Ritchie Blackmore | Guitar World

Deep Purple almost lost the legendary Smoke on the Water riff because of armed police storming their studio

By Matt Owen published 13 March 23

Despite having a self-imposed 10pm noise curfew while recording in Montreux's Pavilion, the band continued playing until four in the morning – and the resulting “racket” riled up some unhappy locals

Ritchie Blackmore based Smoke on the Water on a classical masterpiece – and the riff’s roots might surprise you

By Matt Owen published 13 October 22

The Deep Purple legend divulged the origin of the riff in an interview back in 2007. But was he telling the truth?

Get to the roots of Eddie Van Halen’s groundbreaking playing with this lesson on his biggest influences

By Phil Short published 27 May 22

In six immersive studies, we approach Eddie’s playing style from the perspective of the players he idolized

Ritchie Blackmore performs with Deep Purple at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on March 14, 1991

Ritchie Blackmore: "It's much easier to flow across the strings on a Gibson. Fenders have more tension, so you have to fight them a little bit"

By Mordechai Kleidermacher published 14 April 22

In this classic 1991 GW interview, the Deep Purple guitar hero chats about his whammy bar violence, his switch from Gibsons to Strats, and why he thinks Smoke on the Water has endured as a rock classic

Ritchie Blackmore’s hometown refuses blue plaque, but campaign finds a way

By Matt Parker published 2 March 22

Blackmore’s birthplace now bears an inscription in his honor

Legendary music photographer Ross Halfin has announced a huge new Ritchie Blackmore book, limited to just 400 copies

By Matt Parker published 27 September 21

Running to more than 300 pages, the book collects together hundreds of unpublished images from the guitarist’s time with Rainbow in the early 1980s

Petition launched for Ritchie Blackmore’s hometown to honor the guitarist with historic blue plaque

By Matt Parker last updated 2 March 22

The petition seeks to pay homage to the Deep Purple and Rainbow guitar hero in his native Weston-super-Mare

How to play blues like Ritchie Blackmore

By Richard Barrett published 6 August 21

This solo workout goes deep into Deep Purple MkII-era Blackmore and unpacks his electric blues style in detail

Catalinbread Ritchie Blackmore-inspired pedal boxset

Catalinbread unleashes Ritchie Blackmore-inspired double-pedal boxset

By Matt Owen published 24 June 21

These trippy-looking offerings aim to sound as good as they look by way of period-accurate appointments and like-for-like preamp and treble booster circuitry

Ritchie Blackmore wields his Fender Strat once more on bluesy Blackmore's Night instrumental, Der letzte Musketier (The Last Musketeer)

By Sam Roche last updated 17 March 21

The Deep Purple legend offers up some tasteful electric blues lines in this cut taken from the band's new album, Nature's Light

How to play guitar like 7 Fender Strat icons

By Chris Bird published 17 November 20

Master the tones and techniques of 7 legendary Stratocaster players

Steve Morse says he combined Ritchie Blackmore and Joe Satriani's playing styles for his first Deep Purple gig

By Sam Roche published 5 October 20

"That's what I brought – to make the other guys feel comfortable," the shredder recalls

Ritchie Blackmore and William Shatner team up to cover B.B. King’s The Thrill is Gone

By Michael Astley-Brown published 26 August 20

The track will appear on Shatner’s forthcoming star-studded album, The Blues

Watch Ritchie Blackmore and Deep Purple perform in New York in 1973

By Damian Fanelli last updated 14 April 20

See the band's classic Mark II lineup at the peak of their powers

Adrian Smith on Iron Maiden’s three-guitar line-up: “If you had three Yngwie Malmsteens, it would have been a fight after about five minutes”

By Richard Bienstock last updated 25 February 20

The guitarist opens up about transforming the band into “Lynyrd Maiden”

Ritchie Blackmore, David Gilmour, Brian May and Others Play "Smoke on the Water" in 1989

By Christopher Scapelliti published 19 July 19

One of the greatest guitar hero gatherings of all time.

Listen to a New Song from Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, “The Storm”

By Richard Bienstock published 17 May 19

The track was originally recorded by the guitarist for his folk-oriented project, Blackmore’s Night.

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow Premiere Updated Version of "Black Sheep of the Family"

By Jackson Maxwell published 26 April 19

"Black Sheep of the Family"—itself a cover of a 1970 track by Quartermass—was recorded by the original incarnation of the band for their self-titled 1975 debut album.

Watch Eddie Van Halen Play Ritchie Blackmore Riffs

By Damian Fanelli published 28 January 19

Some rarely seen footage of Eddie Van Halen backstage playing some of the riffs that influenced him the most.

Ritchie Blackmore Shows Off His Favorite Guitars

By Damian Fanelli published 8 November 18

Ritchie Blackmore exhibits his collection, and discusses the arduous process of scalloping his fretboards.