List of Deep Purple band members

Deep Purple
Deep Purple in 2004. From left to right: Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Ian Gillan, Don Airey and Steve Morse.
Background information
Genres	Hard rock, heavy metal, blues-rock
Years active	1968–1976 1984–present
Members
Ian Paice Roger Glover Ian Gillan Steve Morse Don Airey
Past members
Former members

Deep Purple are an English hard rock band which currently consists of vocalist Ian Gillan, guitarist Steve Morse, bassist Roger Glover, drummer Ian Paice and keyboardist Don Airey. The band formed in Hertford in 1968 and originally comprised vocalist Rod Evans, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, bassist Nick Simper, drummer Paice and keyboardist Jon Lord. Deep Purple is notable for their history of lineups, each one of which is often referred to by its own "Mark" number, ranging from the inaugural, I, to the current, VIII.

The original Mk. I released three albums, before vocalist Evans and bassist Simper were fired and replaced by Ian Gillan and Roger Glover respectively to create Mk. II. The second lineup remained until 1973, when Gillan (followed by Glover) left the band. David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes joined to create Deep Purple Mk III, though co-founding member and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore left in 1975 to be replaced by Tommy Bolin. Mk. IV lasted only a year and disbanded in 1976. While on hiatus, members concentrated on other projects, including Rainbow (Blackmore and Glover), Whitesnake (Coverdale, Lord and Paice), Black Sabbath and Gillan (both Gillan).

Deep Purple reunited in 1984 with the Mk. II lineup of Gillan, Blackmore, Glover, Paice and Lord. Gillan and Blackmore had a disagreement and the vocalist was fired from the band and replaced by Blackmore's former bandmate in Rainbow, Joe Lynn Turner. Turner remained until 1992, when the Mk. II lineup came together for the third time. Due to continuing conflicting interests between Gillan and Blackmore, the guitarist left the band for good in the middle of 1993s The Battle Rages On tour. He was replaced with Joe Satriani for the remainder of the shows but could not join the band permanently due to contractual issues.

Steve Morse was chosen to be Blackmore's full-time replacement in 1994, and he remains the guitarist to this day. In 2002 the most recent lineup change took place when Jon Lord, who had been in every incarnation of the band until then, left the band to pursue personal interests. He was replaced by Don Airey, formerly of Rainbow and Ozzy Osbourne's band, to create the current Mk. VIII lineup. Drummer Ian Paice is now the only member left who has been present in every lineup of Deep Purple since the band's formation in 1968.

Current members

Ian Paice

Active: 1968–1976, 1984–present

Instruments: drums

Release contributions: all Deep Purple releases

Roger Glover

Active: 1969–1973, 1984–present

Instruments: bass

Release contributions: In Rock (1970), Fireball (1971), Machine Head (1972), Who Do We Think We Are (1973), Perfect Strangers (1984), The House of Blue Light (1987), Slaves and Masters (1990), The Battle Rages On (1993), Purpendicular (1996), Abandon (1998), Bananas (2003), Rapture of the Deep (2005)

Ian Gillan

Active: 1969–1973, 1984–1989, 1992–present

Instruments: vocals

Release contributions: Deep Purple in Rock (1970), Fireball (1971), Machine Head (1972), Who Do We Think We Are (1973), Perfect Strangers (1984), The House of Blue Light (1987), The Battle Rages On (1993), Purpendicular (1996), Abandon (1998), Bananas (2003), Rapture of the Deep (2005)

Steve Morse

Active: 1994–present

Instruments: guitar

Release contributions: Purpendicular (1996), Abandon (1998), Bananas (2003), Rapture of the Deep (2005)

Don Airey

Active: 2002–present

Instruments: keyboards

Release contributions: Bananas (2003), Rapture of the Deep (2005)

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  Vocalist Ian Gillan

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  Guitarist Steve Morse

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  Bassist Roger Glover

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  Keyboardist Don Airey

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  Drummer Ian Paice

Former members

Jon Lord

Active: 1968–1976, 1984–2002

Instruments: keyboards, backing vocals

Release contributions: Shades of Deep Purple (1968), The Book of Taliesyn (1968), Deep Purple (1969), Deep Purple in Rock (1970), Fireball (1971), Machine Head (1972), Who Do We Think We Are (1973), Burn (1974), Stormbringer (1974), Come Taste the Band (1974), Perfect Strangers (1984), The House of Blue Light (1987), Slaves and Masters (1990), The Battle Rages On (1993), Purpendicular (1996), Abandon (1998)

