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Testimonials - page 4

Guntis un Skaidrite, lutheran pastor, Latvia:
My first time with Lord and Purple was in the early 70s when I purchased my first tape recorder. I was born in Latvia, behind the iron curtain where DP became a symbol of the freedom still so far away. I never forgot Lord's organ intro to Speed King... That was the first time I heard it in my small room and it stayed etched in my brain forever. I remember In Rock - from another tape, which was a copy of another tape, etc. - typical for those times under Soviet regime. The general sound was terrible of course but the intro sounded good enough to understand - the classics goes into the hard rock ocean, being swallowed up but still there showing the right way. The organ prepared the storm. Thank you, Jon.

Rob Walton, UK:
A huge wave of sadness came over me when I heard Jon Lord was leaving Deep Purple. This man along with four other musicians helped make my teenage and adult years a joy. The solo in Flight Of The Rat still to this day makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. A shame we never got to hear it live. The song Bad Attitude helped me during the death of my best friend when I was 16 - it was exactly how I was feeling at the time and it reached me at a time when words didn't. For that I am grateful. Jon’s warm presence on stage will be greatly missed and I will never forget the second night at Brixton Academy in 1993 when he and Ritchie were on fire. So many wonderful memories. My sadness was lifted today when I read he is going to contribute to the new album and plans to finish the UK shows. Maybe a nice idea to invite Ritchie along as a special guest? I sat behind Jon during the Concerto 1999 at RAH - a truly amazing night. To see so much genuine love for the man (and the band) in one audience was very special. Jon, I wish you all the best. Thank you for all the years.

Alistair Tait, Orkney Isles, UK:
Jon Lord is one of the greatest musicians around today and he has given me many enjoyable hours of listening. He is also the good owner of some of the best facial hair in the whole world of rock! Jon Lord has gained shit loads of support from tons of people around the world. I am a 17-year-old Deep Purple fan and reckon that Jon Lord is Deep Purple and Deep Purple is Jon Lord. If you read this Jon, please come to the Orkney Isles just off the top of Scotland and jam with me!

Blaze, Germany:
Nie zuvor gab es einen Mann, der so mit Gefühl und Herz an den Tasten einer Rockband sass. Wenn man zurück denkt an die alte Zeit, die fantastischen Auftritte in Europa, in Japan u.s.w treibt es mir Tränen in die Augen. Jon ist ein so großartiger Mann, ich bewundere ihn seit ich ihn das erste Mal an seiner Hammond sah. Für mich ist er das grösste Vorbild was ich in meinem Leben kennengelernt habe. Jon prägte eine ganze Ära der Musikgeschichte. Mir und uns allen wird er sehr fehlen. Es ist traurig aber wir wissen ja das es ihn noch gibt und müssen nunmal seine Entscheidung akzeptieren. Viel Glück und danke für alles Jon.

Danni Rivkin, Haifa, Israel:
Jon is that unique spice that made Purple different from anything else. No one could immitate the exact sound or touch of the intro parts of Child In Time from Made In Japan or the thinking and style behind the keyboard work of Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming. The energy that flies from his keboards into crowds everywhere is audible on every live recording and I certainly felt it standing beneath him at the shows in Isreal. I'm a guitar player but I have learnt so much from Jon (even more than from Ritchie). There is always a new thing to learn from Jon’s work although it is sometimes quiet and hidden behind everything else. Good luck Jon, the memories and the music keep hanging on.

Åke Nordh, Stockholm, Sweden:
My very best memories of Jon are from the reunion-tour 1985. They played three nights here in Stockholm, and I was at every one of them. Jon’s solo spots in Difficult To Cure were the highlights for me, especially the Saturday gig. To hear that Hammond roar and scream and moan at a painful volume is something I'll never forget for as long as I live. But the Gothenburg show in April 1975 at the Scandinavium also lingers in my mind - the intro to You Fool No One was just awesome. I have grown up with Purple (I'm 43) - Jon is the Maestro, and I have learnt to play keyboard because of him. I have a plug-in for CuBase which is a Hammond, it's called B4, and a couple of the presets are called Lord and Hush and Purple.

Antonio Visona, Italy:
Good bye, Jon. You are a part of the history of music, and I cried when I heard that you've left Deep Purple. Thank you Jon!

Wolfgang Fritschen, Cologne, Germany:
Tschüss, Jon Lord! Schade, dass du Deep Purple verlassen hast. Ich kenne DP erst seit 1998, und finde sie cool. Ich bin 16 Jahre alt und das beste Solo ist für mich das in Child In Time. Bye Jon.

Pietro, Italy:
There are no words to express the sadness with which we heard the news - me, Eva and little Maila of 18 months old, who is growing up listening the music of Pictured Within. We are hopeful, waiting to see Jon again, thinking this event is only a dream.

Mimi, Germany:
After 34 years of Deep Purple I think it is understandable that Jon wants to do something else. To me personally it is not surprising that he left. I thought about him leaving when I first heard Pictured Within and then again last summer when he missed a whole lot of the tour. If he doesn't have fun on stage with Deep Purple anymore it is better for everyone that he left because to me that's what making music is about: having fun. Good Luck Jon with whatever you want to do. And last but not least good luck, Deep Purple! Go on being the best band in the world, ok?

