He Didn’t Play By The Rules
It’s not surprising that the man behind one of rock’s most iconic riffs would have a healthy dose of main character energy. Enter Ritchie Blackmore: guitar god, chaos magnet, and the dark heart of Deep Purple and Rainbow. His musical genius is undeniable, but so is his flair for destruction.
Mix the two together and you’ve got a blur of bitter feuds, backstage (and onstage) brouhaha, and more than a few broken hearts.
1. He Was Born Into Chaos
Ritchie Blackmore’s life was destined to be a whirlwind from day one. He was born on April 14, 1945, in the English seaside town of Weston-super-Mare, just as WWII was sputtering to an end. The Germans had blitzed the town repeatedly for its aircraft production, and the scars were fresh. Fellow Weston native John Cleese once quipped, “You have to be subversive if you’re from Weston-super-Mare”.
Blackmore didn’t just turn out subversive—he turned rebellion into an art form and never looked back.
JazzFusionMaster, Wikimedia Commons
2. His First Guitar Came With A Warning
The timing was perfect: Post-WWII Britain was ready for rebellion, and so was young Richie. While his parents thought he was asleep, he would huddle in bed and listen to new rock and roll artists like Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley. Eventually, he pestered his dad into splurging on a guitar for him at age 11. The gift came with a warning, though: “If you don’t learn how to play this thing, I’m going to put it across your head”.
Ritchie took it seriously and spent the next year learning classical guitar, which would later serve him well. After all, knowing the rules just makes it easier to break them.
3. He Was Fueled By Failure
Blackmore’s school days were less coming-of-age and more Victorian horror show. In the headmaster’s office, the cane came down hard (and often), and things only got worse when he failed his 11-plus exam (the test that determined his academic future). His parents were devastated, and Ritchie felt like he’d been written off at the age of 11. It was a pivotal moment, but instead of crumbling, he made a vow: “I’m gonna show people, I’m gonna play the guitar really well”.
He nailed the guitar part. The rest of his life stuff? Not so much.
4. He Was A Ne’er Do Well
By 15, Ritchie Blackmore disappointed his parents further by dropping out of school. He went on to land a job as a radio mechanic and started moonlighting as a session guitarist. On paper, he looked like a classic teenage dropout. In reality, he was quietly building his new persona: half musician, half agent of chaos. When he joined a band called the Outlaws, they didn’t just play like rebels—they lived like them.
And then one odd incident sparked his lifelong path of destruction…
5. He Developed A Taste for the Outrageous
Blackmore’s appetite for destruction was whetted by a stale cheese bun—and it only got worse from there. While touring with the Outlaws, he hurled the old bun out of their van, and it smacked an elderly man square in the head. A delighted Blackmore escalated to a chunk of soap, which knocked a traffic director out cold. The authorities tracked them down for that one.
Of that incident, Blackmore’s bandmate said, “Ritchie didn’t really have any respect for anyone”. Well, that’s one way to put it.
Ferran Nogues, Wikimedia Commons
6. He Had A Malicious Streak
Blackmore’s obsession with the flinging of foreign objects intensified. He soon discovered that cutting a small slit into a two-pound bag of flour would cause it to burst all over the recipient on impact. Then he added eggs and tomatoes. His preferred targets? According to Blackmore himself, “old women in wheelchairs”. Yikes.
To make matters worse, the, ahem, uninsured van had a phone number on its side to promote the band. It didn’t take long for the authorities to catch up. The band landed in court, got hit with a hefty fine, and the judge barred one of Blackmore’s bandmates from driving for a year. It did nothing to slow them down.
Gladstone~dewiki, Wikimedia Commons
7. He Had The Tables Turned
During a high-stakes live recording session with producer Joe Meek, an unexpected type of disaster struck. As 17-year-old Ritchie Blackmore Blackmore was mid solo, Freddie Starr, a singer from another band, decided to pull a prank of his own. He dropped his pants mid-take…then tried to stick his junk into Blackmore’s ear. Unsurprisingly, Blackmore flubbed the solo.
