Ritchie Blackmore America Online Chat 1999 OnlineHost: Welcome to America Online's premiere showcase for live events! AOL Live can accommodate thousands of guests and is the place to meet personalities ranging from film and TV celebrities, sports stars, best-selling authors and more! Each event is led by MCs to guide you through the event. OnlineHost: From the audience you can "talk" to members in your "row." Text typed in your "row" is prefaced by the row number you're in, shown in parentheses preceding your text. The MCs and guests onstage cannot see your text unless the row "chat" is "broadcast." Try it. You can't break anything! OnlineHost: Want to simply watch the discussion onstage and not the chat in your rows? Here's how! Click on the "Who's In My Row?" button then click on the "Turn Chat Off" button. To re-activate chat in your row, simply click on the "Turn Chat On" button. OnlineHost: To interact with those onstage, click the "Participate in Event" button. Select either "Ask a Question" or "Send a Comment." Please be aware that it may not be possible to address all items sent to the stage due to time constraints. Questions or comments not relevant to the event will not be used. AOLiveMC1: Hello and welcome, Ritchie Blackmore. Thanks so much for joining us! Ritchie Blackmore: Hello,it is nice to be here or there or wherever I am! AOLiveMC1: lol AOLiveMC1: Let's go right to our audience questions... Question: How do you feel about re-entering the music world? Ritchie Blackmore: I was not aware that I left, but it is always interesting when you are a musician because people think you are not around or doing anything, since you aren't on the TV or radio. I am just as busy as I have always been, so I am not re-entering anything. Question: Ritchie Blackmore, do you think the day will come when you join Deep Purple again? Thanks for all the great years of music. Ritchie Blackmore: I don't think so because we made a lot of good music and that was in the early 70's I would never go back in the studio but would do a weekend with them for nostalgic reasons. AOLiveMC1: Oh, that would be great! Ritchie Blackmore: To play the good old songs with a fantastic band. AOLiveMC1: :> Question: Having just finished the European tour, are there any plans to bring Blackmore's Night to the States? Ritchie Blackmore: Yes, definitely, that is what we are working on at this moment, we have a lot of interest, more than we anticipated. Looks like the East coast, West Coast, Phoenix and Colorado in Sept or October. AOLiveMC1: Is there a webpage where people can check out your tour schedule? Ritchie Blackmore: Yes there is but I am going to have to ask AOLiveMC1: Okee dokey.... :::waiting:::: Ritchie Blackmore: someone to give it...www.ritchieblackmore.com AOLiveMC1: :> AOLiveMC1: Thanks Question: Ritchie can you tell us a little something about California Jam 1974 where you were the 7th group to perform? Ritchie Blackmore: I wasn't counting at the time, all I do remember was, we had a contract to go on at 10 at night, so I decided to go to see the other bands, at 7:30. All of a sudden I was told I was on in half an hour...about 8:00. It took everyone offguard, there was a bit of an arguement about when we were going on. We were a little annoyed that we had to go on a little early as we were not warmed up. We did go on about an hour later, after they wanted us to. So that was our introduction to the California Jam. We were not psycyologically ready to play. I know that I wasn't. That can happen a lot, though. The show went well, considering. I am a firm believer in the audience getting their money's worth, so I had an argument with a cameraman who was getting in the audience's way. That caused a stir and then there the fire that broke out. I had organized it to pour petrol on my guitar, but my roadie was new and put too much petrol on the guitar... so it blew up the whole stage. It deafened one of the cameramen. Luckily, we all escaped injury and then I had to jump into a helicopter to escape being locked up for arson. AOLiveMC1: What a night! Question: When you write lyrics, how do you try to teach the youth or society? Ritchie Blackmore: I never write lyrics, I only write the music and cord progressions. The lyrics I leave to whoever the singer is at the time, as with Candice Night. I made an attempt with "Under the Violent Moon" OnlineHost: In case you've just joined us, we are chatting with Deep Purple's guitarist and co-founder Ritchie Blackmore. Question: Are you planning any other projects with Ian Anderson? Ritchie Blackmore: Not as yet. There are rumors that we might tour together, but we haven't really solidified the arrangement. Ian has always been a big hero of mine since 1974 since I saw him playing. Question: I have heard you are VERY into the medieval and Renaissance influences and you live in a castle with your beloved. Do you create and record your music there? Ritchie Blackmore: Yes, a castle is what you make it. Everyone has their own castle, your home is your castle. We live in a nice house on the water, not a castle. I am interested in Medieval and Renaissance music and have been following that music for 25 years now, although I haven't played it until the last 5 years. I don't listen to Rock and Roll music that much, although I used to play it a lot. AOLiveMC1: That's really interesting. Question: What kind of acoustic guitar do you play now? Ritchie Blackmore: I play three types of acoustic, a Lakewood, Aldereg, and a Fender. Alverez, that is. Question: Mr. Blackmore, did you ever play with or have anything to do with Led Zeplin? Ritchie Blackmore: Not that I am aware of. I used to know Robert very well and John Bonner would come to our rehearsals and sit in on drums, but I never pllayed with the band. Question: RiTchie!!! You ROCK!!! I especially like the music that you did with Ronnie James Dio. I know that MANY people would love to see you and Ronnie make some more music together.....Is there any chance that this could happen in the foreseeable future TeRRy Ritchie Blackmore: Ronnie is a brilliant singer and we often dump into one another, on the road, and we think about doing things together but he is into his projects and I am into mine. I don't think it will happen, however it would be the same thing as Deep Purple playing. Question: What ia your favorite Deep Purple song? Ritchie Blackmore: I would have to say I think Child in Time, that was on Deep Purple Rock 1970. Not a lot of singers could do what our singer did at that time and it was a very different song, not a typical rock song. Question: What was your embarassing moment on stage? Ritchie Blackmore: Probably too humorous to mention. But one that come to mind: In 1968, in LA, we were all nervous and had too much to drink, I ran out on stage and fell into the audience! The audience thought it was part of the AOLiveMC1: Yikes! Ritchie Blackmore: act, but it wasn't. I had to be pushed back on stage with my pants ripped, and my underwear hanging out. There have been many other embarrassing situations, AOLiveMC1: Oh my! Poor Ritchie! Ritchie Blackmore: too many to go into. Question: Hi Ritchie, I think you are one of the greatest guitarist ever. Who was your biggest influence when learning to play? Ritchie Blackmore: I had many, thank you very much! It was someone like Tommy Stelle, who is English, when I was first starting to play at the age of 11. Then Big Jim Sullivan, Hans Marvin, Buddy Holly, Wayne Eddy, Rhinehardt, and then James Durkin and Scotty Moore. These were some of my influences for the first 12 years, after that there have been many guitar players and I sometimes forget the 40 or 50 who influenced me. Today I am impressed with Leo Kottae as well as Gordon Cilltrap and Martin Simpson, John Van Born. These are players that I find very credibly proficient on the guitar. As well as the best guitarist I think living is John Williams. I could go on all night! AOLiveMC1: Thank you, Ritchie, for chatting with us this evening. Good luck with "Blackmore's Night!" And thanks to our audience members for joining us and sending in such great questions. Ritchie Blackmore: Thank you very much! AOLiveMC1: And thanks to our audience members for joining us and sending in such great questions. Good night! OnlineHost: Thank you for joining us! 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