Ian Gillan - The Deep Purple Voice

Ian Gillan nasceu no Chiswick Maternity Hospital, em Hounslow, na Inglaterra. Seu avô materno, Arthur Watkins, era cantor de ópera profissional, um barítono educado em Milão. Vive com Bron, com quem se casou três vezes - a primeira quando o Deep Purple estava gravando o disco Perfect Strangers. Gillan convivia com Bron desde 1982 e deste relacionamento nasceu sua única filha, Grace, ao final de 1983. Seu apelido mais famoso é Silver Voice ("Voz de Prata"). Indicando assim seu grande potêncial vocal. Gillan é considerado um dos maiores cantores de heavy metal de todos os tempos. Ficou em 4° numa eleição da rádio digital Planet Rock, e em 43º na revista espescializada em heavy metal Hit Parade. 

Algumas lendas sobre Gillan dão conta de que ele usava calças apertadas para potencializar os gritos de "Child in Time", e que cantava nu em estúdio, durante as gravações, para se sentir à vontade (viria daí o apelido Naked Thunder, citado na música "Hungry Daze", do disco Perfect Strangers, do Deep Purple, e nome do álbum solo lançado em 1989/90).

After leaving Deep Purple in June 1973, Ian Gillan had retired from the music business to pursue other business ventures, including motorcycle engines, a country hotel / restaurant (with a guitar shaped swimming pool), and ownership of the Kingsway Recorders studio, where from April 1974 he began to work on his first post-Deep Purple solo tracks. These ventures all except the recording studio ended in failure. This fact, combined with a warm reception to his guest appearance at Roger Glover's Butterfly Ball live show at the Royal Albert Hall, London, on 16 October 1975 (he sang "Sitting in a Dream" as a substitute for Ronnie James Dio, who was banned by Ritchie Blackmore to take part in it) prompted him to resume a singing career and form a new band.

Initially called Shand Grenade, a combination of Shangri-la and Grenade, Gillan was persuaded by the management to change the band's name to the Ian Gillan Band. He recruited guitarist Ray Fenwick, bass player John Gustafson, keyboard player Mike Moran and Elf percussionist Mark Nauseef on drums. Using Roger Glover as producer and session musician, this line-up recorded their first album Child In Time in December 1975 / January 1976. In February 1976 Moran was replaced by Micky Lee Soule (ex-Elf and Rainbow), but for the recording of follow-up album Clear Air Turbulence he was dropped in May 1976 in favour of Colin Towns. The band had some success in Japan but none at all in North America and only cult status in Europe, their jazz fusion direction unappealing to pop and rock fans alike. Their next album, Scarabus (1977), had more of a rock sound but retained the jazz fusion direction. Released at the height of punk rock, there was no success beyond Japan and their label Island Records dropped them...

Palhinha:

Child In Time (1976)

Clear Air Turbulence (1977)

Alternative Link

Band:

- Ian Gillan - vocals

- Colin Towns - keyboards and flutes

- John Gustafson - bass and vocals

- Ray Fenwick - guitars and vocals

- Mark Nauseef - drums and percussion

- Phil Kersie - tenor saxophone (02)

- Martin Firth - baritone saxophone

- John Huckridge - trumpet

- Derek Healey - trumpet

- Malcolm Griffiths - trombone

Scarabus (1977)

Alternative Link

Gillan - The Japanese Album (1978)

Gillan - Glory Road (1980)

Gillan - Future Shock (1981)

Gillan - Magic 1982 

Accidentally on Purpose (1988)

Ian Gillan – lead vocals, harmonica
Roger Glover – bass, keyboards, guitars, programming
Additional musicians
Ira Siegel, Nick Maroch – guitars
Lloyd Landesman – keyboards
Dr. John – piano
Andy Newmark – drums
George Young, Joe Mennonna – saxophones
Randy Brecker – flugelhorn
Vaneese Thomas, Christine Faith, Lydia Mann, Bette Sussmann – Background vocals

Naked Thunder (1990)