start behaving like adults. Nope. Go figure.
November 2nd, 2020 at 22:05The real story always eventually comes out. Such a pity that the current members couldn’t have set aside the hard feelings for only a couple of hours one evening for such an important event commemorating the success of the band in all its incarnations. And yes, Ritchie Blackmore should have been there. A missed opportunity and a real shame.
November 2nd, 2020 at 22:25I don’t quite know why David Coverdale is doing this, but apparently things were slightly different back then. Here’s what Ian Gillan had to say on his Caramba site:
20 February 2016
Dear Friends, Families and Fans,
With respect to all:
We were faced with a hard decision when we heard about the Hall of Fame inductions. It was shocking to us that Steve Morse and Don Airey – who have been with us for 22 years and 14 years respectively – had been excluded, according to HoF ‘rules’*.
Fair enough, but they are not our ‘rules’ and probably don’t cater for a band such as Deep Purple, which has existed for nearly fifty years Consequently, we – Ian G. Ian P. and Roger G. – decided upon the offer of a compromise which has been agreed with the HoF and enables us to turn up on the night.
DP Inductees will accept the awards and then the living breathing Deep Purple will perform. Inevitably, this will mean excluding Ritchie, David and Glen from the live performance, but, given the circumstances, there is no other acceptable option.
It should be stressed that there is no slight intended nor any desire to upset anyone regarding this decision; it is purely a mark of respect to Steve and Don. In fact, we would love to perform with Ritchie, David, Glen et al on Smoke on the Water in the encore jam.
I spoke with David Coverdale last week and he expressed complete understanding of the way it was being handled; thanks David you’re a Gent.
Outside of this event there are no circumstances under which a ‘reunion’ could or would take place and so it is unconscionable that our guitarist and keyboard player should be pushed aside after all those years (on the road and six studio albums) of total personal commitment and musical contribution to the band, just to satisfy pressure that has been, in the past, easily resisted.
So, let’s all get up there, shake hands, smile for the cameras and get it done with dignity and respect for all the existing and past members of a very special family.
November 3rd, 2020 at 06:15The Highway Star why didn’t you challenge David coverdale so when he gave his answer in the interview?
November 3rd, 2020 at 07:47And he damn right.
November 3rd, 2020 at 10:04Blackmore could be difficult, but for the last MANY years it has been Ian Gillan who has been the major problem. He has to mature and start controlling his big ego.
Not to have Blackmore on the R&ROF stage was like not having Keith Richard on the stage with the Stones. Like or not but Blackmore did write the most important songs in Purples life.
Also a BIG BIG problem was that they did not include both Coverdale and Hughes on stage. They was a very important part of Purple, and Burn is one of 3 best Purple albums ever.
I’m sure it has something to do with Gillan and the now former Manager Bruce Payne.
I know that Blackmore has made problems after he left Purple, but that is long time ago. What on earth are the problem with the egos in Purple these days? Like Ian Gillan do not want to take part in VIP Ticket meetings?
Deep Purple has been THE soundtrack to my life. I have been on tour with them many times, and I know that they are some fantastic people. Roger and Paice are THE gentlemen in rock as I see it. I hate to see this ego creating problems even today.
November 3rd, 2020 at 10:49“tell him to come with me, nobodys going to fucking touch him” ???? Really? lol DC a bodyguard…. RnR HOF must be some bad ass people🙄
November 3rd, 2020 at 11:07What is true or not here, we will never know. Bottom line is the fact that Ritchie choose himself not to attend…
November 3rd, 2020 at 11:23S*** stirrer
November 3rd, 2020 at 12:11BTW since Blackmore left in 1993 the sun has shown and the guys began to write diverse stuff.
If u have lots of time to kill Mr Coverdale then you need to spend time listening and admiring the material on ‘Perpendicular’
DP is always about 5 musicians chipping in and writing great music.
Please respect the fact that every member of DP played a great part in the history of the band. That’s why Ian Gillan mentioned every member of the band on stage now that’s a class act.
Ants in pants 🎤👖
What !
November 3rd, 2020 at 13:21DC stop spitting your envy on Gillan, Glover and Paice… They…together with Blackmore and Lord belonged to the
November 3rd, 2020 at 17:30“Real” Deep Purple.. The legendary Mk II… You didnt!!
Well said DC, particularly the last part about Ritchie.
November 3rd, 2020 at 19:15David has a point, you have to grant it to him. Not one of DP’s high points how that went. It made the current line-up look petty and insecure (Morse and Airey excluded), when they could have used the chance to be gracious and embracing the various phases of their chequered career.
