RIP Jon Lord (Deep Purple, Whitesnake)

[Bonster]

RIP Jon Lord. Thanks for highly influential music with Deep Purple.
One of very few who had the balls to put a distortion box on his keyboards (as a back up "guitar" of sorts for Ritchie Blackmore).


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18864409


Deep Purple's Jon Lord dies at 71


Jon Lord, the former keyboard player with heavy rock band Deep Purple, has died aged 71.

Lord co-founded Deep Purple in 1968 and co-wrote many of the group's songs including Smoke On The Water. He also played with bands including Whitesnake.

He had been receiving treatment for pancreatic cancer since last August.

He died at the London Clinic on Monday, surrounded by family, a statement said. "Jon passes from Darkness to Light," it added.

Lord was influenced by classical, blues and jazz but played his Hammond organ with a rock attitude and helped Deep Purple become pioneers of progressive and heavy rock.

Tributes have been paid by musicians including one-time Deep Purple bandmate Joe Satriani, Iron Maiden and Anthrax.

Ex-Rage Against the Machine star Tom Morello wrote on Twitter: "RIP the great Jon Lord, Deep Purple's cornerstone/keyboardist. So many great great songs and that incredible SOUND of his! Thankyou."

Former Yes keyboard player Rick Wakeman was a friend and said he was "a great fan".

"We were going to write and record an album before he become ill," he said. "His contribution to music and to classic rock was immeasurable and I will miss him terribly."

Born in Leicester, Lord learned classical piano at an early age before being seduced by watching early rock 'n' roll star Jerry Lee Lewis and jazz organist Jimmy Smith.

He could have chosen a career as an actor after receiving a drama school scholarship, but started playing in pub bands including short-lived outfits with future Rolling Stones star Ronnie Wood and his brother Art.

He also worked as a session musician and is thought to have played piano on The Kinks' hit You Really Got Me.

After meeting guitarist Ritchie Blackmore through another project, the first incarnation of Deep Purple was born.


Lord's Concerto for Group and Orchestra was performed at the Royal Albert Hall in 1969

Lord's classical influence surfaced when Lord composed Concerto for Group and Orchestra, which the band performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in 1969.

But the group refined their heavy rock sound and found mass success at the start of the 1970s with albums including Deep Purple in Rock and Machine Head.

In their classic years, the band also included Blackmore, singer Ian Gillan, drummer Ian Paice and bassist Roger Glover.

Lord continued to compose classical works alongside the group's output and, when they split in 1976, he joined other groups Whitesnake and Paice, Ashton and Lord.

Deep Purple reformed in 1984 and resumed at the height of their commercial prowess, playing to tens of thousands of fans around the world.

They sold a total of 150 million albums and Lord remained an ever-present amid numerous line-up changes until he left in 2002.

Still composing, he had signed to a classical music label and performed a concert to mark the 30th anniversary of Concerto for Group and Orchestra.

"Thirty years later the piece came back and changed my life again... It gave me the courage to step outside and carve a career for myself outside the band," he told an interviewer.

He broke the news of his cancer diagnosis on his website last year, telling fans he would continue to write music as part of his therapy.


Jon Lord co-wrote many Deep Purple hits including Smoke On The Water

[mustang54]

  Got a call this afternoon from a freind who knows that Deep Purple is my all time favorite band. I was shocked at the news. I knew he was being treated for cancer but read he was doing quite well and booked a couple of shows this fall. Its a sin this man and Purple are not in the rock in roll hall of shame. Thats what I call it because Purple and a few others have been overlooked for so long while one hit wonders and bubble gum groups and artists are put in. Most of the 80's bands have said Purple was a huge influence on them. Alot have said when you mention Led Zeppelin and Sabbath as the biggest influences in metal you have to include Deep Purple. By far one of rocks greatest live acts ever. Especially if your ears needed a good cleaning. RIP Jon and thanks for all of your great work.

[Bonster]

Total sham.  I have no desire to visit that joke. 

[mustang54]

Total sham.  I have no desire to visit that joke.

What are you talking about?

[Bonster]

Total sham.  I have no desire to visit that joke.

What are you talking about?

The Hall of Shame!

[scottymac]

Well the Sox game is going off for tonight and we'll be going through the 'Shades 1968-1998' anthology in the backyard tonight.

Knew he was sick, but hadn't heard anything for awhile.

Cheers mate. Thanks for all the killer music.

NP: Lazy (live). - killer organ solo.

[mustang54]

Total sham.  I have no desire to visit that joke.

What are you talking about?

The Hall of Shame!

Kind of figured thats what you meant. Just dug out my most prized part of my Deep Purple collection my autographed copy of their "Who Do We Think We Are" album and will give the neighbors a taste of how loud they were live! BTW Bonster it was signed in 1985 at one of your Mrs. favorite places. The UIC Pavillion! LOL

[scottymac]

Mustang, I was there too in '85. Perfect Strangers tour - I think they did two nights? I was in about the 15th row center. 2nd loudest concert I was ever at. Ironically the loudest was a couple years before that, and of all places UIC, and with Gillan on vocals for Sabbath! Purple was on fire that night. I am glad I went to that one stone cold sober, as I wanted to really take in all the musicianship of the MK II reunion lineup. Man, did Lord rock that Hammond that night. And Blackmore.....I'm glad I have the memories of him playing loud heavy rock. That Blackmore's Night crap don't cut it for me (saw them once.........once).

Anyway, cheers and thanks again Jon. It would be cool to think Lord and Dio were up (wherever) jammin' and having a pint!

[mustang54]

Mustang, I was there too in '85. Perfect Strangers tour - I think they did two nights? I was in about the 15th row center. 2nd loudest concert I was ever at. Ironically the loudest was a couple years before that, and of all places UIC, and with Gillan on vocals for Sabbath! Purple was on fire that night. I am glad I went to that one stone cold sober, as I wanted to really take in all the musicianship of the MK II reunion lineup. Man, did Lord rock that Hammond that night. And Blackmore.....I'm glad I have the memories of him playing loud heavy rock. That Blackmore's Night crap don't cut it for me (saw them once.........once).

Anyway, cheers and thanks again Jon. It would be cool to think Lord and Dio were up (wherever) jammin' and having a pint!

You are correct it was two nights. February 16th and 17th. If you want to bring back that awsome night I have both nights on live cd's. If you would like I would be more than happy to BURN copies for you. I wish I would have seen Gillan with Sabbath. You are really lucky to have seen them. I've been reading statements on Jons death today. Check out the one by Lars on Metallicas web site. Its like he read Bonsters post from yesterday and chose to elaborate even more.

http://www.metallica.com/news/20120716-news.asp

[scottymac]

Mustang, may take you up on that offer - thanks.

Say what you will about Lars, he's very passionate about his chosen art and who blazed the trail before him. He also penned (IMO) the most eloquent eulogy about Dio a couple of years ago.

[mustang54]

Mustang, may take you up on that offer - thanks.

Say what you will about Lars, he's very passionate about his chosen art and who blazed the trail before him. He also penned (IMO) the most eloquent eulogy about Dio a couple of years ago.

I always found it interesting to listen or read interviews with bands who made it in the 80's on who inspired them. All pretty much credited Zep,Purple and Sabbath as their heroes.