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Tempest in a teapot

Blackmore’s management issued the following statement via his Facebook page:

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame update
Ritchie was honored by the offer of induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was discussing the possibility of attending, until we received correspondence from the President of the Rock Hall of Fame, who said that Bruce Payne, management for the current Deep Purple Touring Band, had said “No”……….!!!!!”
Therefore Ritchie will not be attending the ceremony. He sincerely thanks all the fans that voted for him for their support.

Couple of editorial observations:

  1. Blackmore has previously stated in rather no-nonsense terms that he will not be attending no matter what.
  2. Assuming both managements are just doing their jobs, i.e. conveying the wishes of their respective clients, what we have is (a) current band does not want to see Ritchie at the ceremony, and (b) Ritchie decided to let the whole world know about that.

And this concludes our airing of the dirty laundry for today (we hope).

Thanks to Georgi Zbirchev and Classic Rock for the info.



49 Comments to “Tempest in a teapot”:

  1. 1
    Scoot says:

    This group of musicians I have admired since MH was first released is acting a bunch of petulant twats.

  2. 2
    Brandon Benwell says:

    That’s okay. Rainbow will get inducted and Purple can’t join including Glover.

    There would be no Purple without Ritchie regardless if he’s with them or not.

  3. 3
    Andy Thompson says:

    The battle rages on ?! Shambolic shambles

  4. 4
    Alexander Taylor says:

    Pathetic all round. Jon lord wanted them all onstage, do it!

  5. 5
    Jouko Juntunen says:

    Blah. Gillan doesn’t care much for Hall of Shame either.

  6. 6
    Anonymous says:

    So who will play guitar? They don’t want Steve so who they getting? Bolin? Uh don’t think so. Satch? Good luck!! Not sure who is worse the RRHOF or the Grammys? Clueless

  7. 7
    Thomas Hodge says:

    Well, considering Bolin is DEAD! – I don’t think he’ll make it either. ?

  8. 8
    Gerard McNulty says:

    Hahaha that’s what my comment meant but I hear the RRHOF people are trying to contact him lol

  9. 9
    Jakub Bizon Michalski says:

    they don’t want morse in rrhof, that doesn’t mean he won’t play if the band decides to show up and play (which i doubt). in most cases it looks like that: one song with the line-up that was inducted (if they’re able not to kill wach other during those 4-5 minutes) and one song with a current line-up, regardless of how many current members of the band are inducted. so no morse in the rrhof doesn’t mean no morse on stage during the ceremony

  10. 10
    Gerard McNulty says:

    Thanks Jakub Bizon Michalski. it’s a shame that after all these years there is still controversy.

  11. 11
    Theo says:

    What a childish way to act. It’s only a ceremony. So it’s impossible for those grown ups to stand together on a stage and to accept an award. This Deep Purple Touring Band is only touring because they play songs Ritchie contributed a lot to. In stead of the publicity of the RRHOF they will get the publicity for acting as a bunch of old farts.
    Another case of bad management

  12. 12
    Kevin Roberts says:

    Why don’t they all grow up ffs!!!

  13. 13
    Wojtek Cugowski says:

    That is not right…

  14. 14
    Brad DeMoranville says:

    I’m not sure I believe Blackmore’s “camp” on this one. Something smells.

  15. 15
    klausVonScribe says:

    Rest assured Ritchie, A lot of your fans said “Now What” sometime back in the 90s when you finally left Deep Purple for good.

  16. 16
    Tom Dion says:

    I agree. Its not DP managements call. Sounds like an excuse not to go. The RRHOF inducted him. He has every right to go.

  17. 17
    Al Greene says:

    I have my doubts about this. What exactly has Bruce Payne allegedly Said no to? Ritchie being there? It doesn’t matter , even if it where true Anyone being honoured can go. Do you think when van halen were being inducted Eddie and Alex wanted Sammy and Mickey representing the band?

  18. 18
    Kevin says:

    Really?!! Don’t know how much truth there is in any of this but why don’t they all grow up FFS!!

