Former vocalist for the Javelins and Episode Six, Ian Gillan joined
Deep Purple in 1969. They recorded the
legendary albums "Deep Purple In Rock", "Fireball", "Machine Head" and
"Who Do We Think We Are", as well as a number of live albums.
He left Deep Purple in 1973 due to differences with guitarist
'Ritchie
Blackmore', as well as
exhaustion due to excessive touring with the band. He then formed The
Ian Gillan Band around late 1975/early '76. They released two studio
albums: "Child in Time" (1976), which included a "jazzy" version of the
Purple classic "Clear Air Turbulence" (1977), and a live album,
recorded at the Budokan.
He then disbanded The Ian Gillan Band, and formed "Gillan". They
released five albums: "Mr. Universe" (1979), "Future Shock" (1980),
"Glory Road" (1980), "Double Trouble" (1981) and "Magic" (1982) before
disbanding due to Ian's throat problems. Ian then met
Tony Iommi and
Geezer Butler and joined
Black Sabbath in 1983. They did one album,
"Born Again", that same year and toured in 1984. At that time Ian got a
call from Ritchie Blackmore, asking him to reform Purple MKII, along
with band mates Jon Lord,
Roger Glover and
Ian Paice. Ian left Sabbath and rejoined
Purple. They recorded "Perfect Strangers" (1984) and "The House of Blue
Light" (1987), before his problems with Blackmore made him quit Purple
yet again. In 1988 he and fellow Purple band mate Glover made a record
under the "Gillan/Glover" moniker, called "Accidentally on Purpose".
Ian participated on various projects until 1992, when he formed a band
and recorded "Cherkazoo and Other Stories".
In 1993 he was asked to rejoin Deep Purple yet again. He accepted, and
recorded "The Battle Rages On". After a world tour Blackmore quit Deep
Purple for good. They then made a couple of dates with
Joe Satriani before finding a permanent
replacement in
Kansas/Dixie Dregs
guitarist Steve Morse. The new
Purple then recorded "Purpendicular" in 1996 and "Abandon" in 1998. In
1998, Ian released his solo album "Dreamcatcher".
Organist Jon Lord was replaced for the 2003 record "Bananas" with
former Rainbow keyboardist Don Airey. Deep
Purple MK VIII did a world tour for "Bananas", and went to work on
their 18th studio album, "Rapture of the Deep", released in November
2005.
Ian released "Gillan's Inn" in 2006, and is touring with Deep Purple.
