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• Deep Purple is a hard rock band that hail from London, England. Over the course of a career that spanned over four decades, they went through numerous lineup changes and sold over 100 million albums worldwide. Their most famous song, "Smoke on the Water," is acknowledged by many critics as having one of the most recognizable guitar riffs of all time. Richie Blackmore, the band's original guitarist, became a major influence on many guitar players after him, particularly in the metal world.

  After a breakup period from 1976-1984, Deep Purple started touring again. After Blackmore left in 1993, he was replaced by Steve Morse (formerly of the Dixie Dregs and Kansas) after a brief stint with Joe Satriani filling in on guitar.

  Some of Deep Purple's other hits include "Highway Star," "Hush," and "Space Truckin'."

• Fast Facts

  1. Formed: Hertfordshire, England
  2. Years active: 1968–1976 & 1984–Present
  3. Debut Album: Shades of Deep Purple
  4. Initially named: Roundabout
  5. Opened for Cream in their last tour of the '60s

• Current Members

  • Don Airey
  • Ian Gillan
  • Ian Paice
  • Roger Glover
  • Steve Morse

• Related Mahalo Pages

  AC/DC | Aerosmith | Alice in Chains | Bad Company | Black Sabbath | Iron Maiden

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