Richard Hugh Blackmore is a brilliant British guitarist. He not only performs, but also writes songs himself. Blackmore was one of the first to introduce elements of classical music into blues rock.
Ritchie Blackmore's biography: childhood
Richard Hugh Blackmore was born April 14, 1945 in the English resort town of Weston-super-Mare, located on the coast of the Bristol Gulf. In two years, Richard moved with his parents to Heston (a suburb of London). His father worked at Heathrow, London Airport. He worked in a team laying stripes for aircraft. My mother had a small shop of her own.
At school, Richie studied without zeal, but in sports he achieved a lot. Most of all he was able to swim and put the shot, but still got a javelin throw. In connection with serious achievements in sports, Richard wanted to be included in the England team, but he did not pass by age.
How Richie Blackmore's passion for music came about
At the end of the 50s. in London, musical life was in full swing. Thanks to television, which began broadcasting the first pop shows, Ritchie Blackmore first heard rock and roll. Most of all he was struck by the performance of guitarist Tommy Steel. Blackmore immediately borrowed a friend’s guitar for a while and tried to start playing. And although nothing happened right away, he realized that it was his passion.
The first steps to fame
After some time, his father gave him a used acoustic guitar, which he bought for seven pounds. At first, Richie studied the classic game for a year, studying the basic rules. It was Richie Blackmore's first guitar. Most blues guitarists played with just three fingers. Richie learned to use all ten.
Over time, Blackmore remade his first musical instrument to an electric guitar, adding a speaker and amplifier. With the help of his brother’s friends, he met Jim Sullivan, who was considered one of the most respected guitarists of the 60s. Grinding his workmanship, Richie worked out for six hours daily. During this time, he developed his own unique style, combining rock and classic.
The first performances of Blackmore and the creation of his group
The first ensemble in which Blackmore played was organized in 1960. At this time, Richie worked as a radio mechanic at Heathrow Airport. Having accumulated money, he bought a new electric guitar for 22 pounds and worked with a local group for a while. Then he decided to create his own team. This became the first Richie Blackmore band that he created.
Since school, Blackmore has been friends with Mick Underwood, who had a real drum kit. He invited him to his group as a drummer. Then he scored the rest of the participants. The group did not exist long and soon broke up. After that, together with Mick, Richie joined the band The Satellites.
In May 1961, Ritchie Blackmore saw an advertisement for a guitarist job in one of the popular bands called The Savages. There he first met with David Satch, with whom he subsequently often intersected in work. He came to the audition with his girlfriend and father. But, despite the obvious talent and virtuoso passages, Richie was not taken into the group due to the fact that he was only 16 years old. After a year, Blackmore still took to The Savages. Despite his young age, Richie already had his fans. The group spent several months on tour in Australia and Scandinavia. Combining work with show business became increasingly difficult, and Richie quit in 1963.
The growing fame of Ritchie Blackmore
In 1965, Richie was invited to work in the group The Crusaders. It was led by singer Neil Christian. Before the advent of Blackmore, the guitarist in the group was Phil MacPill. But before Richie appeared, he disappeared without a trace. Blackmore did not work long in the group and returned back to The Savages. But he didn’t stay there either due to aggravated relations with leader David Satch. Ritchie Blackmore left the band in three months. It was followed by bass player Aivis Anderson and drummer Tornado Evans.
All three went on a temporary tour in Germany with another group. After completing the contract, they remained in Germany and began performing at a music club in Bochum, forming their own group, which they called Three Musketeers. But after a while, the administrations ceased to like noisy performances, and the contract with the musicians was terminated. In the spring, all three returned to England. After the arrival, Richie wrote a song that fell on the 14th place of the hit parade. Richie's fame began to grow. They started talking about him not only as a virtuoso guitarist, but also as a composer.
Blackmore Depression Period
After returning to England, Richie did not stay there long. He again decided to return to Germany and replaced several groups there. But, disappointed, seeing that this could go on indefinitely, and there was no progress, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore decided to interrupt his musical career for an indefinite time.
In the afternoon he walked aimlessly through the streets of Hamburg, in the evenings he played scales in his hotel room, preparing for the final exam at the conservatory, where he entered several years ago. In 1967, Richie returned to England, passed exams at the conservatory, received a diploma, and again left for Germany.
Blackmore's return to the music world
Returning to Germany, Ritchie Blackmore spent days honing his skills. This continued until he received a telegram from London with an offer to join Deep Purple and accepted the invitation. This group soon became one of the most famous, and Richie began to be called the gloomy and incomprehensible king of hard rock guitar.
Richie's style was distinguished by its personality. According to him, during the concert he does not listen to other guitarists, dissolving in the sounds of his own instrument. Apparently, Richie's unusual playing style was influenced by his love of string music (specifically, played on the violin and cello). A significant role was played by education received at the conservatory. But Richie felt uncomfortable in the group, as if something was missing, and after a while the musician left her.
Secret dreams
Richie Blackmore's biography abounds with a multitude of groups, from which he left and returned again. One of them was Deep Purple, which he left in 1975. Blackmore left for New York and invited several musicians from the Elf band to organize their own band. They agreed and named their Rainbow team. In the same year, the group released their first album. And over time, internal conflicts began to arise in Rainbow.
In an interview, Blackmore admitted that, leaving Deep Purple, he wanted to create something new, where he could breathe easier. As a result, he again found himself in the same tension from which he was trying to escape. And due to the growing popularity of Rainbow, it has only intensified.
Richie shared with reporters and his desires. It turned out that at home he most often listens to Bach. Richie would like to play classical music, but at concerts she seems boring. It lacks a bit of joy, a sense of celebration. And in rock and roll it is present. He dreamed of creating something in between, a new direction, but so far failed.
A new round of Blackmore music
Richie left Rainbow and for some time periodically returned to the groups in which he performed earlier. Despite the successes achieved, in 1997 he decided to create a new Blackmore´s Night project with his wife. The idea came about thanks to the music that Richie heard while touring Germany. A group of musicians played medieval music on ancient instruments. Ritchie Blackmore’s musical ear helped him find the highlight that was required to create a musical masterpiece.
In the home studio, he himself recorded all parts of keyboards, drums, etc. As a result, an unusual album was obtained. An original cocktail from various medieval music, in which there is passion, romanticism, pathetics and mysticism with the addition of sounds of electric and acoustic guitars, string old melodies and the charming voice of Blackmore's wife performing the song. The project still does not lose its appeal.
