Jon Lord will take part in an all-star celebration of the late Jim Capaldi, solo musician and member of Traffic. The show will take place Jan. 21, close to the second anniversary of his death, at London`s Roundhouse. Tickets go on sale Dec. 18.

The Dear Mr. Fantasy concert, named for one of Traffic`s best-known albums, will celebrate the life and work of Capaldi, who died of cancer Jan. 28, 2005, at the age of 60. The event will raise funds for the Jubilee Action Street Children Appeal, a charity in which Capaldi and his wife Anina were active.

The show will be presented by BBC Radio 2`s Bob Harris. Already confirmed to appear are Steve Winwood, Capaldi`s longtime collaborator both in and out of Traffic; Pete Townshend, Paul Weller, Bill Wyman and other such performers as Joe Walsh, Gary Moore, Simon Kirke, Dennis Locorriere, the Storys, Andy Newmark, Ray Cooper and keyboardist Paul ‘Wix’ Wickens.

No, no, I won’t sing the Righteous Brothers song. I . . . well . . . I hate the Righteous Brothers. There, I’ve said it now. Shame about the tenor. He’s passed on. (Righteous Brother Bobby Hatfield August 10, 1940 – November 5, 2003. RIP).

On to today’s topic. Purple members who have gone over to the other side, passed the pearly gates, sleep with their fathers in Sheol, have joined the choir at Canterbury, sleep with fishes, are crossing the River Styx. (The fallen of Styx: John Panozzo September 20, 1948 – July 16, 1996; John Curulewski October 3, 1950 – February, 1988. RIP).

Here are a few memories of Purple members and family members who have left this veil of tears for a place that always has cold beer in an ice bucket in the dressing room and plenty of clean towels. And rest rooms that don’t stink like tom cat spray. And a favorable babe-to-skank ratio in the crowd. And monitors that [censored] work once in a blankity-blank while. Not that it matters if the sound man is drunk again. Oh, and you go to get paid and Billy’s the only one who can pay you and Billy won’t talk to anybody who won’t bail him out. Again.

But I digress. Tommy Bolin died 30 years ago today.

A survey of our dear departed musicians:

A young Cozy Powell (December 29, 1947 – April 5, 1998) playing a jazz set. I think. I’m not a musician but one of my other personalities is. Oh, Jeff Beck is on this too.

Tommy Bolin (August 1, 1951 d. December 4, 1976) with Deep Purple in Japan ca. 1976. Tommy died soon after. Deep Purple was on life support in this video.

Brian Connolly (October 5, 1945 d. February 9, 1997) and the Sweet. Google around for the connection!

Before Dave Sutch (November 12, 1940 d. June 16, 1999), Blackmore was a really normal guitar god. Sutch pushed him over the edge.

This guy and the Mothers were at the best place around. Frank Zappa (December 21, 1940 d. December 4, 1993).

So there they are, a few of the greats who have crossed the Purple path. And a string o’ Strats, killed by Ritchie Blackmore. Oh, and a camera.

Jo

This request has been put out on behalf of Paul Weaver (Head of the Blackmore’s Night UK Street Team):

Would UK fans (reading this message) please be kind enough to take a look in their local cd shops (HMV, Virgin etc) and tell us how many copies you have seen on the shelves? If you would be kind enough to do this AND POST THE INFORMATION ON THE MESSAGE BOARD that you are currently reading this message on, the information can then be seen and collected; and passed onto Paul Weaver. Thank You!

Since we at The Highway Star really are not equipped to collect this info, we suggest that you get in touch with the UK Street Team directly.

Thanks to Mike Garrett for the info.

Glenn Hughes latest solo album, MUSIC FOR THE DIVINE, will receive its long-awaited U.S. release on January 30, 2007 via Demolition Records. The CD, which is available now in Europe on Frontiers Records, was recorded in Chad Smiths (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) house in Los Angeles and again features Smith on drums and longtime Glenn Hughes collaborator JJ Marsh on guitar. Also featured are RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS guitarist John Frusciante and Mark Killian, who has provided the string arrangements and keyboards.

Also, an eight minute audio interview with Hughes, conducted recently by Norways Metal Express Radio, has been posted online.

Glenn recently announced his new touring band as Jeff Kollman on guitar, Mark Mondesir on drums and Anders Olinder on keyboards.

Thanks to Mike Garrett for the info.

Ian Paice. He is not human. He cannot feel pain. He cannot be reasoned with. Just stand back and weather his drumming thunder.

A young Ian punishing the Ludwigs. “This will be our opening number for the next year or so.” And how.

Ian Paice. Rubbin’ elbows with royalty. I hope it doesn’t diminish his street cred.

Bibbidy bibbidy BASH! Bibbidy BASH bibbidy BASH BASH!

Ian giving some kid private lessons.

This is where the rumors started about Ian being a cyborg. Look at him go.

