Former Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore reflected on his recent onstage reunion with the band after more than three decades and addressed the possibility of playing with them again, admitting that their emotional meeting may have been the last time they see each other.
Blackmore said: “I was there to see old friends. I hadn’t seen in 40 years and were all getting older. I think we realized it could be the last time we see each other, maybe.”
“It was tricky; I didn’t play anything too technical, as I felt I should stick to the rudiments of being simple. I still lost my place at one point, but it’s not why I was there. I was there to heal any wounds — but there weren’t any wounds. Everyone was like, we were in the army, all along the Western front and we were all getting together again. Very emotional moment.”
The reunion carried added weight because it marked Blackmore’s first performance with Deep Purple in decades and reunited him with musicians from a later chapter of the band’s history.
The reunion took place on August 12, 2026, at Northwell at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York. Blackmore joined Deep Purple during the encore of the band’s headline concert to perform “Smoke on the Water.”
Blackmore first left Deep Purple in 1975 after becoming frustrated with the group’s creative direction. He later described the band as having become “a committee,” and he pursued a new path with Rainbow.
The guitarist returned to Deep Purple in 1984 when the classic Mark II lineup reunited. Artistic differences and personal tensions continued to affect the band before Blackmore left for good during the group’s 1993 touring period.
Deep Purple has continued without its founding guitarist. The current lineup features Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Don Airey and Simon McBride, who joined the band after Steve Morse’s departure. lackmore’s appearance briefly brought one of the group’s central early figures together with its modern lineup.
Blackmore’s comments suggest that the Jones Beach performance was driven more by reconciliation and shared history than by plans for a permanent reunion. His description of the meeting as a possible final farewell leaves the door open emotionally, but he has not confirmed another performance with Deep Purple.
