Steve Morse to step down from touring!

[Charger]

Just in!

Steve Morse is going to step down from touring with Purple due to his wife having cancer!

https://deeppurple.com/blogs/news/deep-purple-statement

Statement from Steve Morse:

Hello, everybody. I've just done a few gigs with the band, after years (!?) of not playing live. It's a bittersweet, wonderful time to get together.

However, my dear wife Janine is currently battling cancer. At this point, there are so many possible complications and unknowns, that whatever time we have left in our lives, I simply must be there with her.

I am not leaving the band - I hope that after she gets a clean bill of health, I can re-join the tour. However, I am not seeing any likely situation which would allow me to do overseas touring in the immediate future. I continue to be privileged to be a part of the Purple family tree, and also to get to feel the amazing support of so many loyal fans and the rest of the band.

There's a certified world class guitarist ready to take over for the live shows whom everybody will surely be happy to hear.

I appreciate all your sincere prayers for Janine and thank you all.

Steve Morse

Very sad news...stupid cancer!

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Sad news but completely understandable. Let's hope that all clear is quick to arrive.


Very criptic about his stand-in, I wonder if it's Richie... 

[Charger]

Nothing cryptic about it...

It's Simon McBride who has played with both Ian's and Don's solo bands among other things.

[Zzzptm]

That's some hard news for Mr. Morse, but I know he's doing the right thing.

[Charger]

First show with Simon McBride was last night in Tel Aviv Israel where they played for the first time ever!

And Ian Gillan is turning 77 in just 3 months!! Can't believe how good he sounds still...incredible!

[Zzzptm]

McBride sounds a LOT like Tommy Bolin, wow...

[Charger]

Here's LAZY from Istanbul!

It's so good to see the guys having fun on stage still after all these years...they're not just going through the numbers like stick figures (like a certain other band recently) but actually PLAYING the songs with emotion!

[Zzzptm]

Just talking about DP from the other thread of yours, Charger, and this guy McBride is so much like Bolin... I'd recommend you go to YT and check out tracks of Bolin doing Mk2-Mk3 material live, you'll have a vibe a lot like this. The Les Paul instead of the Fender is one difference, but so is the approach to playing rhythm and not just hitting single notes while Jon Lord does all the work. EVERY guitarist other than Blackmore did their work playing proper rhythm guitar... Ritchie showed up for the solos for sure and it was hit-and-miss if he was gonna riff with the rhythms.

[Charger]

Yeah that's one of the things I hate about Ritchie...for him it was always like it was beneath him to play rythm cause he's so great he don't need to play rythm.

I love the old Ritchie but that's one of the things that I hate. But that's Ritchie...if he didn't have center stage he didn't bother stepping out at all!


I need to check some Bolin stuff out then I think...

[Zzzptm]

Bolin's solo work is also amazing. Both Teaser and Private Eyes are strong hard rock albums.

[Charger]

Steve has been forced to make the difficult decision to step down from the band all together because of his wife's ongoing battle with stage 4 cancer....

https://www.loudersound.com/news/steve-morse-to-step-away-from-deep-purple-permanently-band-pay-tribute?utm_content=classic-rock&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&fbclid=IwAR3MZOLxlVWazZ2_vADcYnK4TvxHiPWWBgpHuLH69QOtkK--8VdDZZ27-dE

Stupid cancer...that's all I can say...

Must be extremely hard for sure...

[Zzzptm]

That's hard to have to face, but family comes first for him, and I respect that.

[Charger]

Simon is now an official member!!!

Following the news in July that Steve Morse will be stepping back from the band, after more than a quarter of a century, Deep Purple announce that, following an abundant Summer of touring, Simon McBride will join the band permanently.

Collectively, the band stated “We are thrilled that Simon has agreed to join.  Simon’s playing is up there with the greats.  Of course, Steve can’t be replaced, the same as Ritchie, and Steve has a long legacy with Deep Purple.  In Simon we have not found a replacement, but an extraordinarily talented and exciting guitarist in his own right.  The reception from audiences over the Summer has already been great and we are looking forward to the forthcoming dates in the UK and Europe across the rest of the year.  It is clear that Simon also holds great respect for those before him.  We are all excited for what the years to come hold for the band.”


Simon stated “I'm very happy to be asked to join the band, at the start of the pandemic if someone would have said to me that I was going to be the new guitarist in Deep Purple I would have just laughed, but here we are and it's happening. Deep Purple has a history of great guitarists so I’m very honoured to be asked to be part of that. They are all amazing musicians and more importantly, I have become very good friends with the guys so I can't wait to continue touring and even perhaps some writing and recording.”

[Zzzptm]

Looks like he did well on his internship.

... and did he mention maybe another album?

[Charger]

He did...and I hope they do another one...they've been on fire in the studio lately!

I was just listening to my new Purple collection in my car and All I Got Is You came on and that song just gets better and better everytime...dare I say it is SUBERB...yes...yes I dare.