Meek, unaware of the chaos (the studio had no windows), stormed in demanding an explanation. As Blackmore said, “This is getting to me. I’m 17 years old and people are sticking things in my ear”.
Joan Sorolla, Wikimedia Commons
8. He Was Hit With A Plot Twist
In the early 1960s, post-WWII Hamburg was Europe’s answer to Sin City—cheap booze, loud music, and no rules. Like the Beatles, the Outlaws found themselves gigging in the city’s wild clubs. It was there that Blackmore met Margrit, a blond beauty who swept him off his feet. It was a whirlwind romance, and after only a few months, Margrit had some life-changing news for Blackmore.
Helge Overas, Wikimedia Commons
9. He Moved Fast
All of a sudden, a lot was about to happen in Blackmore’s life. Example A: Margrit was pregnant. Bandmate Ken Lundgren believes that Blackmore’s parents pressured him into marrying as “Ritchie was too self-centered to want a family”. The low-key wedding was barely over before reality kicked back in.
That same night, the Outlaws had to rush off to a gig opening for the Rolling Stones. Things were changing fast for Blackmore. For the better? That was anybody’s guess.
Andrea Sartorati, Wikimedia Commons
10. His Family Life Was Already Falling Apart
In 1964, Ritchie Blackmore and Margrit welcomed their son Jürgen, but fatherhood didn’t exactly settle him down. Blackmore was constantly on tour, and Margrit, feeling abandoned, eventually moved in with his parents just to have some support. Jump cut to Ritchie living it up in the wild streets of Hamburg.
It’s not like he was looking for trouble, but trouble definitely found its way to him…
11. He Fell Head-Over-Heels
Now here’s a red flag: When the tour wrapped, Ritchie Blackmore didn’t go home. Instead, he stuck around Hamburg for a few more weeks, spending his nights carousing at the city’s hottest hangouts. That’s where he met Barbel Hardie. At first, she caught his eye. Then, when he found out she was an exotic dancer, he was hooked.
It was hardly a secret that Blackmore liked voluptuous women, and according to singer Neil Christian, Barbel “had the most massive pair of melons you’d ever seen!” Blackmore didn’t stand a chance. He fell hard—and fast.
W.W.Thaler - H.Weber, Hildesheim, Wikimedia Commons
12. He Went Missing In Action
The love haze took over Blackmore’s brain. He seemed to forget that he had a wife and child back in England—because he had been blinded by Barbel (AKA Babs, AKA one of the top exotic dancers in Hamburg’s red-light area). Meanwhile, Margrit and Backmore’s mother had no idea where he was. They were frantic.
Finally, in true mom-network mode, Blackmore’s mother phoned his bandmate’s mother and tracked him down. Cornered, Blackmore realized he needed to go back home and sort things out.
Dana Wullenwaber, Wikimedia Commons
13. He Was A Kept Man
Margrit finally faced the heartbreaking truth: Her marriage was over. Blackmore, on the other hand, dusted off his hands and beelined back to Babs in Hamburg. For about a year in 1967, he lived the carefree life of a man with no kids, no band, and no responsibilities, while Babs brought home the bacon. Or as Blackmore himself later put it, “All I did was live off immoral earnings and practice the guitar”.
But even this strange little honeymoon couldn’t last forever. Things were about to get loud.
Screenshot from Ritchie Blackmore: Guitar Gods, Shoreline Entertainment (2007)
14. He Had A Reputation
For all his bad behavior, one thing was undeniable: Ritchie Blackmore could play. His reputation as a guitar virtuoso had started spreading, and one man in particular took notice—Chris Curtis, drummer for the Searchers. After seeing Blackmore tear it up in Hamburg, Curtis became obsessed with starting a new supergroup with Blackmore on guitar and Jon Lord on keyboards.
Curtis was serious, too. He had financial backers lined up and started bombarding Blackmore with telegrams, begging him to come to England for a meeting. Eventually, it worked. But once Blackmore showed up, things took a turn.
