Ritchie Blackmore Returns To Deep Purple After 33 Years For ‘Smoke On The Water’

After more than three decades apart, Ritchie Blackmore finally shared the stage with Deep Purple again. The guitarist joined his former bandmates at Jones Beach Theater on Wednesday night, where he helped the band tear through its signature song, “Smoke on the Water.”

Blackmore co-founded Deep Purple in 1968 and remained with the band through several of its most celebrated eras before departing in 1993. Wednesday’s appearance marked his first performance with the group since his exit 33 years ago.

Deep Purple performed “Smoke On The Water” with Blackmore towards the end of their 16-song concert at the Wantagh, New York venue. Blackmore started the 1973 single by playing its iconic riff and later shredded a solo.

“A couple of days ago I got a message from a local lad… saying ‘I only live around the corner, do you mind if I come and jam with you?’ It was an absolute pleasure to have back on stage the founding member, the great legend, the immortal Ritchie Blackmore,” singer Ian Gillan said after the performance.

“Thanks, Ritchie. It was a great pleasure. I’ll see you in the bar.”

Watch fan-shot video of Ritchie Blackmore reuniting with Deep Purple for “Smoke On The Water”:

“Well, it is a secret and I don’t want anybody to know, but I’m probably get up and do an encore with the band Deep Purple,” Blackmore announced on Tuesday via Instagram ahead of the show at Jones Beach. “But you can’t tell anybody, and I know that this is gonna be kept a secret. And will it? I suppose so.”

“So, that’s gonna be interesting,” Blackmore added. “I have not played rock music in 25 years, actually. It’ll be good to see the old guys again. I think we’ll all be on crutches and wheelchairs and things, although I think the rest of them are okay. But, yes, it’s kind of frightening. I haven’t played rock in 25 years… I’ve been playing acoustic guitar for 25 years, and at first I was very uncomfortable playing it, but I got used to it, and now I’m used to playing the acoustic more so than the electric.”

Blackmore has been dealing with several health issues over the past few years, which made his reunion with Deep Purple all the more special. “I did have my injection in my lumbar area. It’s a special injection i have that enables me to stand in one spot, because if I’m playing a Strat, i have a hard time… I have four herniated discs, if anybody wants them. And I had my injection yesterday of a steroid which helps me get through standing on stage. But I have kind of a stool there, just in case I start toppling over or something,” the guitarist said on Instagram.

While it doesn’t appear Blackmore will perform again with Deep Purple any time soon, the Jones Beach collaboration showed anything can happen.