Rod Evans

Rod Evans
promo photo, during 1968-1969
Background information
Birth name	Roderic Evans
Born	(1947-01-19) 19 January 1947 (age 70)
Origin	Eton, Buckinghamshire, England
Genres	Psychedelic rock, progressive rock, hard rock
Occupation(s)	Singer, model, physician
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1959–1973, 1980
Associated acts	Deep Purple, Captain Beyond, The Maze, The Horizons, Bogus Deep Purple

Roderic Evans (born 19 January 1947) is an English former singer. In the late 1960s he began his professional career in The Maze, formerly MI5, after which he was a member of the original Deep Purple line-up who produced three studio albums with a more progressive and pop driven sound. After recording a solo single, he was a member of the original Captain Beyond line-up, who produced two studio albums. After a legal struggle with Deep Purple in 1980, Evans turned reclusive and disappeared from public life.

Evans was born in Eton, Buckinghamshire. He played together with drummer Ian Paice, in The Maze, formerly MI5. He was also in a band called The Horizons in the mid 1960s. Reports state that Evans also worked as a male model around this time. He was tall and had good posture.

Evans and Paice were original members of Deep Purple when they formed in Hertfordshire in 1968. The most recognised song recorded with Evans singing is "Hush", which reached No. 4 on the US Billboard charts in October 1968. After recording three studio albums, he was dismissed in 1969. His departure from the band was in part due to Evans' desire to move to the United States.

In 1971, Rod recorded a solo single for Capitol, titled "Hard To Be Without You" (b/w "You Can't Love A Child Like A Woman"), then went on to form Captain Beyond, along with former Johnny Winter drummer Bobby Caldwell, former Iron Butterfly bassist Lee Dorman and guitarist Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt, who also was part of the last incarnation of Iron Butterfly.

Evans left Captain Beyond and the music business after their first two albums. He then became a director of respiratory therapy at a western American hospital until 1980.

In 1980, Evans was approached by a management company which specialised in questionably-reformed bands with well-known names, and he began to tour under the Deep Purple name accompanied by former members of Steppenwolf and unknown session musicians. The line up was Rod Evans (vocals), Tony Flynn (guitar), Tom de Rivera (bass), Geoff Emery (keyboards), and Dick Jurgens III (drums), son of famous big band leader Dick Henrey Jurgens.