Ian Gillan
| Ian Gillan | |
|---|---|
Ian Gillan live with Deep Purple in the music festival Músicos en la naturaleza 2013, in Hoyos del Espino, Spain
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| Background information | |
| Born |
19 August 1945 Chiswick, London, England |
| Genres | Hard rock, heavy metal, blues rock, progressive rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, harmonica, guitar, drums, percussion |
| Years active | 1962–present |
| Labels | Independent |
| Associated acts | Episode Six, Deep Purple, Ian Gillan Band, Gillan, Black Sabbath, Gillan & Glover, WhoCares |
| Website | gillan |
| Notable instruments | |
| Voice | |
Ian Gillan (born 19 August 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. He originally found commercial success as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple.
Initially influenced by Elvis Presley, Gillan started and fronted several local bands in the mid-sixties, and eventually joined Episode Six when their original singer left. He first found widespread commercial success after joining Deep Purple in 1969. After an almost non-stop workload, during which time he recorded six albums in four years, and problematic relationships with other band members, particularly guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, Gillan resigned from the band in June 1973, having given a lengthy notice period to their managers.
After a short time away from the music business, he resumed his music career with solo bands the Ian Gillan Band and Gillan, before a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath. He rejoined a reformed Deep Purple in 1984, but was fired in 1989. He rejoined the band for a second time in 1992 for their twenty-fifth anniversary, and following the recruitment of guitarist Steve Morse in 1994, has helped transform the group into a regular touring outfit, which he has fronted ever since.
In addition to his main work—performing with Deep Purple and other bands during the 1970s and 1980s—he sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, performed in the charity supergroup Rock Aid Armenia, and engaged in a number of business investments and ventures, including a hotel, a motorcycle manufacturer, and music recording facilities at Kingsway Studios. More recently, he has performed solo concerts concurrently with his latter career in Deep Purple, and his work and affinity with Armenia, combined with his continued friendship with Tony Iommi since his brief time in Black Sabbath, has led him to form the supergroup WhoCares with Iommi. His solo career outside of Deep Purple was given a comprehensive overview with the Gillan's Inn box set in 2006.
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