Nick Soveiko, Wikimedia Commons
15. He Pretty Much Said, F Your Feelings
Ritchie Blackmore met up with Curtis, but it didn’t take long for him and Lord to realize something: Chris Curtis was too erratic (read: nuts) to lead anything. Still, the money was already on the table… After Blackmore and Lord realized they were on the same page, they made a cold-blooded move. They quietly edged Curtis out of his own band. Then, in a ruthless twist, they kept the financial backing.
Sure, it was cutthroat, but it was also kinda brilliant. For Blackmore, it was just the beginning.
Jack de Nijs for Anefo / Anefo, Wikimedia Commons
16. He Was A Force
After the betrayal, Blackmore did what he did best: moved on without a hint of remorse. Shortly afterward, Blackmore showed up on Jon Lord’s doorstep, guitar in hand, on a wintry evening. But the rom-com vibes don’t stop there. The two spent the night writing music, and Lord later said, “It was a wonderful evening. Right away, I felt that he wouldn’t suffer fools gladly, but it felt right. Ritchie seemed dark. He always seemed dark.”
By 1968, the band lineup was locked in. Then Blackmore made another power move: he suggested a new name. They called themselves Deep Purple.
17. He Was Ready To Go Hard
The original Deep Purple lineup cranked out three albums of psychedelic pop with a splash of prog rock, but Blackmore pushed for more. After hearing Led Zeppelin, he wanted to go heavier…even if it meant breaking hearts. Yet again, he and Lord plotted behind the scenes, this time to oust their lead singer. The new singer, Ian Gillan, brought his bassist and songwriting partner, Roger Glover. The songwriting was a much-needed plus, but it meant the band’s original bassist also got the axe too.
Deep Purple’s “Mark Two” lineup was born. With new blood, a harder sound, and a songwriting spark…things were about to get hot in more ways than one.
Gladstone~dewiki, Wikimedia Commons
18. He Had A Lot Of Nerve
Ritchie Blackmore married Babs in 1969, but by 1971, the marriage was toast—and just like the last time, he’d already moved on. While still technically married, he started seeing an American woman named Shoshana. But the real kicker? Blackmore filed for divorce on the grounds of Babs’s adultery. He even listed 16 names, including Keith Moon, Salvador Dali, and a handful of roadies.
Let’s be honest…If Babs had filed first, it’s safe to say that the list of women would have been much longer.
19. He Let Greed Lead The Way
As ruthless as Blackmore was, he had an ear for hits. The “Mark Two” era of Deep Purple delivered the band’s first number-one album, Fireball. When it came time to record the follow-up, they made a strange choice (not as strange as the Fireball album art, but still): a shuttered hotel casino in Switzerland. Why? In Blackmore’s words: “Money!” The band wanted to dodge the UK’s crushing income taxes.
Fate definitely has a flair for irony. If they hadn’t gone to that odd little casino, they never would have written the song that changed everything.
Screenshot from Fireball, Harvest Records (1971)
20. He Watched It Go Up In Flames
The story behind “Smoke on the Water”—Deep Purple’s signature song featuring Blackmore’s iconic riff—is pure rock legend. The band planned to record their next album in the Montreux Casino in Switzerland during its closure for winter renovations. But the night before, during a Frank Zappa concert, someone fired a flare into the rattan ceiling. Within minutes, flames engulfed the entire complex.
Deep Purple stood and helplessly watched the huge plumes of smoke billow across Lake Geneva. The song that came from the ashes would define their careers and go down in rock history.
Screenshot from Smoke on the Water (Live), Warner Bros. Records (1973)
21. His Classical Training Paid Off
“Smoke on the Water” took the world by storm, catapulting Deep Purple to full-blown rock royalty with paychecks to match. Funnily enough, Blackmore later claimed his famous riff was a nod to…Beethoven’s “Fifth Symphony”. Blackmore even joked, “I owe him a lot of money”.
Life lesson: Success seldom makes life easier. In Blackmore’s case, it made it combustible. The sold-out tours, screaming fans, and clashing egos turned the band into a powder keg. One that was about to explode in the most infamous moment of Blackmore’s career.
