Biography

In the early 1970s the band was signed to play a one-night concert in Jakarta, Indonesia, which turned into a nightmare. The stadium they were to play in only held 25,000 seats, but the promoters sold 125,000 tickets. When fans who couldn't get a seat started to riot, the police and the army were sent in to put it down, and--according to the band--went wild, unleashing attack dogs on the crowd and beating and clubbing everyone in sight. In addition, the promoters told the band that they were also to play another concert the next night, which they had not been scheduled for (or paid for). As if that wasn't bad enough, they returned to their hotel and were informed that one of their bodyguards had been killed in an "accidental" fall down an elevator shaft. The band was suspicious because they had seen the bodyguard arguing with a local man earlier that day. When they went to the police and said they believed the man had been murdered, they found themselves arrested as accomplices after the fact to murder (which the police at first insisted hadn't happened). They were told that the murder charges would be dropped if they performed at their unscheduled, and unpaid-for, concert the next night. They agreed, but as a gesture of defiance they played the concert with their heads down, never once looking at or speaking to the audience.

Several members of the band have gone onto successful solo careers and careers in other bands. Ian Gillan formed the Ian Gillan Band, later simply called Gillan and briefly sang for Black Sabbath. Ritchie Blackmore formed Rainbow, David Coverdale formed Whitesnake and Roger Glover has produced albums for various artists, including "Sin After Sin", Judas Priest's first album on a major label.

Ian Gillan has been a member of the band at three different points of time--1969-1973, 1984-1987 and 1993-present.

The only member of the group to play on every album is drummer Ian Paice.

Ritchie Blackmore met Ronnie James Dio when Dio's band Elf served as the group's opening act. When Blackmore left Purple in 1975, he formed Rainbow around Elf, minus their guitarist.