Glenn Hughes recently shared his uncomfortable experience attending the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction of his former band, Deep Purple.
During a Q&A event in Sydney, Hughes talked about being inducted into the Hall of Fame with Deep Purple. He spoke about feeling a lack of warmth from the other band members during the event. “There was no, ‘How are you tonight?’ None of that. There was no family vibe, there was no hugging, there was no handshaking, there was no, ‘How’re you doing, pal?’ None of that. And it was f*cking uncomfortable. Let me tell you, it was uncomfortable.”
Hughes went on to explain that after the ceremony, he wanted to congratulate Gillan with a hug, but Gillan extended his arm to keep him at a distance “’cause he did not want me to get near him.” Hughes said that the incident “really upset me to the point of tears.”
“So I grabbed him… and said to him, ‘Oh sh*t.’ I can’t tell you what I said, but I thought it was very f*cking stupid to do it on live TV where you have to show resentment or whatever you wanna call it. I was really upset. It didn’t make me angry. It really hurt my feelings. Why did he do that? I don’t know,” he added.
Hughes had previously shared his thoughts on Deep Purple’s Rock Hall induction in an interview with Guitar Interactive Magazine this past June. When asked if he had spoken to any of the other current or former band members who were inducted that night, except for Coverdale, Hughes gave a firm response. “No. I will never speak to any of them again — simply because they were rude. Both Roger [Glover] and Gillan were rude to David and I. Very, very hurtful. I didn’t give a f*ck, actually, ’cause I knew they were rude to begin with. I was the only sober man there.”
Hughes went on to explain his feelings about the interaction with Gillan during the induction ceremony: “I don’t care about those guys. Gillan was rude to me on stage accepting the award. I went to congratulate him. He looked at me in the eyes like I didn’t exist. The guy has a problem with me. Period. I’ll let him run with it. I feel bad for him. I’m really sorry about his wife [Bron Gillan, who passed away in November 2022, reportedly after a long illness]. I’ve tried to reach out to him. He doesn’t wanna know. I’ve tried to make some kind of friendship with him over the last 40 years. He doesn’t wanna know. David Coverdale and I don’t exist to him.
“I wish him only the very best, but I have no time left for that behavior,” Hughes added.
Deep Purple’s first three lineups were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, including founding members Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Paice, Jon Lord, along with various singers and bassists: Rod Evans, Gillan, Roger Glover, David Coverdale, and Hughes.
During the ceremony, acceptance speeches were given by Gillan, Glover, Paice, Coverdale, and Hughes. Following their speeches, the then-current lineup of Deep Purple — Gillan, Glover, Paice, guitarist Steve Morse, and keyboardist Don Airey — took the stage and performed a short set. The setlist included classic tracks such as ‘Highway Star,’ ‘Green Onions’ with an image of Jon Lord projected behind them, ‘Hush,’ and ‘Smoke On The Water.’