Screenshot from Smoke on the Water (Live), Warner Bros. Records (1973)
22. He Was Not Flexible
By 1974, Ritchie Blackmore wasn’t just a guitar god—he was a total diva. Deep Purple’s lineup had already shifted into “Mark Three,” but the real drama came at the 1974 California Jam, a massive televised rock festival. The plan was for the band to hit the stage at sunset to show off their full light show. But when earlier acts wrapped up ahead of schedule, producers asked Deep Purple to go on early—while it was still light out.
Blackmore’s response? Total meltdown.
Warner Bros. Records, Wikimedia Commons
23. He Was Full Of Great Vengeance And Furious Anger
Like an angry toddler, Blackmore locked himself in his dressing room when he didn’t get his way. As the network panicked, desperate producers called in the sheriff to drag him out. That’s when Blackmore suddenly had a change of heart….or so it seemed.
Mid-performance, Blackmore unleashed chaos. He smashed multiple guitars, hurled an amp stack off the stage, and then—because why not?—went for the cameras.
Screenshot from Ritchie Blackmore: Guitar Gods, Shoreline Entertainment (2007)
24. He Saved The Worst For Last
Ritchie Blackmore continued his spree of destruction. He slammed one of the network’s expensive TV cameras five times with a guitar, then ordered his roadies to rig a surprise pyrotechnic inside one of his amps. The result? Pure mayhem in the form of a huge, unexpected fireball. Before the network execs, fire marshals, and officers could grab him, Blackmore and the band jumped into a waiting helicopter.
They left behind a smoldering stage and a very angry TV network.
Screenshot from Ritchie Blackmore: Guitar Gods, Shoreline Entertainment (2007)
25. He Went Medieval
When Blackmore finally chewed up and spat out Deep Purple’s “Mark Three” lineup, no one blinked. But what did surprise people was when he picked up a cello and decided to start an entirely new band. In 1975, the humble and totally metal-sounding “Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow” was born. And he now had powerhouse vocalist Ronnie James Dio by his side.
This band leaned into medieval and baroque influences, but don’t let the harpsichords fool you…Blackmore had not mellowed out. Onstage, he was still as dangerous as ever.
Photobra|Adam Bielawski, Wikimedia Commons
26. He Went Medieval: Part II
Part of Blackmore’s main character energy was pure self-made legend. Rainbow singer Dio even said the song “Sixteenth Century Greensleeves” was a metaphor for Blackmore: He was the “black knight” who would occasionally emerge from his castle, capture a young peasant maiden, and basically wreak havoc for decades. Sound familiar?
This wasn’t the only part of his image he was working on—he had one more surprise in store.
Diego Torres Silvestre from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Wikimedia Commons
27. He Gave Himself A Glow-Up
Along with the new band came a new look for Ritchie Blackmore. At a Rainbow publicity photo shoot, his bandmates, who hadn’t seen him in a month, gasped when they saw his head. Turns out the guitar god wasn’t all swagger—he was secretly self-conscious about his appearance. So he got a hair transplant. The reactions were priceless. His bandmates thought it was hilarious—especially Cozy Powell, who ended up smirking in every photo.
Screenshot from Ritchie Blackmore: Guitar Gods, Shoreline Entertainment (2007)
28. He Defended A Damsel
By 1977, Blackmore had seen his fair share of chaos on tour, but the Vienna show that year was something else entirely. The crowd was buzzing, the energy was volatile, and the venue’s security detail, composed of local law enforcement, was ready to crack skulls. Mid-set, Blackmore spotted something that stopped him cold: A guard was repeatedly striking a female fan with a baton.
Without thinking, Ritchie kicked out in his direction—hard—and broke the man’s jaw.
