He pursued a nomadic career until 1967, when he met organist Jon Lord. The
following year saw the birth of Deep Purple, which, along with Led Zeppelin,
laid the foundations of hard rock. The adventure lasted until 1975, when Ritchie
Blackmore, known for his terrible temper, left the band. He joined a second-rate
American heavy metal gang, Elf, replaced all its members except the singer
(Ronnie James Dio), and renamed it Rainbow, making it one of the leading bands
on the hard rock scene until the mid-80s. Rainbow didn't survive the temporary
reconstitution of Deep Purple, who reco...