Ritchie Blackmore Reunites With Deep Purple Onstage for First Time in 33 Years

Ritchie Blackmore made a surprise onstage reunion with Deep Purple at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York. It marked the guitarist’s first performance with the band since 1993, ending a 33-year gap between him and the group he helped found.

• Location: Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, New York
• Last time Blackmore played with Deep Purple: 1993
• Blackmore joined the band for a surprise encore appearance
• He said ahead of time he would use “a small amplifier” for the performance
• He said he changed the strings on his Stratocaster for the first time in over 25 years to prepare

Why Ritchie Blackmore Left Deep Purple and Why This Reunion Matters

Ritchie Blackmore co-founded Deep Purple in 1968 and helped write some of hard rock’s most enduring riffs before departing the band in 1993. He went on to front Rainbow and later formed the folk-rock project Blackmore’s Night with Candice Night, largely stepping away from the hard-rock circuit that made him famous.

Deep Purple has continued to tour and record without him, with guitarist Simon McBride now filling the role Blackmore originated. Because Blackmore rarely discusses a return to hard rock, let alone a reunion with his old bandmates, his appearance at Jones Beach Theater instantly became one of the most talked-about classic rock moments of the year.

What Ritchie Blackmore Said About Rejoining Deep Purple Onstage

Blackmore revealed his plans ahead of the show, describing the appearance as something he wanted kept quiet beforehand. “Well, it is a secret, and I don’t want anybody to know, but I’m probably going up to do an encore with the band Deep Purple,” Blackmore said, referring to his former bandmates as “the old guys.”

He also detailed the modest gear setup he intended to use for the one-off appearance. “I’ll be using a small amplifier,” Blackmore said, signaling that the reunion was framed as a low-key encore rather than a full-scale return to the group.

Blackmore added that he had gone to unusual lengths to prepare for the performance, noting a guitar maintenance ritual he had not bothered with in decades. “I changed my strings on my Strat, which I haven’t done in over 25 years,” he said, underscoring just how rare and significant the occasion was for him personally.

FAQ

When did Ritchie Blackmore last play with Deep Purple before this reunion?

Ritchie Blackmore’s appearance at Jones Beach Theater was his first performance with Deep Purple since 1993, when he departed the band.

Where did the Ritchie Blackmore and Deep Purple reunion take place?

The surprise reunion happened at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York.

Did Ritchie Blackmore play a full set with Deep Purple?

No, Blackmore’s appearance was planned as a single encore performance rather than a full set with the band.

More Info

1. “Well, it is a secret, and I don’t want anybody to know, but I’m probably going up to do an encore with the band Deep Purple”: Ritchie Blackmore to play with ‘the old guys’ onstage for first time since ’93 (MusicRadar) https://www.musicradar.com/artists/ritchie-blackmore-to-join-deep-purple-onstage
2. Ritchie Blackmore Reveals Surprise Deep Purple Reunion Plans (Ultimate Classic Rock) https://ultimateclassicrock.com/ritchie-blackmore-deep-purple-reunion/
3. Ritchie Blackmore is planning on playing with Deep Purple tonight, an occurrence more rare than today’s total solar eclipse (Louder / Classic Rock) https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/ritchie-blackmore-to-play-with-deep-purple-for-first-time-since-1993
4. Ritchie Blackmore Confirms Deep Purple Reunion Plan For One Encore, First In 33 Years: ‘I’ll Be Using A Small Amplifier’ (Ultimate Guitar News) https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/ritchie-blackmore-confirms-deep-purple-reunion-plan-for-one-encore-first-in-33-years-ill-be-using-a-small-amplifier
5. Ritchie Blackmore to Reunite With Deep Purple on Stage After More Than 30 Years (Classic Rock subreddit) https://www.reddit.com/r/ClassicRock/comments/1vm7e61/ritchie_blackmore_to_reunite_with_deep_purple_on/
6. Ritchie Blackmore to reunite with Deep Purple for the first time in over 30 years: “I changed my strings on my Strat, which I haven’t done in over 25 years” (Guitar World) https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/ritchie-blackmore-set-to-perform-with-deep-purple-for-the-first-time-in-over-30-years
7. RITCHIE BLACKMORE Says He Will Perform With DEEP PURPLE For First Time In More Than Three Decades (Blabbermouth) https://blabbermouth.net/news/ritchie-blackmore-says-he-will-perform-with-deep-purple-for-first-time-in-more-than-three-decades
8. Ritchie Blackmore to reunite with Deep Purple on stage for first time in 33 years: For old times sake (Far Out Magazine) https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/ritchie-blackmorereunite-deep-purple-on-stage-first-time-33-years/
9. Ritchie Blackmore to reunite with Deep Purple onstage for the first time in 33 years (Google News) https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihAFBVV95cUxPVVdtVXJDRlhzUTR6U05KOWZqNHFwYUVfUWZsWGJZSjY5dExSZU9qcEwxRVZENy05bjA5YUpjTEtrVnZrOGoxUzMxcEI3ZDBFUE1iRWVVUHFKYXFvOXM4WHZQU1Z2azAtY2htMVdDbEd5UkdHcGMzUldQUHlQaENhcWxNeU0?oc=5
10. Ritchie Blackmore vuelve a tocar con Deep Purple esta noche (Reddit) https://www.reddit.com/r/u_LosMejoresRock/comments/1vm9nv5/ritchie_blackmore_vuelve_a_tocar_con_deep_purple/
11. Ritchie Blackmore vuelve a tocar con Deep Purple esta noche (Reddit) https://www.reddit.com/r/RitchieBlackmore/comments/1vm9od9/ritchie_blackmore_vuelve_a_tocar_con_deep_purple/
12. Ritchie Blackmore vuelve a tocar con Deep Purple esta noche (Reddit) https://www.reddit.com/r/DeepPurple/comments/1vm9o0g/ritchie_blackmore_vuelve_a_tocar_con_deep_purple/
13. RITCHIE BLACKMORE To Reunite With DEEP PURPLE On Stage For First Time In More Than 30 Years (Google News) https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuAFBVV95cUxOdUZ4MWRlU3lLMVdkTjZpNzM1MTRXRzVacldjeUxPRXVlN1c4ZjJNNkw5QWw4b01aNVFTMmFnSC02cGRoQVBfYzE0dXZvUXM5ZzN1SS1TUkd0YTdOLVNaQ2JNTk5LQTk3ZGxNRGR4U1BIRndnSm1HNWR5elRkcjRNaUdqOGM3TzNwR3lycVFuM1JfMklqeUJmX2FjX1JxYmpZRE1GdzFaMHhlS0t2SEtxY29tYU9fV1dp?oc=5
14. Ritchie Blackmore to appear with Deep Purple tonight! (Reddit) https://www.reddit.com/r/MetalForTheMasses/comments/1vm828j/ritchie_blackmore_to_appear_with_deep_purple/