Screenshot from Ritchie Blackmore: Guitar Gods, Shoreline Entertainment (2007)
29. He Learned The Austrian Authorities Don’t Mess Around
The moment after Ritchie Blackmore struck, the whole vibe changed. The house lights blazed on, exits slammed shut, and the guards actually released a pack of dogs into the crowd. The band’s team scrambled, feeding false leads to the authorities by claiming that Blackmore had fled to the train station. The real escape plan was pure rock and roll spycraft. Blackmore had hidden in an equipment case that was wheeled out by his crew.
Alas, one of the officers at the venue caught on, and a terrified Blackmore and his roadie spent the next four days locked up in an Austrian slammer.
Screenshot from Ritchie Blackmore: Guitar Gods, Shoreline Entertainment (2007)
30. He Made A Bold Move
In a story that gives hope to groupies everywhere, Blackmore’s next romance played out like a rock and roll fairy tale with a twist. His new love interest was a large-chested, Long Island doctor’s daughter who’d been dragged to a Rainbow show by her boyfriend. She ended up going backstage to meet Blackmore at her boyfriend’s urging. When she told him Blackmore wanted to see her again, the boyfriend said, “Go out with him then!”
She did. And it wasn’t too long before Blackmore moved to Connecticut, and in 1981, the pair wed. Spoiler: There was no happily ever after.
Screenshot from Ritchie Blackmore: Guitar Gods, Shoreline Entertainment (2007)
31. He Had A Big Mouth
Is Ritchie Blackmore difficult? Absolutely. Dangerous, cutthroat, and outspoken? You bet. But boring? Never. He had a habit of blasting people in interviews—no one was safe. Not the Rolling Stones, not Sting, not even himself. In one jaw-dropping interview, he spoke about his partner Amy Rothman and said, “Anyone who can stick with me for more than six months, I admire”.
He really should have stopped there.
Screenshot from Ritchie Blackmore: Guitar Gods, Shoreline Entertainment (2007)
32. He Said The Quiet Part Out Loud
Did Ritchie Blackmore think he was talking to a priest instead of a journalist? In that same interview, he launched into a brutal confession: “I love women. I love seducing them. I couldn’t begin to count the number of girls I’ve slept with…using girls, then dumping them. I’ve paid for it, though, with all the diseases I’ve picked up along with them.”
Even for Blackmore, it was a shocking level of recklessness.
Screenshot from Ritchie Blackmore: Guitar Gods, Shoreline Entertainment (2007)
33. He Was A Cover Star
Meanwhile, in Rainbow, things weren’t too sunny. While the group was recording their third album, Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll, tensions boiled over. One day, Ronnie James Dio and drummer Cozy Powell stormed into the studio, furious. Blackmore had just landed a solo cover on Circus magazine, even though the whole band had been at the photoshoot.
Dio jabbed Blackmore in the back and shouted, “We’re not standing for this! We’re not gonna be sidekicks!” From that moment on, the band’s days were numbered.
Geffen Records, Wikimedia Commons
34. He Had Creative Differences
During Rainbow’s US tour, Dio could see the writing on the wall. During a part of the concert where he and Ritchie Blackmore would improvise, Blackmore started playing bizarre chords, forcing Dio to awkwardly sing over them. Some nights, Dio would walk off the stage and say, “It was weird tonight, that means I could be gone, he’s got it in for me”.
Then came the final straw. Blackmore sent word through another band member (so mature) that he wanted Dio to stop it with the fantasy lyrics and start writing radio-friendly love songs. Dio’s answer? He walked.
Shadowgate from Novara, ITALY, Wikimedia Commons
35. He Had A Sixth Sense
Even without a lead singer, Blackmore did what he always did: power through. He cycled through more lineup changes, more tours, and cranked out four more Rainbow albums before finally disbanding the group in 1984. But while the band was falling apart, so was his third marriage.
After returning from a tour in Japan, Blackmore sensed something was wrong with his wife, Amy. When he confided in friend Stuart Smith, Smith agreed. They decided to do a little digging.
