Ex-Vixen frontwoman Janet Gardner had an interview with Appetite for Distortion and talked about her favourite group for which Vixen opened. Janet almost immediately answered:
“That’s a tough one ‘cuz we opened for some amazing bands but I have to say Deep Purple was my favourite. I stayed every night and watched them.”
She continued by describing how she would watch Deep Purple every night, and what she thinks of the band members. She also revealed one of her favourite singers:
“I would take turns; I’d go behind Jon Lord one night and watch him, then I’d go to the other side and watch Ritchie Blackmore, then I’d sit behind the drum and watch Ian Paice, Joe Lynn Turner was singing for them at the time who was one of my all-time favourite singers. So, that was probably the most exciting and I couldn’t wait to talk to them, they’re all amazing. Not only amazing musicians but [also] really interesting, cool people.”
Gardner also mentioned that this situation was unusual and it was almost a dream coming true:
“So it was great to kind of get to know them and watch them play every night. I don’t think I missed a night! And that’s rare, usually, once in a while you’re like tired, ‘I’m not gonna stay and watch tonight, I’m gonna go back to the hotel and sleep.’ I just couldn’t stop watching them. I’d go to the soundboard for a while, I was all over the place, and it was just amazing. It was one of those childhood dreams that you would never imagine. It’s like ‘I actually know the guys in Deep Purple! What?!’ Who gets to do that?”
Vixen’s success peaked from 1987 to 1992, when they opened for many musicians, and groups like KISS, Deep Purple, Scorpions, Cher, Ozzy Osbourne, and such. After her final departure from the band in 2019, Janet decided to continue her life as a dental hygienist, although she still makes music with her husband Justin James.
You can watch the whole interview below.