After drama unfolded at the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2016, WHITESNAKE and DEEP PURPLE singer DAVID COVERDALE has explained to Eonmusic just what happened.
"What had happened in 2016, literally, once it had been announced that we were officially being inducted into [The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame], the current Deep Purple refused to go if Ritchie Blackmore was going to be there. And this was like, 72 hours before, when I was ready to fly with my family. And this cost me like $75,000 - $85,000, because you have to pay for all the tables apart from the one you're on, and I had my daughter fly in from Germany, my son came out of college. It was a family affair."
The Is This Love? singer expressed when pressed further about the situation: "Suddenly, Glenn Hughes and I were told; "well, we don't want you singing with us". Initially, I'd spoken to Ian [Gillan] about coming up and singing the backgrounds of 'Smoke on the Water', because originally they were going to close the show. " He continues, "So, that suddenly was pulled, the plug. They tried to stop us doing speeches, and my wife was fucking furious!, apart from the fact she spent a fortune on posh dresses! [laughing] And I said; "fuck it, nobody's going to keep us off!" I got in touch with Carol, Ritchie's manager, and I said; "tell him to come with me; nobody's going to fucking touch him, tell him to come with me!", and he didn't want to do it."
That all being said, Coverdale still took the time to take the stage and make his speech, in which he emphatically thanked Blackmore for his contributions to Deep Purple;
"The first thing I said when I was up there, was; 'none of us would have been standing here without Ritchie Blackmore', and I made sure of that point. Steve Morse and Don Airey [current Deep Purple members] were more complimentary to Glenn and I than the other guys. We had a blast, we had a fucking great time! I'm very happy that I am who I am, and I just talked to Glenn the other day about it; "what the fuck was up THEIR ass?!" Anyroad, so we didn't get to jam, which was fine; we were back doing press while they were performing, just having a good old time like the unrighteous brothers always do!"
When asked about what David Coverdale thought Ritchies demeanor and attitude would be at the Hall Of Fame induction, Coverdale had this to say:
"I know Ritchie, and he probably would have caused trouble by pulling out a water pistol and squirting everybody! [laughing] But it was absolutely obscene that he wasn't there, but I made sure, and I got a thank you from him and his wife when they saw a recording of it. But you know, he doesn't give a shit, and he knows he was responsible for the majority of the music there, and its true; none of us, none of us would have been on that stage without Ritchie Blackmore, none of us."
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Written by Steve Knudsen
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