Deep Purple aren't thinking about retiring now: "Dignity will stop us"

Deep Purple aren’t thinking about retiring now: “Dignity will stop us”

ByJohn

Shortly after making it known that he is losing his sight, and after the announcement of the tour which will also pass through Italy, Ian Gillan confirmed that Deep Purple have no intention of retiring any time soon. In a new interview with Jono and Nats of “The Big Breakfast” on Dubai 92, the singer was asked if “there is an end in sight” to the historic band’s six-decade career. As transcribed by Blabbermouth, Gillan responded:

“Nobody’s really thought about it deeply. We don’t talk about it all that often. And as life goes on, the end is closer than the beginning, that’s for sure. We all know that. But at the moment we’re getting a lot of joy out of what we do. I think the band has gotten younger since Simon McBride joined us. And so we’re aiming very far ahead. And you don’t make any long-term plans if you’re thinking of stopping. We’ll see what the future holds. I think human dignity will probably be the factor decisive. When you start to go out and embarrass people with your inability to do what you’ve done all your life, then it’s time to stop. But until that moment comes, we’re doing great. And the band is solid, bad and hungry now.”

Ian Gillan, who turned 80 on August 19, had previously admitted to “Uncut” that he wasn’t sure how long he and his bandmates would be able to continue performing live. “I only have 30% of my vision left. It won’t get better. It makes life mysterious. The hardest thing is working on the laptop. I don’t see anything on the screen unless I use peripheral vision; I read a line while looking at it from the side. But you find a way. You adapt. But it’s extremely tiring. It takes a long time to do anything.” Reflecting on the possibility of retirement, Gillan added: “I think if I lose my energy, I’ll stop. I don’t want to be an embarrassment to anyone. We’re not too far away. It gets to you little by little – you don’t really notice.”

Deep Purple will be in concert in Italy for the summer events scheduled for 16 July 2026 in Pisa in Piazza dei Cavalieri (as part of Pisa Summer Knights) and 17 July 2026 at Castello Carrarese in Este (PD), before playing atUnipol Forum in Assago Saturday October 17, 2026.

John
John

With an untamed passion and deep, eclectic knowledge of music, John is the soul of RadioWise UK. Having worked in the music industry for over two decades, his vision was to create a platform that embodies the love and respect for music. John is known for his great attention to detail and insatiable thirst for discovering new talents and music genres.