Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore is reportedly experiencing “quite a few medical issues,” according to his wife, musician and bandmate Candice Night.
“Believe it or not, this man, it's April, and his birthday is coming, so he's going to be 80 in on April 14th, which is mind boggling, because he doesn't look and he certainly doesn't act it still,” Night tells Eonmusic.
“He actually had a heart attack about a year and a half ago, and he's got six stents in his heart at this point. And we're battling arthritis and some gout issues, and he's still got his back problem that he's had, so travel is difficult for him because of all that sitting.”
Night also mentions how, for Blackmore, “standing on stage, even standing with the guitars is tricky,” and that he was warned by his medical team not to fly – which hinders potential touring plans beyond the U.S.
Blackmore's Night, the husband-and-wife folk-rock project the two have together, still managed to tour over the past couple of weeks, with dates in Rhode Island and New Jersey, and upcoming dates in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York State.
Night clarifies that they're still playing shows “anywhere we can drive to”, concluding that she's putting “positive energy, out there in the universe, and hope that maybe we can get him back on there.”
Back in 2016, Blackmore had a frank conversation about the strain of touring and the steps he was taking to minimize its impact on his health.
“Optically, I’m deteriorating very fast, as we all are,” the guitarist had said. “All my friends are passing away. Some of my enemies are passing away, too. But we try and keep up with it.”
He had also commented on Deep Purple's relentless touring schedule back then, asserting that “personally, they’re milking it a bit too much.”
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