Ritchie Blackmore

Active: 1968–1975, 1984–1993

Instruments: guitar

Release contributions: Shades of Deep Purple (1968), The Book of Taliesyn (1968), Deep Purple (1969), Deep Purple in Rock (1970), Fireball (1971), Machine Head (1972), Who Do We Think We Are (1973), Burn (1974), Stormbringer (1974), Perfect Strangers (1984), The House of Blue Light (1987), Slaves and Masters (1990), The Battle Rages On (1993)

Rod Evans

Active: 1968–1969

Instruments: lead vocals

Release contributions: Shades of Deep Purple (1968), The Book of Taliesyn (1968), Deep Purple (1969)

Nick Simper

Active: 1968–1969

Instruments: bass, backing vocals

Release contributions: Shades of Deep Purple (1968), The Book of Taliesyn (1968), Deep Purple (1969)

David Coverdale

Active: 1973–1976

Instruments: lead vocals

Release contributions: Burn (1974), Stormbringer (1974), Come Taste the Band (1975)

Glenn Hughes

Active: 1973–1976

Instruments: bass, vocals

Release contributions: Burn (1974), Stormbringer (1974), Come Taste the Band (1975)

Tommy Bolin

Active: 1975–1976

Instruments: guitar, backing vocals

Release contributions: Come Taste the Band (1975)

Joe Lynn Turner

Active: 1989–1992

Instruments: vocals

Release contributions: Slaves and Masters (1990)

Joe Satriani

Active: 1993–1994; 2011 (in concert)

Instruments: guitar

Release contributions: none

Band lineups

Personnel	Studio albums	Notable singles
Mark I (April 1968–July 1969) Rod Evans – lead vocals Ritchie Blackmore – guitar Nick Simper – bass, backing vocals Ian Paice – drums Jon Lord – keyboards, backing vocals	Shades of Deep Purple, September 1968 The Book of Taliesyn, December 1968 Deep Purple, November 1969	"Hush", June 1968 "Kentucky Woman", December 1968 "River Deep - Mountain High", February 1969
Mark IIa (July 1969–June 1973) Ian Gillan – vocals Ritchie Blackmore – guitar Roger Glover – bass Ian Paice – drums Jon Lord – keyboards	Deep Purple in Rock, September 1970 Fireball, July 1971 Machine Head, March 1972 Who Do We Think We Are, January 1973	"Black Night", June 1970 "Child in Time", June 1970 "Strange Kind of Woman", February 1971 "Fireball", October 1971 "Smoke on the Water", May 1973
Mark III (June 1973–May 1975) David Coverdale – lead vocals Ritchie Blackmore – guitar Glenn Hughes – bass, vocals Ian Paice – drums Jon Lord – keyboards	Burn, February 1974 Stormbringer, November 1974	"Might Just Take Your Life", February 1974
Mark IV (May 1975–March 1976) David Coverdale – lead vocals Tommy Bolin – guitar, backing vocals Glenn Hughes – bass, vocals Ian Paice – drums Jon Lord – keyboards	Come Taste the Band, October 1975
Group disbanded (March 1976–April 1984)
Mark IIb (April 1984–April 1989) Ian Gillan – vocals Ritchie Blackmore – guitar Roger Glover – bass Ian Paice – drums Jon Lord – keyboards	Perfect Strangers, October 1984 The House of Blue Light, January 1987	"Knocking at Your Back Door", October 1984 "Perfect Strangers", October 1984 "Call of the Wild", 1987
Mark V (January 1990–August 1992) Joe Lynn Turner – vocals Ritchie Blackmore – guitar Roger Glover – bass Ian Paice – drums Jon Lord – keyboards	Slaves and Masters, October 1990	"King of Dreams", October 1990 "Love Conquers All", February 1991
Mark IIc (August 1992–November 1993) Ian Gillan – vocals Ritchie Blackmore – guitar Roger Glover – bass Ian Paice – drums Jon Lord – keyboards	The Battle Rages On, July 1993	"Anya", July 1993 "Time to Kill", July 1993
Mark VI (November 1993–May 1994) Ian Gillan – vocals Joe Satriani – guitar Roger Glover – bass Ian Paice – drums Jon Lord – keyboards
Mark VII (May 1994–March 2002) Ian Gillan – vocals Steve Morse – guitar Roger Glover – bass Ian Paice – drums Jon Lord – keyboards	Purpendicular, February 1996 Abandon, June 1998	"The Turtle Island Shuffle", 1996
Mark VIII (March 2002–present) Ian Gillan – vocals Steve Morse – guitar Roger Glover – bass Ian Paice – drums Don Airey – keyboards	Bananas, September 2003 Rapture of the Deep, November 2005

Timeline

External links

• Deep Purple official website