Ritchie Blackmore | |
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![]() Blackmore in 2017 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Richard Hugh Blackmore |
Also known as | The Man in Black |
Born | Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England | 14 April 1945
Origin | Heston, Middlesex, England |
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Instruments | Guitar |
Years active | 1960–present |
Member of | Rainbow, Blackmore's Night |
Formerly of | Deep Purple, The Outlaws |
Spouses | Margit Volkmar
(m. 1965; div. 1969)Bärbel
(m. 1969; div. 1971)Amy Rothman
(m. 1981; div. 1983) |
Website | blackmoresnight |
Richard Hugh Blackmore (born 14 April 1945) is an English guitarist. He was a founding member and the lead guitarist of Deep Purple, playing jam-style hard rock music that mixed guitar riffs and organ sounds.[1] He is prolific in creating guitar riffs and has been known for playing both classically influenced and blues-based solos.
After leaving Deep Purple in 1975, Blackmore formed the hard rock band Rainbow,[2] which fused baroque music influences and elements of hard rock.[3][4] Rainbow steadily moved to catchy pop-style mainstream rock.[2] Rainbow broke up in 1984 with Blackmore re-joining Deep Purple until 1993. In 1997, he formed the traditional folk rock project Blackmore's Night along with his current wife Candice Night, shifting to vocalist-centred sounds.
As a member of Deep Purple, Blackmore was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2016.[5] He is cited by publications such as Guitar World and Rolling Stone as one of the greatest and most influential guitar players of all time.[6][3]
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