Ritchie Blackmore Reunites With Deep Purple For First Time In 33 Years
Ritchie Blackmore returned to the Deep Purple stage at Jones Beach in New York for the first time since his 1993 departure, joining the band for Smoke On The Water during the encore.
by Paul Cashmere
Ritchie Blackmore has performed with Deep Purple for the first time in more than three decades, joining his former bandmates on August 12 at Northwell at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York, for a performance of Smoke On The Water. The appearance marked the first time the guitarist had shared a stage with the band since leaving during the 1993 tour for The Battle Rages On….
The reunion was initiated by Blackmore himself. During an Instagram Live appearance on August 11, the 81-year-old guitarist revealed that he had contacted singer Ian Gillan, who is currently based in Portugal, to ask whether he could join Deep Purple for one encore song.
“I sent my A.I. pigeon to Ian Gillan in Portugal,” Blackmore said. He proposed appearing “just for an encore” and “for old times’ sake”, adding that Gillan supported the idea and put it to the rest of the band.
The plan became reality at Jones Beach. After Deep Purple had completed its approximately 100-minute main set, Gillan introduced Blackmore as “the founder member, the great legend, the immortal… Ritchie Blackmore!” Blackmore then joined the band for Smoke On The Water, the 1972 Deep Purple recording built around one of his most recognisable guitar riffs.
The appearance brought together two musicians whose relationship has been one of rock’s more complicated partnerships. Blackmore and Gillan were central figures in Deep Purple’s classic Mark II line-up, but their relationship deteriorated over successive periods together. Blackmore’s final departure in 1993 followed serious musical and personal tensions during the touring cycle for The Battle Rages On….
Blackmore had originally co-founded Deep Purple in 1968 with keyboard player Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice. The band’s early psychedelic material evolved into a harder sound, with Blackmore’s guitar becoming a defining element of albums including Deep Purple In Rock, Fireball and Machine Head. The latter included Smoke On The Water, inspired by the 1971 Montreux Casino fire.
The guitarist first left Deep Purple in 1975 after becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the group’s musical direction. The addition of David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes had moved the band towards blues, soul and funk influences, particularly on Burn and Stormbringer. Blackmore wanted greater control over the band’s musical direction and subsequently formed Rainbow with Ronnie James Dio.
Blackmore returned to Deep Purple in 1984 when the classic Mark II line-up reunited for Perfect Strangers. The comeback produced a successful album and tour, but the old divisions eventually returned. Gillan departed in 1989 before returning again for The Battle Rages On….
The 1993 reunion proved short-lived. Blackmore left during the tour after the relationship between himself and Gillan had deteriorated to the point where continuing together was no longer workable. He subsequently revived Rainbow and later devoted much of his musical activity to the Renaissance-influenced Blackmore’s Night project with Candice Night.
Blackmore has occasionally returned to rock performance, including Rainbow shows between 2016 and 2019, but the Jones Beach appearance represented a distinct historical moment because it reunited him with the Deep Purple musicians with whom he created much of his defining work. Noise11 has previously documented Blackmore’s importance to the band’s early development and the continuing legacy of his guitar work.
His return was deliberately limited. Before the show, Blackmore said he expected to perform only one song and acknowledged that it had been many years since he had played rock music regularly. He also said he had changed the strings on his Stratocaster for the occasion, having not done so for more than 25 years.
For Deep Purple, the reunion placed one of the band’s founding architects alongside its long-serving current line-up. Ian Paice remains the only musician to have appeared on every Deep Purple studio album, while the group’s current touring line-up includes Gillan, Roger Glover, keyboard player Don Airey and guitarist Simon McBride.
There is no indication that Blackmore’s appearance represents a permanent return to Deep Purple. His own comments framed it as a one-off contribution close to his Long Island home. For one night, however, the guitarist who helped create Smoke On The Water returned to the stage with the band for which he wrote the riff.
Deep Purple Jones Beach Setlist, August 12, 2026
Highway Star
A Bit On The Side
Into The Fire
Guitar Solo
Arrogant Boy
Lazy Sod
Keyboard Solo
Lazy
When A Blind Man Cries
Diablo
Keyboard Solo (Toccata & Fugue, Mr. Crowley, Ode To Joy, Solfegietto, and New York New York segments)
Perfect Strangers
Space Truckin’
Smoke On The Water (with Ritchie Blackmore)
em>Encore
Guinnesis
Hush
Deep Purple Splat! Tour 2026
August 13, Mansfield, Xfinity Center, MA
August 15, Halifax, Scotiabank Centre, NS
August 17, Laval, Place Bell, QC
August 18, Toronto, RBC Amphitheatre, ON
August 19, Ottawa, Canadian Tire Center, ON
August 21, Detroit, Pine Knob, MI
August 22, Salamanca, Seneca Allegany Casino, NY
August 24, Indianapolis, Everwise Amphitheatre, IN
August 25, Highland Park, Ravinia, IL
August 27, Prior Lake, Mystic Lake Casino, MN
August 29, Winnipeg, Canada Life Centre, MB
August 31, Calgary, Scotiabank Saddledome, AB
September 2, Abbotsford, Abbotsford Centre, BC
September 4, Lincoln, Thunder Valley, CA
September 5, Mountain View, Shoreline Amphitheatre, CA
September 6, Highland, Yaamava Theatre, CA
September 8, Chula Vista, North Island Credit Union Amp, CA
September 10, Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood, NV
September 11, Long Beach, Long Beach Amphitheater, CA
September 12, Sparks, Nugget Event Center, NV
September 29, Sofia, 8888 Arena, Bulgaria
October 1, Cluj, BT Arena, Romania
October 2, Budapest, Laszlo Papp Arena, Hungary
October 4, Bratislava, Tipos Arena, Slovakia
October 5, Vienna, Stadthalle, Austria
October 7, Prague, O2 Arena, Czechia
October 8, Lodz, Atlas Arena, Poland
October 10, Belgrade, Stark Arena, Serbia
October 11, Skopje, Boris Trajkovski Arena, Macedonia
October 13, Athens, Telekom Centre Arena, Greece
October 16, Zurich, Hallenstadion, Switzerland
October 17, Milan, Unipol Forum, Italy
October 19, Barcelona, Sant Jordi Club, Spain
October 22, Paris, Adidas Arena, France
October 23, Antwerp, Lotto Arena, Belgium
October 25, Copenhagen, Royal Arena, Denmark
October 26, Stockholm, Avicii Arena, Sweden
October 28, Oslo, Spektrum Arena, Norway
October 29, Gothenburg, Scandinavium, Sweden
October 31, Leipzig, QI Arena, Germany
November 1, Hamburg, Sporthalle, Germany
November 3, Dortmund, Westfalenhalle, Germany
November 4, Berlin, Uber Arena, Germany
November 6, Frankfurt, Festhalle, Germany
November 7, Nuremberg, Arena, Germany
November 9, Amsterdam, Ziggodome, Netherlands
November 10, Strasbourg, Zenith, France
November 12, Bordeaux, Arkéa Arena, France
November 13, Nantes, Zenith, France
November 15, Lyon, LDLC Arena, France
November 18, Newcastle, Utilita Arena, UK
November 19, Glasgow, OVO Hydro, UK
November 21, Birmingham, BP Pulse Arena, UK
November 22, Manchester, AO Arena, UK
November 24, London, Eventim Apollo, UK
November 25, London, Royal Albert Hall, UK
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