Mark Hodgetts, Australia:
I've had the great fortune of seeing Jon play with Purple four times. Twice in 1984 and then again in 1999 and 2001. Each time I thought it would be the last time and each time he blew me away. The man has been an essential part of Purple forever. He is an icon. I will miss his presence within the band terribly. But life (and Purple) goes on. All creative people have to be true to themselves and what they want to achieve. It would appear that Jon has a greater passion now for some solo projects. Good luck to him. He has established himself in the pantheon of great rock musicians and will always be the keyboard player in any hypothetical greatest line up. I wish him well.

Craig Henshall, UK:
Way back in the mists of time, I was lucky enough to meet Jon backstage after a Whitesnake show. Whilst the rest of the band signed autographs, I spied my chance and grabbed a quick word with the Maestro. As a budding keyboard player myself and an enthusiastic fan I blurted out the most original question of all time "I play in a band Jon, have you got any tips?" He smiled and shook my hand, "Don't worry," he said "by shaking hands, perhaps I've put a hex on you and you'll never play the right notes again!" Most people listening to me play now would probably agree with his words but, I didn't wash my hand for a week and have cursed my youthful exuberance ever since for not asking a more sensible question. I am saddened by Jon's decision but wish him every success for the future and, if he is able to play on the next album, as a swansong, then I will be forever in his debt. And if he chooses to produce more orchestral work or songs of the calibre of the haunting Wait A While, then he will go down in history as one of life's true gentleman - there's not many of us left. We wish him well.

Paul Hackett, Gillingham, Kent, UK:
For me, Jon Lord was the heart of Deep Purple. The greatest keyboard player of all time. His solo on Rat Bat Blue leaves me speechless every time I hear it and Lazy was always a highlight when I saw the band live. I will miss him greatly but am sure his new ventures will be very interesting.

Matthew Norman Hedley, UK:
Although I have really good memories of JL from the early 70s until the Nottingham gig this year, the outstanding one was the sheer look of joy on his face the second night at the RAH, after what must be THE performance of the Concerto. I will long treasure that moment.

Ylva Söderfeldt, Sweden:
I was very disappointed when I learned about Jon's departure. I've seen Deep Purple live twice, both times last summer when he wasn't there. I feared then that I would never get to hear him with Deep Purple (or at all), and I was right. My favourite Deep Purple song is Highway Star, and it feels so sad that I will never hear him play it.

Marco Pulles, Holland:
I just played the Total Abandon DVD and I can't possibly imagine what the sound will be without that explosive playing of Jon. He filled in the gaps graciously and sometimes took the lead. A great loss. And I had the impression that he was well aqainted with Steve Morse.

Hugo Fabian Brasesco, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina:
Hola: Me llamo Hugo, tengo 30 años y soy un gran fanático de todo lo referido a Deep Purple desde mi juventud. Soy de Rosario, Argentina, y relamente me conmovió mucho la noticia de la partida de Jon. Soy guitarrista de una banda de heavy metal aqui y en último ensayo nuestro baterista (fanático púrpura a muerte desde sus jóvenes 22 años) me comunicó la mala nueva. Suelo recordar grandes momentos de su carrera, como la intro de You Fool No One en Live In London o el espectacular solo (corto pero efectivo) de Come On en Live...In The Heart Of The City de Whitesnake. Esta ligado su sonido de Hammond a muchos momentos de mi vida, crecí con el, así que espero no perderlo del todo, aunque no siga atizando el fuego púrpura. En una epoca de (en mi opinión) baja calidad musical, solo las verdaderas joyas son las que perduran, y el trabajo de Jon (que es como un amigo) esta plagado de ellas. PD: Perdón por escribir in spanish!

Reinaldo Barroso Alves, Sao Paulo, Brazil:
The moment I remember most in listening to Deep Purple was the introduction of Knocking At Your Back Door. I remember going to a record store, got the LP and carried it home carefully. Then I went to the living room and put the record on to be played. Knocking At Your Back Door caught me at the very first spin and the intro done by Jon was just perfect to begin a record. Great! Deep Purple records always fascinated me, specially the soul of the band, Jon Lord. Lazy, Space Truckin´, Highway Star, Perfect Strangers, Speed King and so so many other songs will remain on my favorite track list. God bless you and thanks for all the good music. Sincerely you deserve the best and hope to hear you in new projects.

Carl Vanempten, Belgium:
Jon Lord's finest moment to me was certainly MK III and IV. At that time Jon was really spectacular and at his musical highpoint. He was dramatic and powerful live. Just listen to the 1975's intros he did for You Fool No One... Different and inspired each night. Never ever could you feel the drama in Purple that close (Ritchie was about to leave and wasn't talking to anybody while delivering very dramatic and sensitive playing each night... Conversations of love and hate with Jon....). On the next tour with Tommy Jon was pushed to work hard to live up to the legend. Magic again. 1975-76: Jon was the Master. PAL was excellent. The reunion was nowhere close to the vintage stuff and Jon tended to be in the background way too much to my taste. He's a big part of my youth, someone I really respect. I hope he will continue to do his thing and I wish him the best of luck.

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