Ian Gillan is a popular British rock musician, singer and songwriter. Ian gained national popularity as the frontman of the cult band Deep Purple.
The artist's popularity doubled after he sang the part of Jesus in the original version of the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" by E. Webber and T. Rice. Ian was part of the rock band Black Sabbath for a while. Although, according to the singer, he "felt out of his element."
The artist organically combined excellent vocal abilities, "flexible" and persistent character. As well as a constant readiness for musical experiments.
Childhood and youth of Ian Gillan
Ian was born on August 19, 1945 in one of the poorest areas of London, located near Heathrow Airport. Gillan inherited his unique voice from talented relatives. The grandfather of the future rocker (on the maternal side) worked as an opera singer, and his uncle was a jazz pianist.
The boy grew up surrounded by good music. Frank Sinatra songs were often heard in the parents' house, and Audrey's mother loved to play the piano and did it almost every day. From an early age he sang in the church choir. However, he was expelled from there due to the fact that he could not sing the word "Hallelujah". He also asked church workers unethical questions.
Gillan was brought up in an incomplete family. Mom caught the head of the family cheating, and therefore put the suitcase of the unfaithful husband out the door. Audrey and Bill's marriage was a misalliance. Ian's father left school as a teenager. He worked as an ordinary storekeeper.
Ian Gillan: school years
When the father left the family, the financial situation deteriorated sharply. Despite this, the mother identified Ian in a prestigious school. However, the position of the guy was such that he stood out from the rest with poverty.
In the courtyard, the guy was beaten by peers-neighbors, saying that he was an "upstart", and in an educational institution classmates called Gillan a "messy". Ian grew and at the same time his character became strong. Soon he was not only able to stand up for himself, but also boldly put in place those who offended the weak.
Studying at a prestigious school did not add knowledge to the guy. As a teenager, he dropped out of school and went to work in a factory. Gillan dreamed of a different career - the guy saw himself at least as a popular film actor.
Judging by the photographs of Ian in his youth, he had all the data to become an actor - a presentable appearance, tall growth, curly hair and blue eyes.
Despite the desire to become an actor, the young man did not want to study at the theater institute. On the tests, he was given only episodic roles, which did not suit the ambitious guy.
But the decision was not long in coming. After Gillan saw the movie with Elvis Presley, he realized that for a start it would be nice to become a rock star.
And then there will be a lot of offers to act in films. Soon the guy created the first team, which was called Moonshiners.
Music by Ian Gillan
Gillan began his creative career as a vocalist and drummer. But soon the drum set faded into the background. Because Ian realized that it was physically impossible to combine singing and drumming.
The artist received his first “portion” of popularity as part of The Episode Six group. In the group, the vocalist performed lyrical compositions. Ian did not sing on a permanent basis - he replaced the main female soloist. Months of rehearsals made it clear that Gillan would be able to hit high notes and sing in the soprano register.
Soon, the vocalist was made an even more tempting offer. He became part of the cult collective Deep Purple. As Gillan later admitted, he was a longtime fan of the group's work.
Since 1969, Ian has officially become part of the group Deep Purple. At the same time, he was invited to perform the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. This also drew attention to him.
Ian was afraid of not being able to handle difficult games. However, a stage colleague advised the singer to treat Christ as not a religious, but a historical figure. Immediately, his youthful dream came true. Gillan was invited to star in the film of the same name. But due to the busy tour schedule of Deep Purple, he had to refuse.
The collaboration of the performer with the band, overshadowed by scandals, became a successful period in the career of Gillan and the band. The guys managed to mix the best traditions of classics, rock, folk and jazz.
Between Gillan and the rest of the musicians of Deep Purple, a conflict grew. Jon Lord put it this way:
“I think Ian was uncomfortable with us. He didn't like what we were doing. He often missed rehearsals, and if he came to them, he was intoxicated ... ".
Ian Gillan Collaboration with Black Sabbath
After the musician left the Deep Purple group, he became part of Black Sabbath. Ian Gillan commented that he does not consider himself the best vocalist in Black Sabbath history. For a band of this caliber, his voice was very lyrical. According to the singer, the best vocalist in the group was Ozzy Osbourne.
In the creative biography of Gillan there was a place for his own projects. Moreover, the musician did not hesitate to assign his own name to his offspring. Fans enjoyed the work of the Ian Gillian Band and Gillian.
In 1984, Gillan returned to the project, which gave him worldwide popularity. Ian again became part of the Deep Purple group. Ian commented: "I'm home again...".
The list of Ian's most popular compositions opens with the track Smoke on the Water. The musical composition describes a fire in an entertainment complex near Lake Geneva. The 2nd position in the list of the best tracks was taken by the composition South Africa. Gillan dedicated the presented composition to the 70th anniversary of Nelson Mandela.
The best albums of the singer, according to music critics and fans, are:
- fireball;
- Naked Thunder;
- dreamcatcher.
Ian Gillan: alcohol, drugs, scandals
Ian Gillan could not live without two things - alcohol and music. At the same time, it is not clear that the singer loved more. He drank liters of beer, adored rum and whiskey. The musician did not hesitate to go on stage drunk. He often forgot the words of the compositions and improvised on the go.
The performer is one of the few rockers who does not use drugs. Ian admitted to having tried illegal drugs in his youth and later in life. However, they did not make the proper impression on the artist.
An epic moment in Gillan's creative biography was his confrontation with Deep Purple colleague Ritchie Blackmore. Celebrities appreciated each other like professionals, but personal communication did not work out at all.
One day, Richie inadvertently removed the chair that Ian was going to sit on from the stage. The musician fell and broke his head. It all ended in swearing and mud-slinging. Including Gillan did not hesitate to speak about a colleague with foul language in front of journalists.
Personal life of Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan's personal life is closed to fans and journalists. According to Internet sources, the musician was married three times, he has two children and three grandchildren.
Biographers managed to find out only a few names of lovers. Ian's first wife was the charming Zoe Dean. Bron is the third and, as the musician hopes, the last wife. Interestingly, the couple went to the registry office three times and divorced twice.
Devoted fans of Gillan noticed that in the 1980s the timbre of the singer's voice changed. Ian had surgery on his larynx.
Those who want to get acquainted with the artist's biography in more detail can read the book by Vladimir Dribuschak "The Road of Glory" (2004).
Artist hobby
Gillan loves to watch football. In addition, he is an ardent fan of cricket. The musician tried to engage in the motorcycle business. But, unfortunately, he did not have enough experience and knowledge to "promote" the idea.
The star also tried her hand at carpentry and epistolary genres. Rocker is fond of making furniture designs and writing short stories.
Ian Gillan today
Respectable age is not a hindrance to create and perform on stage, says Ian Gillan. In 2017, the singer presented a new album, Infinite (not solo). The disc was included in the discography of Deep Purple.
In 2019, the rock star performed in Germany. The musician's daughter, Grace, often performed as the opening act before the artist's performance. She performed dance compositions in the reggae style.
In 2020, Deep Purple's discography has been replenished with 21 studio albums. The release of the collection was scheduled for June 12. But the musicians postponed it to August 7 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The album was produced by Bob Ezrin.
“Whoosh is an onomatopoeic word. It describes the transitory nature of humanity on Earth. On the other hand, it illustrates the career of Deep Purple,” said frontman Ian Gillan.
