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Like father, like son
Early February this year German TV channel NDR aired a short special about Jürgen Blackmore. Here’s the gist of it courtesy of our correspondent on location:
- After five years of lack of communication, he met his dad again when he was ten. It was a very moving moment. They were in a dressing room in Hamburg and Ritchie asked him “do you play guitar?” Jürgen replied: “yes, mom bought me a concert guitar for fifty Deutschmarks, I have started learning how to play it.“ Whereupon Ritchie picked out one of his own guitars and said “this one is for you“.
- Margit Blackmore spoke (in an old interview) about a rather well-known story how she bought new shoes for Ritchie from her first salary when his got stolen
at Hotel Pacific, where he was lodging at the time. Two months later she moved to England with him. - Jürgen pointed out that he never wanted to copy his father. He just felt the desire to play guitar — it was “within him”.
- Jürgen mentioned that it was Steve Morse’s idea that he come on stage and do a guest spot during SOTW with Purple in Hamburg in November 2010.
- Purple actually had asked him to accompany them on tour this year. He had to decline the offer as he is still dealing with the health effects from a bad case of bacterial infection. That’s why he still has to rest a lot and spends his time in the studio producing.
You can watch the original German report online at ndr.de.
Many thanks to Yvonne for the info and translation.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
There are millions of people who play the guitar either pro or semi pro but that guy main talent is his relation to Ritchie. Good luck to him living in the shadow of the dark Knight!!!
May 21st, 2016 at 23:19I loved his album “Between Darkness & Light”. J.R. has loads of talent & I’d love to hear more albums like that one from him. I’ve had bacterial pneumonia myself & it’s bloody awful. Hope you get well soonest mate. Be happy!.
May 22nd, 2016 at 00:34Supergroup
“Child in Time “:)
J.Blackmore-L Harris – W.Van Halen – A Wakeman – Ja.Bonham
May 22nd, 2016 at 11:46I guess people don’t follow so much that this has to be posted here. Shame in more than one sense. As for big daddy, you make time or you are in fact a deadbeat.
May 24th, 2016 at 00:22@ 2, Adel:
There are not too many guitar players in the world who can compare to the class of Ritchie anyway. I don’t think that Juergen spent much time with his father but it is indeed remarkable that musical talent shows up over generations. A spark of Ritchie lives on in Jurgen and maybe one day Rory Blackmore will pick up the guitar too :).
May 24th, 2016 at 15:18@ 1 – It is always difficult for artists, be it musicians or actors, to step out of the shadow of a famous mother or father. But that doesn’t mean their kids have no talent.
May 24th, 2016 at 21:05There are offsprings from large business enterprises (like Hilton), whose only talent is to spend the family fortune…
@5 Tommy H., Rory Blackmore pick up a guitar… maybe… David Coverdale’s son Jasper apparently preferred to take acting lessons instead of following his Dad.. Who knows what Rory may become?, he’s only just begun his life’s journey. Tally Ho!.
May 25th, 2016 at 08:42Rory Blackmore? Cant wait to hear it as Rory and Ritchie have always been my two favourite players
May 29th, 2016 at 00:25