Ritchie Blackmore’s relentless pursuit of perfection made him one of rock’s most uncompromising figures. Throughout his years with Deep Purple, he was often the driving force behind the band, calling the shots and even removing members who didn’t meet his standards. With nine different versions of the band over the years, it’s clear Blackmore’s exacting nature frequently clashed with others, and when things couldn’t be fixed, he would simply walk away.
Blackmore’s influence shaped much of Deep Purple’s signature sound, especially his love of classical music. While this didn’t always translate directly into the band’s heavy rock style, it informed their song structures, giving them a sense of complexity and grandeur that few hard rock bands could match.
Yet classical music was never an easy path for Blackmore. In a 1998 interview with Fuzz, he admitted that he initially tried to pursue it seriously as a young musician. “I did, for about nine months to a year,” he said. But the intricate compositions quickly became overwhelming. “It got me off on the right foot, but I found it a little bit too boring. It’s also very difficult to play… playing ‘Gavotte’ by Segovia was not music for me then. I got through the first page and thought, ‘Mmm – that’s enough… it’s too difficult for me.’”
Even though Blackmore eventually abandoned the idea of becoming a classical musician, his appreciation for the genre never waned. That early exposure shaped his approach to composition and helped give Deep Purple its unique sound. Without Blackmore’s fascination with classical music, the band might never have achieved the epic, layered style that made them one of the most untouchable forces in hard rock history.