So there he is, Ian Paice. Man or machine — you decide.

Jo

A new box will be released by Phenomena, called “The Complete Works”. It will include the first 3 albums, Phenomena I, Phenomena II Dream Runner, Phenomena III Inner Vision. The box will also include 6 bonus tracks. Don Airey can be found on 1 song on the first album, but Glenn Hughes sings on the whole first album and 3 songs on the second album. The box will be released on December 7. You can buy it in our shop.

That’s the old saying, isn’t it? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Or most sincere. Or least phony.

Here we have fans and distinguished tributaries to Deep Purple its subplots.

First, it is my distinct honor to introduce to the larger Web world the Next Big Thing, Nathalie Lorichs:

Nathalie sings Glenn Hughes’s Coast to Coast.

She is young. She is beautiful. She is talented. Joanna hates those women. 🙂

Our Peruvian friends give Space Truckin’ a try. The venue reminds me of pictures I’ve seen of the Jakarta in Liverpool. Plus the singer might be Wil Wheaton from Star Trek TNG. It snowballs.

On to Brazil, and Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming.

And we end the evening in Japan with a very accurate Highway Star. 🙂

The idea here is to call, IM and e-mail everybody in the music industry until Nathalie is competing in Eurovision and — oops I mean the idea is to give other fans a taste of what people are doing with Deep Purple’s music.

Jo

No, the other man in black. I was out listening to classical guitar tonight and it was amazing. Of course, we blew a fatty of primo burmese Indican hydroponic crypto bud in the Cortina just before we went in. This enhances the experience. Any experience, really.

Okay, some Blackmore:

We really need this one clip only. It has it all. It won’t just rock you, it will —- you up for life.

Rainbow Rising got me through the latter part of the 70s. Well, that and Blue Nun.

This is a cut from Blackmore’s Night’s Winter album, available from online outlets everywhere. Please buy copies for everyone you know, and donate many to hospitals and schools. Thank you.

Every grunge guy who ever broke a guitar and impaled his speaker cabinet with the jagged, broken neck owes Ritchie Blackmore royalties. This is from the California Jam DVD, which is so good I buy one every month just to be safe.

This is Blackmore’s Night Live. Joanna highly endorses this product.

So, when you go to buy your piles of Deep Purple CDs and DVDs for gifts for this western hemisphere more or less holiday season, throw in numerous Blackmore’s Night offerings too. You’ll be glad you did.

Oh. The other day I mentioned the “other” Glenn Hughes, who was Leatherman from the Village People. Look, I blog a lot of drek when I’ve had some martinis and skunk weed, but this is as real as, uh, other real stuff.

The other Glenn Hughes, not a figment of Joanna’s imagination.

Jo

Glenn Hughes went straight from his latest tour to Alicante where he joined Uriah Heep’s Ken Hensley in the studio. Hughes is singing on two songs on Hensley’s new CD “Blood on the Highway”, tentatviely due for release in February 2007.

Hensley wrote this on his web site:

I just enjoyed an incredible day in the studio with Glenn Hughes who is singing (in his own amazing way) two songs on the new CD, ‘Blood On The Highway’. I am really lucky to have so many great vocal performances on this record and I am especially thankful to Glenn who came to Alicante directly from his recently completed European tour!! It’s always cool to spend time with a fellow ‘road-warrior’ and we made time to share some stories and to chat about doing some things together in the coming year. I’ll keep you posted on all of that but, in the meantime we have to prepare for more guest singers over the next few weeks!

Roger Glover is 61 today. He’ll deny it, but he has a hypercryogenobaric chamber. An age reverser. In his garage. There’s, like, a room in the back. The garage building used to be a stable. Roger always says, “yeah, but we converted it. What the hay.” He laughs every time.

He also got 1/3 of Willie Nelson’s youth and energy in a deal co-brokered by Satan and the IRS. It costs Roger a few bucks but look at him! It’s not all hypercryogenobaric chamber you know.

I sent him his annual pack of 555s and fifth of Jameson’s, which I know he never drinks. So there will be a case of it there if he ever invites me by. My therapist doesn’t allow me to think about it anymore. I kept falling over from holding my breath. Sigh. Rock stars.

Here’s a Roger sampling on a Welshman’s birthday. Penblwydd Hapus.

Roger will deny it, but this animated Love Is All is based on some hallucinations I had during drug trials in 1971.

Roger in “the Hat.” This is from 1972. Of course, I wasn’t born yet, was I?

Roger with that other guy. Kickin’ it old school. Dang.

Roger produced this. I think. I get the Nazareth mixed up. How can the guy sing with his neck like that?

Roger Glover. 1984. Problems with the prototype hypercryogenobaric chamber. I’m in sync with the sound! I’m out of sync with the sound! Whee!

So Happy Birthday you hypercryogenobarically preserved, Willie-Nelson-charged rock star, you.

Jo