It’s Ian Gillan’s birthday!
One of the gods of hard rock began his career in the business in the mid-60s when he joined the band Episode Six, replacing their original singer. This would be a recurring theme throughout Gillan’s career, as he left Episode Six to join Deep Purple in 1969 when they fired original lead singer Rod Evans.
Along with Purple, the band had a string of hits and albums that made them one of the dominant hard rock bands of the ’70s. With hits like “Smoke On The Water” and “Highway Star,” their album Machine Head became one of the most influential records in rock history.
In 1973, Gillan left the band after enduring too much trouble with Ritchie Blackmore. Ian went on to form his own solo bands, the Ian Gillan Band and Gillan, before accepting an invitation to join the legendary Black Sabbath following the departure of Ronnie James Dio. 1983 was to be a long year for Gillan as he recorded an album with Sabbath and attempted a tour, but the two sides just weren’t on the same wavelength and after the comical Stonehenge incident, which eventually influenced a legendary scene in the hit comedy This is Spinal Tap, Gillan reunited with Purple for two successful albums.
He returned to the group in 1993 and has remained their lead singer ever since. Ian Gillan is a major player in rock music and his career is one of the most successful in the business. With a string of hit albums and songs under his belt, his name is synonymous with the frontman of a band.
Happy birthday Ian, you are the highway star!
