Ian Gillan

Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan isn't happy that some long-tenured members of the current lineup are being left out of the band's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.

John Gustafson, who memorably collaborated in the '70s with Ian Gillan and Roxy Music, has died at 72.

Ian Gillan would rather turn down induction than be forced to be on the same stage as Ritchie Blackmore again.

It's been 20 years since Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple, and by all accounts, both he and the band are happier now. Still, some fans will never stop hoping for a reunion -- something that, according to singer Ian Gillan, will never happen.

By mid-1973, the bloom was off the rose for Deep Purple. Internal issues had risen to the top and long-standing lead singer Ian Gillan opted to leave the band. At the same time, bassist Roger Glover was told his services were no longer needed, by direct order of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. The Deep Purple lineup known as Mark II, was no more.

It turns out that the pairing of Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan and Black Sabbath‘s Tony Iommi for the WhoCares single, ‘Out of My Mind,’ was not just a one-off project.