  19. 19
    Peter Lundgren says:

    As Said Its al about The Music …. Looking forward to some great New ones!

  20. 20
    John says:

    Banjo player took a hike, what’s that song I used to like vavoom!!

  21. 21
    LRT says:

    I dismiss the article for the publicity stunt that it is and completely agree with your editorial. And right, their job isn’t to direct it is to suggest. None of this means that he can’t be there. There’s the rub because it states that nowhere. Half-stunt at the very least.

  22. 22
    Andreas Schwartmann says:

    Deep Purple Touring Band. Haha.

  23. 23
    Paul Flewitt says:

    This is just crap all around. Personally, I would’ve preferred the band to refuse induction after the years of being snubbed in favour of far lesser bands… but if they’re accepting then Blackers deserves to be there too.

  24. 24
    Moreblack says:

    Ritchie have to be induct to RRHF as an artist not a band member!!!Lets do it again!!!!

  25. 25
    joe says:

    all things considered, Ritchie deserves to be there, there would be no Deep Purple if not for Ritchie Blackmore. that being said, Steve & Don deserve to be there also as well as Nick Simper.

  26. 26
    Tom Criscuola Sr says:

    Pretty petty and sad. The current lineup is not who’s getting inducted and should have acted better. 70 years old and acting like babies

  27. 27
    Erick Nava Riefenstahl says:

    Perhaps Purple managers told the RRHOF that Deep Purple would not accept the induction if Blackmore was present so, the RRHOF decided it was easier to have the rest of the guys instead of just Blackmore…

  28. 28
    Lorenc Quni says:

    Seems like the perfect opportunity for Richie to go

  29. 29
    Lorenc Quni says:

    If he does go I bet he gets a standing ovation

  30. 30
    Roy Davies says:

    He wouldnt have gone anyway….hed have been washing the cat….

  31. 31
    Rock Voorne says:

    I thought Gillan was saying FUCK YOU to the hall 😛

  32. 32
    MacGregor says:

    Issues here from the past with Payne, if this is to be believed! How can they stop Blackmore from turning up? They cannot, it is simple really! It comes back to Gillan being a turnaround & manipulating things for his sissy fit, it seems! Jon Lord would be appalled indeed! Gillan throws a tantrum because of the ‘exclusion’ of recent members & turns it for his liking! It just makes you wonder though, if they truly believed in the Morse era, they would play much more of it live, not much more of MK2! I am sure Steve Morse would enjoy that, but does he have a say at all? Ride on the back of MK2 & as we know, that is what most people want to hear! Support the Morse era more chaps, play more newer music live! Cheers.

  33. 33
    Bora Ciftci says:

    It’s rude to call “Deep Purple Touring Band”. Such a shame 🙁

  34. 34
    David Baker says:

    They’ll all be dead soon and no one will care anymore…… they are ego driven idiots who can’t come together ONE time to celebrate their legacy without bickering like a bunch of little kids. All of them need to put on their big-boy pants and show up.

  35. 35
    Danny N says:

    Very misleading statement from the Blackmore camp. Based on this statement from DP, the current lineup ONLY will perform. No mention of anyone being banned from attending.
    http://www.deeppurple.com/1511-2/

  36. 36
    Misha says:

    Ritchie nearly drove this band into the ground. They were playing before half empty halls and putting out mediocre records ( remember “The Battle Rages On” ) just before he left. He couldn’t have cared less what he was doing to the rest of the band and it’s reputation. Then, he just abandoned ship days before the Japan tour. Enter Steve Morse and the exceptional “Purpendicular” record. Morse revitalized this band and Blackmore, despite all the superb music he contributed in the band’s history, doesn’t deserve to be onstage with them now. As far as Bruce Payne saying he didn’t want Blackmore in the room, I don’t agree with that. I think he has a right to get his award, but Gillan, Morse, Airey, Paice and Glover are DP and they have been carrying the torch these past 20 ( save Airey ) years. They are the band that has earned the right to perform on the HOF stage.