Nick Soveiko, Wikimedia Commons
36. He Played By His Own Rules
Ritchie Blackmore didn’t ask his friend Smith to spy on his wife, Amy, but when he asked if anything seemed off, Smith mentioned she seemed pretty close with a younger guy. That was all Blackmore needed to hear. He and Smith launched a stealth mission, followed Amy, and caught her red-handed. Blackmore filed for divorce immediately. The same man who bragged to the press about countless affairs clearly didn’t appreciate the tables being turned.
It was only going to get worse for Blackmore—since Amy brought her A-game to divorce court.
Screenshot from Ritchie Blackmore: Guitar Gods, Shoreline Entertainment (2007)
37. His Wife Was Tough
Amy wasn’t about to fade into the background like a forgotten groupie. When the divorce hit, she came out swinging by demanding a serious chunk of Blackmore’s fortune. The judge, a woman, reportedly quipped, “This girl thinks she’s married to Elton John, because she is trying to get millions”. Ouch.
We don’t know the exact payout, but Rainbow singer Joe Lynn Turner later admitted that the hefty settlement may have influenced Blackmore’s next move.
Ernst Vikne, Wikimedia Commons
38. He Got Back In The Saddle
In 1984, Ritchie Blackmore got back on the Deep Purple train—specifically the beloved “Mark Two” lineup. Why? Well, the promise of a massive paycheck helped. Don’t believe it? The reunion’s PR slogan was “Destiny brought them together again,” but Blackmore later confessed that “Destiny” should have been “cold hard cash.”
Strangely enough, his inspiration this time around was ABBA. He said he wanted to make music that appealed to people. It wasn’t long before the cracks started forming.
39. He Couldn’t Leave Well Enough Alone
The Deep Purple reunion started strong. The album was a hit, the tour was huge (second only to Springsteen), and fans were happy. But when they tried to chase 80s trends, everything fell apart. Not only did the fans hate it, but fights broke out over the band’s new direction, both within the band and with the label. Then, in true Blackmore fashion, he fired longtime vocalist Ian Gillan.
The label was livid. Clearly, the magic was fading fast.
Joan Sorolla, Wikimedia Commons
40. He Found Love In An Unlikely Place
At a charity football match between Deep Purple and a Long Island radio station, Ritchie Blackmore scored, but not in the way you might be thinking. After the game, a striking blonde caught his eye. She worked for the radio station—and she was stunning. As rock stars do, Blackmore sent one of his staff to invite her for a drink later that evening.
Her name was Candice. She was 18. He was 26 years older…
Screenshot from Ritchie Blackmore: Guitar Gods, Shoreline Entertainment (2007)
41. He Fell Hard
Despite the age gap, Ritchie and Candice clicked right away. But, as Blackmore was quick to point out, things stayed platonic for the first six months. When romance finally did spark, he claimed, “Then I knew she was the only one for me”. And could you blame him? Candice was a true Renaissance woman: she had studied singing, acting, and piano from a young age. She had also started modeling at the age of 12 under the name Candice Night.
Even better? She and Blackmore shared a deep interest in all things mystical and medieval.
Screenshot from Ritchie Blackmore: Guitar Gods, Shoreline Entertainment (2007)
42. He Had Dark Powers
That whole “spiritual connection” thing? It wasn’t just a pickup line. While on tour one time, Ritchie Blackmore set up an Ouija board in a hotel room and began contacting spirits. Some of his bandmates started to giggle, but Blackmore was serious. When one of them asked, “How are things back home?” The board spelled out that there was a health problem.
Later that night, the band member called home and learned that his mother had just been rushed to the hospital. No one laughed after that.
Screenshot from Ritchie Blackmore: Guitar Gods, Shoreline Entertainment (2007)
43. He Wasn’t All Bad
Despite his brooding “Black Knight” image, Blackmore occasionally showed a surprising touch of compassion. At a UK show in the early 90s, he noticed a group of fans in wheelchairs stuck in a partially blocked viewing area. Just before the encore, he told his assistant to get them up on stage.
One strong roadie later, the fans were up on stage blissfully wheeling back and forth beside Blackmore during the final blast of “Smoke on the Water”. For once, he had actually improved someone’s night instead of ruining it.