Blackmore not being there was plain weird, you couldn’t imagine Led Zep being honored anywhere and Jimmy Page not being there. And whatever selection mode the RRHF had, the current line-up and their management should have invited Nick Simper, Joe Lynn Turner and even Tommy Bolin’s brother (at least Vickie Lord was there) to the celebration – it would have been the proper and decent thing to do.
An opportunity missed.
November 4th, 2020 at 17:24ce groupe deep purple sans Blackmore est devenu lamentable quelle honte de lire celà!!
November 4th, 2020 at 17:58Micke @18, yeah, that’s it.
November 4th, 2020 at 23:04Every member has been a link of the chain, Lord and Blackmore being on top. Hence, everyone should have been there or, at least, mentioned and thanked properly. But, since Lord is no more -R.I.P.- and Blackmore didn’t wanted to show, I think Gillan’s explanation is perfectly understandable and the perfect way the currently on band has to show to big Steve and Don the respect they have absolutely achive and deserve.
He said, she said, they said, I said, you said etc etc! Is the ole Coverdale a ‘drama queen’? Quite possibly so me thinks. This R&RHOF rave is a bit like JLT & his take on the Rainbow ‘knock back’. One side of a story & being repeated again & again & again! As they say, any publicity can be ‘good’ publicity eh?
November 5th, 2020 at 08:00Being realistic though, can anyone ever see Blackmore standing on the stage at that ‘Hall’ like a muppet? Even if certain people had agreed that he could play one song, if he is lucky that is? Looking at his past history, it seems that he just does not attend those sort of ceremony & gala events. Or maybe he has & nobody knows about it, who can tell? Forgetting any version of what may have transpired, sure it would have been a missed opportunity for a feel good moment or two, if only in a nostalgic way. I would have enjoyed it as I did when Yes were inducted in 2017.
Talking about a key member from a famous band not appearing at their induction, what about Dire Strait’s Mark Knopfler? He always said he wouldn’t appear & he didn’t & good on him for that. Some people are just not into the Hall thing. There are others also. Time gentlemen. Cheers.
It would have been no issue for them to have played, say, SOTW, with Nick und Roger both playing bass (or Roger leaving the bass spot to Nick to strum some rhythm guitar, he is gracious enough to do it), have Ritchie and Steve both play solos (I rule out that one of them would have been adamant that the other one not play) and Big Ian inviting JoLT and the Coverdale/Hughes tandem to do the second and third verses of the song. The musical value of such an endeavour (or the historical accuracy) would have been beside the point, it would have been an event and a gesture of closure. Ian Gillan could have been a conferencier and an ambassador for them all – no one is questioning his legendary and pivotal role for the band.
I for one would have loved to see a scene of Ritchie bowing to Steve and vice versa, each one asking the other to take the first lead! Deep Purple has been good to all of them. And not one of them would have his status without that band.
November 5th, 2020 at 14:53who created the group? jon lord, ritchie blackmore and ian paice …. who composed the songs that made this band so successful? it’s lamentable not to have seen Ritchie at this awards ceremony, I would even say that I didn’t invite everyone else !!! only we were treated to a disastrous interpretation instead !!
November 5th, 2020 at 17:26I am absolutely sure that this award would never have been given for the 22 years without blackmore …
Ofcourse we re talking about the Rock and Roll hall of Shame which invalidated itself a zillion times already before we finally got Deep Purple in.
First of all they were elglible when Lord was still around and the magical and only respectable option always was to put them in the Hall when he was anle to.
Aside from that,we all know that this institution is a travesty, filled to the rafters with non rock artists.
I do remember both fans and band saying : “We re not really interested in such nonsense.”
But appearantly no one could resist to go along when the hall finally came around.
Then cane the bandpolitics, stemming mainly from Bruce Paynes and Ian Gillans egos.
Ian Gillan :
“it is purely a mark of respect to Steve and Don. ”
YOU did make it that, Mister liar, mister POS.
The Morse /Airey wasnt eglible yet.You KNOW that.
The only real pain would have been to think of an alternative for Jon Lord.
THATS the only reasons why all these other alternatives were talked through but did not come to life.
So you had your way, Blackers, Hughes, Coverdale, pushed aside for your ridicilous idea that current Deep Purple is what did cut the mustard.
It was a tragic evening.
You were my hero , but first you ruined your Godlike voice with your addictions, then proceeded to lie about the last stage of MK3 in 1993 and then to top it off you insulted essential people and loads of fans.
You make me want to vomit.
November 16th, 2020 at 20:34@29 please feel free to vomit…………………@26/27 VERY well said without name calling, always a better way to get your point across again@29 your obvious prejudice is showing🤮
November 19th, 2020 at 10:35@ 30
Likewise?
November 19th, 2020 at 21:49@29 Well said! Gillan has made many sly digs at Ritchie over the years.
June 22nd, 2021 at 22:14