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Ian Gillan: The Autobiography of Deep Purple's Lead Singer

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Ian Gillan's first success was in Lebanon with Episode Six in the mid-sixties. Returning home to a largely indifferent England, he then signed on with Deep Purple, which went on to become one of the best selling bands of its time.

The book tells the story of the good times as well as bad. There were successes with other bands like Gillan and Black Sabbath, and his lead role in the original recording of Jesus Christ Superstar. There were also tough times: money problems, internal conflicts and the recurring musical and professional conflicts with legendary Deep Purple guitar wizard Ritchie Blackmore.

The band continues on today -- with Gillan but without Blackmore, (replaced by the equally amazing Steve Morse) and the book takes us right up to present day. The writing is understated but the tales are fascinating. A must-have for any hard rock music fan.

As a fan of Ian Gillans work in both Deep purple, and then as a solo act with the "Gillan Band", I really enjoyed this book.
Ian comes across as a very down to earth character, and gives much insight into his lyrics, and his feelings about performing and life on the road.He dosn't take himself too seriously, and I laughed more than a few times! Sheds some light on his turbulent relationship with Purple Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore.

Maybe because he has always written the lyrics in the various projects in which he participated, GIllan wrote a sensitive and simple history, educately not losing much time describing the others members of Purple, but focusing mainly on the music industry, the ideas behind the records, his ideas about rock'n'roll. It's very, very good reading.

Quite an amazing autobiography in his own words. Claimed to be one of the greatest singers in the history of hard-rock, Ian Gillan talks about the remarkable story behind the early years of "Deep Purple".

From the birth of hard rock and the lead role in the famous "Jesus Christ Superstar", to the recent stories with "Black Sabbath" and re-born "Deep Purple". Highly recommended for anyone interested in this kind of music.

Ian Gillan has been not only one of rock's all-time greatest vocalists, also a lyricist of great talent and a true rock and roll personality for the ages. As a member of Deep Purple's key Mark II lineup, and through his various solo projects, he's been everywhere, done everything. An honest autobiography covering his life and times would make for a wild roller coaster of a read. And so it is.

So many musicians seem to know how to play their instruments, but don't know how to string a few words together on paper. Gillan's book, by contrast, is well enough written, positively brimming with his personality and great sense of humor, and stuffed with hilarious stories. It is a joy to read.

Gillan's story begins with his family, his cronies in the neighborhood, and early stabs at becoming rich and famous, initially not terribly successful in either direction. Following his major career breaks, getting into Purple and the success of the Jesus Christ Superstar recordings, he covers it all: his bumpy (to say the least) relationship with the legendary Ritchie Blackmore, life on the road, various incidents of band misbehavior, quitting the band, the various business failures which left him broke once more, and then rise back to the top of the hard rock music business (and lifestyle). He goes into management issues, the various bands and musicians, tour management, the girls on the road, you name it. Even some stories on some of the bands they toured with - like the wild days of the tour supporting the Faces - are included, every one of them hilarious. I would have liked to read a bit more on some particular issues, but as an overview, he seems to strive to cover all stages of his long career fairly evenly. At close to 300 pages, including a discography, he gives us a lot. Throughout the book the voice is unmistakably Gillan, jokester, drinking buddy, musician, emotional and touchy sparring partner. If you want to know about life on the road, all over the world, with one of the most successful touring bands of the last 25 years, this is the book to read. It is outstanding.

It's the best! If you are an Ian Gillan fan, you will love this book.