Screenshot from Ritchie Blackmore: Guitar Gods, Shoreline Entertainment (2007)
44. He Couldn’t Hide His Contempt
Deep Purple was still filling arenas in the 1990s, but behind the scenes, the tension was razor-sharp. Blackmore brought his usual fire to the stage, but Ian Gillan was falling apart. Years of partying had wrecked Gillan’s voice, and to make matters worse, he kept forgetting lyrics. Blackmore wasn’t exactly subtle about his displeasure.
One night, he taped song lyrics to Gillan’s mic stand to humiliate him right before a big show.
Aleksey Chalabyan Xelgen, Wikimedia Commons
45. He Took The Low Road
During the tour, Ritchie Blackmore wasn’t hiding his disdain for Gillian—he worked it into the show, turning it into more of a cage match. During one performance of “Smoke on the Water,” Blackmore discreetly switched guitars mid-song…then smashed one to bits just inches from Gillan’s feet, forcing the singer to jump back..
It was petty, it was ruthless, and it was only the beginning.
Screenshot from Ritchie Blackmore: Guitar Gods, Shoreline Entertainment (2007)
46. He Went From Purple To Pagan
By 1993, Blackmore did what he always did when things didn’t go his way. He bailed. He reformed Rainbow after a 12-year break, releasing their eighth album featuring, naturally, another new lineup. Fun fact: No two Rainbow albums had the same band members.
But something else was shifting. Blackmore had moved in with Candice Night on Long Island, and they started making music together. In 1997, they formed Blackmore’s Night (get it?), blending Renaissance music, folklore, and mysticism. Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull declared that Candice had brought out the pussycat in Richie—he wasn’t the only one who felt this way.
kitmasterbloke, Wikimedia Commons
47. He Did A 180
People couldn’t believe the change. Once known for smashing guitars and storming off stages, Ritchie Blackmore now seemed…peaceful. His longtime production manager, Raymond D’Addario, said, “It was almost like the weight of the world was lifted off [Ritchie’s] shoulders and he could just relax”. Blackmore himself admitted that he hasn’t forgotten rock ‘n’ roll, but “this is the path I hope to be on for the rest of my days”.
He gave full credit to Candice for the transformation. Maybe the Black Knight really did have a heart after all.
kitmasterbloke, Wikimedia Commons
48. He Was A Wholesome Headbanger
Turns out, Ritchie Blackmore didn’t spend all his time brooding in castles or torching amps. “I love to exercise, kick a ball around, and play soccer,” he once said. “The average day would be waking up with my cats: I love animals. Tuning into Europe, trying to find any soccer games that are on”. Former Rainbow drummer Bobby Rondinelli said, “Ritchie can be one of the funniest guys on the planet…He’s also a guy that helped create a style of music”.
A wild card. A pioneer. A cat guy. Who knew?
49. He Cast A Long Shadow
Sure, it’s easy to focus on Blackmore’s chaos, but ignore his talent at your peril. His influence runs deep, and the list of artists who worship him is long. Phil Collen of Def Leppard saw Blackmore live at 14 and instantly knew, “That’s what I want to do for a living”. Bryan Adams saw Deep Purple in Canada in the 70s and later said, “No matter how fast I tried to make my fingers go, it never made sense like Ritchie Blackmore”.
And Metallica’s Lars Ulrich said, “Blackmore epitomized this fascination I had with the bare essence of rock ‘n’ roll, this element of danger”.
50. He’s Still The Star of His Own Show
With Candice, Ritchie Blackmore didn’t just change his music—he changed his entire life. After a 15-year engagement, they married in 2008 and had two children. Candice joked, “He’s making me younger and I’m aging him rapidly,” but time has definitely caught up with the guitar legend. In 2025, just after turning 80, Blackmore suffered a heart attack and continues to battle back pain, arthritis, and gout. Touring isn’t easy for him, but he’s still doing it, with shows booked into 2026.
Even now, the Black Knight rides on.
kitmasterbloke, Wikimedia Commons
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