Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan joined BBC Radio for an interview during which he commented on the effects aging have had on his vocal capabilities.
Ian Gillan is a singer and songwriter mainly known as Deep Purple’s lead singer and lyricist. Before joining the band, he formed and fronted several bands in the mid-1960s but achieved commercial success after becoming a Deep Purple member in 1969. After resigning from the band in June 1973, Gillan took a break from the music business.
He then resumed his career with solo bands and appeared as Black Sabbath’s vocalist in 1983. Deep Purple reformed and released two albums the following year, but Gillan left the band in 1989 to rejoin in 1993. Ian Gillan has remained Deep Purple’s lead singer since then. Apart from that, the musician has also contributed to several other projects, and the 76-year-old musician is still eager to make musical efforts despite his age.
In an interview by BBC Radio, the interviewer asked Ian Gillan about his energy levels considering his age. As a response, Gillan implied he does fitness to prepare for Deep Purple’s shows and stressed that physical strength is important for a singer. Following that, the musician said his voice is working in the studio, but he doesn’t know what will happen on stage.
The interviewer asked Ian Gillan:
“The last time we spoke, we were talking about the dreaded aging process, and I remember you humorously said to me that you walk down the road and listen for a clank to see what’s dropped off next. How are the energy levels?“
Gillan then responded:
“Well, there’s only so much you can do to prepare for a Deep Purple show, and fitness is one thing. Of course, strength, it’s all diaphragm for a singer, it’s pretty physical, so we shall see when we get up there – when we get the stage running.
Throughout my life, it’s taken four or five concerts to get up to speed with the stamina for a show. I’m normally on my knees by the encore, but we’ll see. Nothing else has really changed, so the voice is working in the studio, but that’s a different thing altogether. I don’t know, to be honest, we’ll see.“
You can listen to the full interview below.
