Joe Lynn Turner, who spent three years singing for Deep Purple, thinks that the current members of the band are acting like children over their refusal to let any past members perform with them at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.
The only members of the band who will be inducted are those from the Mk. III and Mk. IV versions of the group, Ritchie Blackmore, David Coverdale, Rod Evans, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Glenn Hughes, Jon Lord and Ian Paice; however, the current version, which includes Paice, Gillan, Glover, Steve Morse and Don Airey, are refusing to allow the former members on the stage for their induction performance. The move has prompted Blackmore to say that he will not attend.
Turner talked with Rock Overdose, telling them:
If you ask me, they’re acting like children and it’s a mess and a shameful situation. It’s terrible that it happened. For me, it shows you exactly what is happening over there. That these people don’t know how to grow up and be friends. Just stop the bullshit. It’s a shame and it makes a circus out of the whole thing.
He also didn’t hold back on the Rock Hall in general:
I made a statement on my Facebook that describes how I feel about the Rock and Roll Hall of Shame, as I call it. I spoke on the radio So Serious the other night, and he (Eddie Trunk) actually agreed with me.
He said these people are clueless. They have no idea who is who, what is what. It’s a Hollywood event, and it really has not much to do with Rock and Roll anymore. It’s more of a celebrity event. In the early days it was a true rock and roll organization. But now, it is turning into a circus show. It’s more like Grammys or something stupid like that. People make the band. And I’m writing songs for the fans and the people. That’s who makes the cases. Not these organizations. It took them how long to put Deep Purple into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? It should have been in the Hall Of Fame 25 years ago.
Turner was a member of Blackmore’s group Rainbow from 1980 to 1984 before starting a solo career. He also was part of Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force, Deep Purple (1989 to 1992), Mother’s Army, Brazen Abbot, the Hughes Turner Project, Sunstorm and The Jan Holberg Project.
