A Breath of Fresh Air Apr 2

A Breath of Fresh Air With Sandy Kaye
bombshellradio.com
Tuesdays 1pm EST
and Fridays 8pm EST

Archival shows : bombshellradiopodcasts.com

an Gillan was one of the foremost vocalists of the heavy metal style of rock that emerged in the ‘70s, earning his greatest celebrity as a member of Deep Purple despite the fact that he also led his own bands. Ian began singing while still in his teens and was a member of several pub rock bands.  It was in one of these that he met bass player Roger Glover, and the two were invited to join Deep Purple in 1969. They debuted with the band in London of the same year. Ian Gillan’s voice was the making of Deep Purple and he was featured on a series of hugely successful recordings including Fireball, Machine Head, Made in Japan and Who Do We Think We Are. He also starred on Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s concept album Jesus Christ Superstar where he sang the title role. That album topped the U.S. charts in 1971.

Ian Gillan recorded and toured the world relentlessly in those days until he was hospitalised for exhaustion in 1971. He decided to take leave of the band and, just as he left, “Smoke on the Water” from Machine Head began making its way up the U.S. charts, where it would peak in the Top Five and go gold, becoming Deep Purple’s biggest ever career hit.