  37. 37
    umberto says:

    sorry …love gillan, pace, etc …. but Inducting Deep Purple without blakmore it’s not possible. This is a genious that gave to the world the smoke on the water riff.. Ritchi has to attend

  38. 38
    Jeffrey Thomas says:

    This is a truly missed opportunity to have everyone play. It sucks for us fans!!!

  39. 39
    Ian Gillans Pants says:

    I reckon RB would be more than happy to play with the present line up at the awards. It’s IG that doesn’t want him there. Post 32? Spot on Mr. MacGregor. Would love to see IG face if RB turned up, walked onstage and plugged in. His hissy fit would be great TV.

  40. 40
    Starchaser says:

    I feel gutted by this news, and feel deeply that Mr Universe has turned his little tantrum in December into almighty mess. Ian Gillan states in RRoF article quote ‘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.’ Has he lost his mind the temerity of the guy, to subtly shaft a former lead singer of the band, including Glenn. This is just a travesty. Apparently banning of Blackmore which I think is the case, if they wanted current DP to attend, was a condition stipulated. Ian Gillan you have created a horrific legacy for this band I could cry. All I could say is WHY! May Blackers make his comeback shine bright later this year.

  41. 41
    Stefan Hilding says:

    Dislike! !!!!!????????

  42. 42
    Roger Kirkpatrick says:

    For the performance itself Steve Morse is far and away the better guitarist…. the biggest crime and insult is that Morse and Airey are not being inducted into the Hall

  43. 43
    Bob Moon says:

    the man is so poisonous that he still wants to go now because he wants to humiliate Ritchie. Gillan, you re a fucking loser.

  44. 44
    Rock Voorne says:

    Misha, you re just echoing Gillans lies.

    I m waiting now for them to play just Morse era tracks and the audiences all over the world go : WTF?!

  45. 45
    Troy Wickman says:

    Prediction: Coverdale and Hughes will perform in some way, perhaps as co- or backing singers.

    If Blackmore weren’t doing his Rainbow/Purple shows this year, Bruce Payne probably wouldn’t be having issues.

  46. 46
    Joerg says:

    @36

    In Germany the band played in sold-out halls in 1993. The halls were half empty in 1994, after Blackmore left…

  47. 47
    Russ Z says:

    OK. Everyone knows (personally) Ritchie can be an a**hole. This is just shedding a light on how petty Gillian really is. He is pouting because Morse and Airey aren’t being inducted. Regardless of how talented they are and how long they have been in the band, the reason they are being inducted is because of the music they put out during the Blackmore era (including eras that IG was not part of).
    On the other hand, Blackmore did not want to attend. He doesn’t care about what the fans want. He is not being blocked from attending or accepting the award. He now has an excuse not to come at all.

    As far as who performs, I really don’t think Paice or Glover would have an issue with playing 2 or 3 songs with former members. I’m sure Morse and Airey would understand. After the current band plays the IG era classics, he should leave the stage. Then, Blackmore, Coverdale, Hughes and Rod Evans should walk onstage and play Hush and Burn.

    This is far worse than the KISS debacle. Even though Gene and Paul wouldn’t play with the classic lineup that was being inducted, at least they could stand on stage together and actually say nice things about each other. When I heard they were being inducted, my 1st thought was to get tickets to the ceremony. thank God I waited. When the current lineup tours, they play much smaller venues than Barclays.

  48. 48
    IKEN says:

    Pleeeeeaaassseeee!!!! Read this!!

    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10205620691857335&set=gm.961098807272841&type=3&theater

  49. 49
    Rock Voorne says:

    @ 48

    So what?

    It is a meagre step down.
    What do they suggest, let MK 8 do most of the stuff and the others a tiny bit?

    Fans want to see Ritchie do Burn
    Many love to see Evans and Simper do HUSH

    Are they going to play SIFLS or something from Now What?!

    Bullshit.

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